By
Morpheus
A man discovers that when demons walk the streets, only angels are equipped to deal with them.
By
Morpheus
A man discovers that when demons exist, only angels are equipped to deal with them.
This is a story idea that had been bouncing around in my head for over a year and every month or two my muse keeps going back to it so I decided to finally give into her nagging. When I’d originally come up with this idea, I’d envisioned it as an anime series.
Part 1
I leaned back in the passenger seat of my vehicle, silently listening to the radio. There wasn’t any music playing or anything like that, though there was a dispatcher who’d be pissed if we didn’t respond when called.
My partner Dom sat behind the steering wheel of the ambulance, focusing on the traffic much the way I was focusing on the radio. Dominic Vincenti was a large and brutish looking man whom most people would automatically assume was something like a boxer or mob enforcer. Most people would never guess that he was a very professional EMT or that he was actually a big softy who actually kept teddy bears in the ambulance to comfort scared kids.
“Hey kid,” Dom said, annoying me with the fact that he kept calling me ‘kid’ even though I was twenty-six years old. In fact, I was pretty sure that he called me that because it annoyed me, though Dom did have a knack of sticking everyone with nicknames.
“Yeah, old man,” I responded pleasantly.
Dom chuckled at that, probably due to the fact that he wasn’t even forty yet. “Are you still thinking about the blonde yesterday?”
“Not really,” I lied.
Yesterday, Dom and I had gotten a call which had left me a bit shaken, though I’d seen things much worse in the year I’d been working this job. A woman had been involved in a domestic violence situation and had several broken bones and multiple lacerations. It wasn’t her physical condition that had gotten to me so much as the fact that we’d taken the same woman to the hospital just a couple months earlier. In spite of being put in the hospital by her husband, she’d gone right back to him, only to get hurt even worse.
I’d been pissed by the situation, and though Dom hadn’t said so, I knew that he was just as upset as I was. In fact, I suspected that if the cops hadn’t been present, Dom would have given the husband a matching set of injuries. Dom might be a big softy most of the time, but there were certain things that could make him just as dangerous as he looked.
“I just hated seeing that,” I finally said. “I mean, you’d think she would have left him after the first time.”
Dom nodded at that, scowling as he did so. “People don’t always make sense,” he told me with a snort. “And some people never seem to learn.” I wasn’t quite sure if he was talking about the wife, the husband, or possibly himself.
Since I didn’t want to talk about that anymore right now, I asked, “So, how’s Mothra doing?”
Mothra was the nickname he’d given to his sister-in-law, who he described as a very large woman who seemed to think she was a dainty butterfly. He loved telling stories about how she accidentally broke nearly everything she came in contact with, though I’m not sure how much was exaggeration and how much was completely made up.
“She’s all right,” Dom responded with a chuckle. This his expression went serious, which was very odd considering the topic. “Damn lucky to be alive though.”
I was a little surprised that statement since Dom would usually start off by making a joke about her. I hesitated a moment before asking, “What do you mean?”
Dom didn’t answer right away, but after nearly half a minute, he said, “One of her coworkers went demon.”
“Holy shit,” I blurted out in shock. “At work?”
“No,” Dom responded, shaking his head. “Killed her own family and then destroyed half the neighborhood before she was taken down.”
“Damn,” I said, not sure what else I could say to that.
Dom nodded. “Yeah. If she’d gone demon at work instead of at home…” He didn’t say anymore but he didn’t need to. If Mothra’s coworker had gone demon while at work, then Mothra probably would have been killed. Or even worse, she might have become a demon too.
Demons were a very real threat and had been for the last eight years, ever since the first ones had appeared. Of course, they weren’t real demons, at least not the kind that supposedly came from Hell. However, the term ‘demon’ was accurate enough for what these monsters were that it had stuck and become the common term that everyone used.
“So, how’s the girlfriend going?” Dom abruptly asked me, obviously eager to change the topic. The subject of demons was just as depressing as the one of the blonde from yesterday so I was glad to talk about something else.
“Not too bad,” I told Dom with a shrug. “But honestly, I don’t think we’ll be together for much longer. Cindy hasn’t said anything, but I’m pretty sure she’s got her eyes on someone else.”
“Sorry to hear that, kid,” Dom responded. “Are you sure she isn’t just playing a game to get your attention?”
“Nope,” I responded with a chuckle. “But she has been complaining a lot about my hours since the swing shift doesn’t leave me a lot of time to spend with her.”
I was about to say more when the dispatcher called for us on the radio. “We just got received a report of a violent assault over on Harrison Avenue,” she said. “The police are already in route…”
Without a word, Dom turned on the flashing lights and sped up the ambulance. The traffic began moving out of our way, at least a little. However, in a busy city there was usually too much traffic to quickly clear a path, not to mention a lot of people who were reluctant to move until we were right on their asses.
When we reached Harrison Avenue, we saw the police lights about a half block ahead of us. Before we could get any closer, the air was suddenly filled with the deafening sound of an old school air raid siren. Dom slammed on the breaks, as did half the cars on the road. The other half were trying to turn around which only resulted in a massive traffic jam that left everyone frozen.
“Oh shit,” I exclaimed, knowing exactly what that siren meant. It was a demon siren, warning that a demon was believed to be in the area and announcing that we should get away or into hiding as quickly as possible. Most of the other drivers were already responding to this by jumping out of their cars and running to the buildings that lined the street.
“We’re stuck,” Dom snarled, slamming his hand onto the steering wheel in frustration.
I stared at the chaos outside the window, briefly wondering whether we should just hunker down inside the ambulance and wait for this to blow over or if we should make a run like everyone else was. Dom decided for me by getting out of the ambulance so I followed him.
“Come on,” I called out to Dom, pointing to the nearest doorway which was for an office building.
A loud roar suddenly filled the air and a moment later a figure fell from the sky and smashed into the top of a car. The figure stood up, revealing itself to be a demon. I froze, staring at him in horror. He was about seven feet tall and mostly human in shape, though there was no mistaking him for a human. He had green skin, a mouth that was far too wide and was full of sharp looking teeth, and then there were his hands…or lack of. At the elbows, his arms formed it two long boney blades that resembled the arms of a praying mantis.
The demon let out a strange hissing roar and ten stabbed one of his sword arms right through the top of the car and into the person inside. Then it leapt to another car and began to frantically slash at the roof, slicing it to ribbons.
“Let’s get out of here,” I exclaimed.
“Good idea,” Dom agreed, only to pause and stare at a little girl who was cowering behind a car, apparently having been separated from her parents in the confusion. “Damn…”
Without a word, Dom ran straight to the little girl and picked her up so that he could carry her to safety. The demon saw Dom and jumped at them, driving a blade right through Dom’s back. The little girl was thrown back and hit the ground where she screamed in panic. That just seemed to draw the demon’s attention.
“Dom,” I cried out in horror at the sight of my friend lying face down in a pool of blood.
My outcry drew the demon’s attention away from the little girl and towards me. I gulped, feeling my heart race in terror. I turned and ran, expecting to be attacked from behind at any moment. But then I heard gunfire followed by the roar of the demon.
I stopped and dropped down behind a car, peeking my head out enough to see that people had finally arrived to fight the demon. I was a little startled to realize that there were only three soldiers and they were all women, wearing tight black body armor and carrying large guns. However, they were approaching the demon almost without fear and opening fire.
The demon jumped to the side, leaping an amazing distance and hitting the side of one of the buildings, then he bounced off and shot right towards one of the women. It looked like I was going to go right past her, then he lashed out with his long bladed arm and sliced right through her side. She screamed and dropped to the ground while the demon jumped up and launched himself at a cop who was standing back with his gun in hand, looking as though he was about to piss himself. I understood that feeling completely.
I was thankful that the demon was moving away from me with the two other women chasing after it, but I certainly didn’t feel safe. I wanted to turn take advantage of this opportunity to run my ass off before I ended up dead like Dom, but I couldn’t bring myself to do that. My eyes went to the female soldier who’d been sliced open while saving my life. I grimaced and started towards her. No matter how scared I was, I was still and EMT and this was a woman who needed immediate medical treatment.
When I reached the woman, I saw that she’d been injured even worse than I thought. The demon’s blade had cut right through her lightweight armor and sliced through her side almost to her spine. There was blood everywhere and I’d left my protective gloves back in the ambulance. Intellectually, I knew I should go back and get them in order to protect myself, but this woman didn’t have the time to wait so I immediately dropped down beside her and went to work. She was in pretty rough shape, but there was still a small chance she could be saved.
The first thing I did was remove her helmet so that I could check her pulse and breathing. She was a beautiful brunette, and to my surprise, much younger than I would have guessed. She couldn’t have been much more than eighteen or nineteen. However, I didn’t pay her appearance much attention and instead focused on her condition. I tried pealing her armor back enough to reach her wound, though it wasn’t easy. I needed to stop her bleeding and try keeping her alive until we could get her to the hospital.
To my surprise, the woman seemed to stabilize much more quickly than I ever could have imagined. And as I worked to bandage her wound and stop the bleeding, I realized that she wasn’t hurt quite as bad as I’d first thought. Still, I remained focused on keeping her alive, not allowing myself to think about my dead friend or the fact that people were fighting a demon just a short distance away. At the moment, this task was all that mattered.
Eventually, I heard someone yell out, “All right, the demon is down.” There was a noticeable sense of relief in the air, but I didn’t get up to get a better look.
A minute later, I noticed a group of soldiers coming towards me. These weren’t the women in the tight black armor but were a group of men who were wearing what looked like SWAT gear. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that help had arrived.
“She needs immediate medevac,” I called out, nodding to the woman on the ground.
The soldiers all stopped and didn’t approach any closer. Instead, one of them gestured and suddenly all of them raised their guns and pointed them straight at me. I froze, staring at the weapons with a mixture of fear and confusion. After I’d just tried saving that woman, this was not the kind of reaction I was expecting.
By
Morpheus
I’d once spent a couple days in jail after a night of heavy drinking and a few stupid decisions. It had been cold, uncomfortable, and nowhere near as nice as the prison cell that I now found myself occupying. In fact, the room I was currently locked within had more in common with a cheap hotel room than it did a jail cell.
The room was a little larger than the bedroom I’d had when I was a kid, it had cold but spotlessly clean tiles on the floor, and even a real bed rather than a cot that was bolted to the wall. In fact, there was even a small bathroom with a shower stall. But of course, technically I was in quarantine rather than under arrest.
After I’d been taken into custody two days ago, I’d been brought here by helicopter…wherever here was. I’d been run through a decontamination shower and then placed in this room with nothing to wear but a jogging suit that was just a little too large for me. They hadn’t even provided shoes.
I sat down on the plastic chair that had been provided and scowled in frustration, worry, and boredom. I absently scratched at my arm as I considered my situation and how I really didn’t even know what my situation was. What I did know was that in the two days I’d been here, doctors had come in four times to give me a quick examination and take a blood sample, then they’d leave without saying a word to me. They’d completely ignored each and every question I asked about why I was there, when I could get out, and even about whether or not that soldier had survived her injuries.
Of course, I had my suspicions about why I was here and they weren’t good ones. I was obviously in quarantine and the fact that the doctors always wore biohazard suits when they came in to see me gave me a pretty good idea of what my situation was. I’d been present during a demon attack, and more than that, I’d actually had physical contact with blood from a demon’s victim.
“The harkon virus,” I said bitterly.
I looked down at my arm and noticed that my arm hair had all fallen out where I’d been scratching. I brushed the loose hair aside and stared at the bald batch with a cold knot of dread forming in my stomach. This was the first real evidence that my fears were correct. Because of my carelessness, it looks like I’d been infected.
I remained where I was for another half hour, my mind going in circles as I thought about what it would mean if I was actually infected. Unfortunately, that was the only reason I could think of which would explain why I’d been locked up in quarantine like this, or at least why they hadn’t let me go yet. At first, I wanted to deny it was even possible, but I knew it was far too likely and a sense of cold hopelessness settled over me.
“It looks like Dom was the lucky one,” I whispered sadly.
A minute later, I heard the pressure seal from the door being released, giving me enough warning to watch the door as it swung open. A soldier in biohazard gear stepped inside the room and stood to the side of the door, keeping his eyes on me but making no move towards his weapon. This guard or another one like him was always the first one to enter when the doctors arrived and the last to leave. And though he never made a threatening move, it was quite clear that he was there to make sure I behaved.
Next, I expected the doctors to come in as they had before, but to my surprise, it was a beautiful young woman who entered instead. She was about eighteen or nineteen with shoulder length brunette hair and she was wearing a black jumpsuit of some sort. And of course, I couldn’t help but immediately noticing that she wasn’t wearing a biohazard suit the way everyone else had been.
“Jarrod West,” she greeted me with my name, showing that she knew who I was. I wasn’t the least bit surprised by that since they’d taken my wallet when they brought me here.
I stared at her for a moment before gasping in recognition. “You survived,” blurted out, immediately feeling stupid for stating the obvious. “I’m surprised you’re up and walking after an injury like that.”
The young woman stared at me for a moment and then gave me a faint smile before saying, “That wasn’t me you helped. That was my sister Nicole.”
“Is she…is she still alive?” I asked, not sure whether I should hope she was or not. If she was infected, it would probably be a mercy to let her die of her injuries
“She is alive and doing well,” the woman told me with a slightly wider smile. “There is a good chance that she would have survived her injuries, but your help made it certain. Thank you for that.” Then she turned to the guard and asked, “Felix, could you give us some privacy?”
“Sure thing,” the guard said, which was the first time I’d heard him talk or do anything other than look threatening. He left the room, sealing the door back behind him.
Once we were alone, she gave me a thoughtful look and said, “I’m Rebecca Vaughn and I’m here to answer your questions. You’re probably wondering what’s going on.”
“I assumed I’d been infected,” I said after a moment, giving Rebecca a curious look. “But you’re not wearing any protective gear.”
Rebecca nodded faintly, staring at me with an odd expression that I couldn’t quite make out. She sat down on the edge of my bed and shook her head. Then she finally said, “I’ve got good news and bad news for you.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t sound very promising,” I commented.
“The bad news is that you are infected with the harkon virus,” Rebecca told me with a sympathetic look. “The good news is that you aren’t going to turn into a demon.”
I collapsed into the plastic chair and felt myself deflate. “How are you going to do it?” I asked quietly, not able to bring myself to look at Rebecca. “Lethal injection? Poison gas?” Then I gestured to the door, “Or is that guy going to put a bullet in my head.”
“No,” Rebecca quickly blurted out. “It’s nothing like that…” She hesitated for a moment, giving me another odd look before asking, “How much do you know about the harkon virus?”
“The same as everyone else,” I answered, trying hard to appear calm and hide the fact that I was shaking. “Some government scientists were working on a retrovirus that could improve human DNA so they could create super soldiers, but it mutated and got loose. Anyone who gets infected turns into a psychotic monster…a demon.”
Rebecca nodded at that, having a dark look on her face as she did so. “There is more to it than just that,” she said quietly. Then she stared at me for several seconds before carefully adding, “What I’m about to tell you is highly classified.”
I blinked at that, feeling confused but even more curious. It didn’t make much sense for me to be locked up in quarantine like this with people refusing to answer even the most basic questions, then to suddenly have them give me classified information.
“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady and calm.
“My mother was one of the scientists on the Harkon Project,” Rebecca said with a scowl, immediately catching my full attention. “They were nearly finished with the virus, a stable version that would have worked exactly as intended. The only real downside was that it would need to be customized for every person they wanted to augment.” She paused to shake her head with a loud sigh. “Unfortunately, higher ups and bureaucrats got involved and wanted even more bang for their buck. They realized that the virus had the potential for more powerful augmentations and insisted the research team go further.”
I snorted at that and muttered, “Figures.”
The government had always been fairly vague on the details of the accident, and of course it made sense that they’d keep this quiet. They wouldn’t want the public to realize that the bureaucrats and politicians were as much to blame for the existence of demons as the scientists.
“My mother protested that this new direction was unsafe,” Rebecca continued with a sad shake of her head, “so Doctor Martin Yavich took over the lead. They removed the safety features and limits, making the virus more versatile and powerful…but far less stable. But while Yavich’s people did that, my mother completed the original version so she could use it to save me.”
“Save you?” I asked.
“I was born with a genetic disorder,” she explained with a wry smile. “A degenerative disease that was slowly destroying my body. I was always sick and frail and it only got worse as I got older. I was in a wheelchair by the time I was twelve and the doctors all said that I’d be lucky to make it to eighteen…and that there was no chance I’d survive until twenty-one.”
“Damn,” I exclaimed, staring at Rebecca in surprise. She looked perfectly healthy to me and was obviously didn’t need a wheelchair to get around.
“My condition is why my mom began working on the project in the first place,” Rebecca told me with a sad look. “She thought that this technology was the only way to save me from my disease, and she was right. I had just turned nineteen and was probably only months away from dying when my mom finished the virus. She customized it for me with my own DNA, then she injected me with it.” Rebecca paused for a moment to give me a faint smile before adding, “I was the first person to ever be infected with the harkon virus. It quickly changed me, repairing my genetic damage and turning me into an idealized version of myself. But it did more than that. The virus had originally been designed to create super soldiers so it augmented me in that fashion as well, making me much stronger, faster, and smarter.”
I stared at Rebecca, feeling a little stunned and uncertain of what to think. I couldn’t help but suddenly feeling a little scared of her since eight years of news reports about demons had conditioned me to be afraid of anyone who had the harkon virus. Everything I’d ever heard until now insisted that anyone who was infected with it was a ticking time bomb who would sooner or later become a murderous monster.
“Unfortunately,” Rebecca said, giving me a wry smile. “My mom discovered that there was one problem with the virus that she hadn’t counted on. After my change, it not only remained in my system, but it was also contagious under certain circumstances. Because of that, I remained in moderate quarantine at the lab while my mom looked for a way fix this.”
Rebecca went silent at that, staring off to the side with a sad look on her face without looking at me. It was obvious that this wasn’t easy for her to talk about so I remained quiet and waited for her to continue at her own pace.
“I had the A strain of the harkon virus,” Rebecca finally said, her expression turning grim and almost angry. “Then Doctor Yavich became infected with the B strain that he and his team had been working on. I don’t know if it was an accident or if he intentionally infected himself in order to prove that his strain was the superior one. What I do know is that it not only increased his strength and toughness, it also began altering him in ways that no one expected. It turned him into the first demon.”
I scowled at that, angry that so many deaths had been caused by greedy bureaucrats and a careless scientist. How many people had lost their lives due to demons over the last eight years? I didn’t know any numbers but it was definitely far too high for something that should have been avoided completely.
“Yavich went on a rampage,” Rebecca continued with a deep scowl. “He attacked everyone and everything at the labs, killing nearly everyone he encountered. And even worse, most of those who survived became infected and turned demon themselves.” She paused to shake her head, looking almost as though she was in pain before adding, “The B strain…what we usually call the demon strain is more contagious than the version in my system. Any physical contact with a demon is usually enough to infect you and sometimes just getting close can be enough.”
For a moment, I just stared at Rebecca, then I asked, “Your mom?”
“One of the lucky ones,” Rebecca answered quietly. “She died quickly.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what else to say about something like that.
Rebecca nodded at that and continued. “I was badly injured during the attack, and in the process, several people came in contact with my blood and were accidentally infected. A security guard, a receptionist, and a lab assistant…they were all infected with my virus…and with my DNA. Afterwards, they all changed. They all turned into clones of me.”
“Oh shit,” I blurted out in shock as I suddenly realized what Rebecca was getting to. I jumped out of my seat and exclaimed, “That’s what I’m infected with...”
“Yes,” Rebecca responded, giving me a sympathetic look. “When you helped Nicole, you got infected with the A strain…what we call the angel strain. Our doctors have spent the last two days confirming it. In about a week, you’ll be seeing my face looking back from the mirror. I’m sorry”
“Oh God,” I gasped, staring at the bald spot on my forearm where the hair had all fallen out. If Rebecca was right, and I had absolutely no reason to believe she wasn’t, this was only the beginning.
“There isn’t a cure,” Rebecca told me gently. “Not for the demon strain and not for the angel strain.”
“I know,” I whispered, sitting back down again, feeling just as shaken as I did a few minutes ago when she confirmed that I had the harkon virus.
Everyone knows that when it came to the harkon virus, there was no vaccine, no cure, and no hope. When the first demons appeared and their origins became public, there had been a huge international outcry that resulted in treaties and strict bans against the retrovirus technology, with harsh penalties for any who violated this. Some countries even stated that they would view any further retrovirus research as an act of war. Ironically, the rules that were created to prevent more disasters like the demons also prevented research for a cure.
Rebecca sat back down on the bed and gave me a minute before she said, “After the demons were loose, my new sisters and I realized that we were the best people to deal with them. After all, we’re augmented too. We’re strong, fast, heal quickly, and we’re immune to the demon strain. We joined a newly created demon suppression unit and formed Angel Squad, the core of the unit.”
“Jarrod,” Rebecca said, getting back up and then putting a hand on my shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy to absorb. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is that your old life is over. As far as everyone in the outside is concerned, you are officially dead. You were killed by a demon while attempting to save a life. When you helped Nicole, you accidentally stepped into something that the government doesn’t want to get out…the existence of the angel strain.”
“Then what happens to me now?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm and under control.
I’d wondered why she was telling me something classified and now I knew. They didn’t plan on letting me leave. My eyes darted to the door and I had a momentary thought of trying to escape, though I quickly squashed it. First, I’d have to get past Rebecca, then hope the door was unlocked, then deal with Felix who was probably on the other side, and then who knows what. Instead, I turned my attention back to Rebecca, who I suspected was my best chance, though my best chance for what I didn’t know.
“The government won’t let you reveal our existence or that of the angel strain,” Rebecca told me, sitting back down on the bed again and giving me a thoughtful look. “They don’t want the public to panic over a second strain, nor do they want to take a chance on this one getting out too.” She paused and gave me a faint smile. “Not to brag, but there are actually a lot of people who’d intentionally try to get infected. After all, there are a lot of benefits to being augmented like this.” Then she shook her head and admitted, “But to be honest, I don’t like the idea of countless strangers running around with my face and DNA.”
“I can understand that,” I responded grimly, not taking my eyes off her.
“But as for your situation,” she said with a sigh. “Whether you like it or not, you are going to change. The process has already begun. And of course, the government isn’t going to let you just walk away while you’re infected. As I see it, you have only two choices. You can remain in protective custody for an indefinite period. You’ll be given your own quarters, free access to a large area of the base, and even a job if you want one. But you won’t be allowed to just leave.”
“And my other choice?” I asked with a scowl, wondering if it involved eating a bullet.
“Join Angel Squad,” Rebecca answered with a faint smile. “Help us fight the demons and save lives.”
“What?” I blurted out, staring at her in surprise. That was definitely not the option I’d been expecting.
Rebecca gave me another faint smile and told me, “Over the last two days, not only have the doctors been verifying your infection, but we’ve also been doing security checks to see if you were trustworthy. You should know, I was the one who recommended this option to the higher ups. You could have run away from the demon but you risked your life to stay and help a complete stranger. That’s the kind of person I want watching my back. That’s the kind of person I want to call sister.”
I just sat there, feeling stunned and overwhelmed by everything I’d just learned. I was especially floored by the revelation that I was going to turn into a girl, that I was going to turn into a clone of Rebecca. The whole idea seemed preposterous and even impossible. However, I didn’t think that she’d made this up. And when she’d mentioned possibly calling me sister, it had driven this all in even deeper and somehow made it even more real.
“Jarrod,” Rebecca said, putting a hand on my shoulder again. “I’m sorry this all happened to you…that you lost your old life and have to make this kind of decision. You deserve better after you tried helping Nicole, but if you give us a chance, it might not be so bad. I’ll go and let you think about it, but regardless of what you choose, I’m going to get you moved somewhere a little less confined.”
With that, Rebecca nodded at me and then turned and left the room. I stared after her, my mind and emotions swirling while I tried absorbing everything and making sense of it all. I had no idea what to make of my situation, only that I didn’t like it one bit.
By
Morpheus
When Rebecca returned for me, she immediately handed me a red plastic box that was about the size of a pencil case. “Here,” she said pleasantly. “You’re going to need this.”
I stared at the box for a moment in curiosity and then opened it. I was startled to see that there was a syringe inside as well as a dozen small vials full of liquid. I gave her a questioning look.
“Medicine,” she explained with a wry smile. “You’ll need to take a shot before you’re allowed to leave this quarantine room and then you’ll need to take one every day.”
“What’s this for?” I asked suspiciously, picking up one of the small vials to examine it closer.
“All of us angels are required to take it,” Rebecca told me patiently. “My mom designed this drug for me before her death. It makes us less infectious.”
I was a little startled by that explanation and said, “I didn’t think there was anything even remotely like a vaccine…”
“Unfortunately, you’re correct,” Rachael responded. “This isn’t a vaccine or anything like it. Normally, we angels can infect others through body fluids. This merely reduces just how contagious we are and makes it safer for us to be near others. With this, saliva and other…fluids are no longer infectious. Just coming in contact with our blood won’t infect anyone either, not unless they get it into their blood stream.”
I gave Rebecca a flat look and asked, “Then how am I here?”
“I’m sorry,” Rebecca told me with an apologetic look. “When we get injured, the virus in our system tries healing us and goes into hyperdrive. When that happens, this drug goes out the window and we become contagious again.”
Rebecca took the vial from my hand and then removed the syringe from the box. She snapped the vial into the back of the syringe and then grabbed my arm, giving me the shot.
“You’ll get used to this,” she said with a shrug. “Think of it as being diabetic. Now let’s go see your new quarters.”
“Aren’t we forgetting something?” I asked, gesturing down to my bare feet. “You guys took my shoes.”
Rebecca rolled her eyes at that, then went to the door which she’d left open when she’d entered. “Get Jarrod some shoes,” she called out. Then she turned to me and shook her head. “Sorry, but they destroyed your shoes along with the rest of your clothes. They had Nicole’s blood on them.”
Then Rebecca gestured to the vials and said, “In case you’re wondering, that stuff doesn’t work on the demons. Their strain is always in hypderdrive.”
Once a guard arrived with a pair of shoes for me, Rebecca led me out of the quarantine room. I was glad to be out of there since I was starting to feel claustrophobic, but I knew I was still a prisoner. I was just being moved into a bigger cell.
When we left the building, Rebecca gave me a reassuring smile and said, “It’s not much further. We have an area that’s reserved just for us angels.”
I gave Rebecca a quickly look and exclaimed, “I never said I was going to join your squad.”
Rebecca just smiled at that and explained, “Whether you do or not, we all decided that this was the best place to put you. Between the security situation, infection concerns, and rest of us angels already being there, it only makes sense.”
I scowled at that but continued walking beside her. Thankfully, Rebecca hadn’t really been pressuring me to make a decision. In fact, since she’d come back for me, she hadn’t mentioned it at all until I brought the subject up.
Ever since Rebecca had told me about my choices, I’d been thinking about them and not liking either. The real fact was that I hated everything about my entire situation. I was infected with a virus that was going to turn me into a girl and then I was going to be stuck in one form of quarantine or another for the rest of my life, just so the government could make sure I didn’t spill their secrets. There wasn’t anything about that to like.
Of course, Rebecca hadn’t said it specifically, but she’d sort of suggested that I’d be given more trust and freedom if I joined her squad and helped fight demons. However, the idea of intentionally looking for demons seemed to be a rather stupid one and I couldn’t imagine who in their right mind would want to do that. In fact, the very idea of encountering another demon like that was nearly enough to make me piss myself.
“We’re here,” Rebecca announced when we reached the front of a two or three story building.
There was a door in front of us that had a symbol painted on it that looked like a pair of angel wings with a halo floating over the top of them. I vaguely remembered seeing that symbol before, on a patch the soldier was wearing while I tried saving her life. I glanced to Rebecca, noting that she wore a patch with the same symbol on her shoulder as well.
Rebecca entered a code into the keypad beside the door and then announced, “Enter freely and of your own will.”
“This is where you live?” I asked, feeling a little uncertain.
“Yep,” Rebecca agreed, giving me a grin. “Angel Squad has the whole building and a fenced off area behind it. It’s a lot of space for just us, but it gives us privacy and we don’t to worry about accidentally infecting anyone else here.” She gestured around as we went inside saying, “We have sleeping quarters, laundry, a kitchen, recreation areas, a hot tub, and even our own swimming pool.”
“Damn,” I exclaimed in surprise. When Rebecca had said she was moving me out of the quarantine room, I hadn’t expected something like this.
“And yes,” she added with a smirk. “We do call it Heaven.”
“How many people live here?” I asked, thinking about the size of the building.
Rebecca was silent for a moment before answering, “Four, including you.” She shook her head sadly and then added, “We used to have another sister, but Lisa was killed by a demon a few years ago.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, not sure what else I could say to that.
“Come on,” Rebecca told me as she started for some stairs, “I’ll show you to your room and then give you the nickel tour.”
A minute later, I was standing inside of the bedroom that had been assigned to me. It was a moderately sized room that could have done quite well as a studio apartment, and it was even already furnished, including a queen sized bed. However, as I looked it over, I noticed one glaring problem.
“There isn’t a bathroom,” I told Rebecca.
“We have a community bathroom and showers just a few doors down,” she told me with a chuckle.
“Even my previous accommodations came with a bathroom,” I said, more as a joke than anything. “I thought you said this place was Heaven.”
Rebecca chuckled at that. “It is annoying,” she admitted. “This building used to be a barracks, but when they remodeled it, they skimped when it came to updating this section. Apparently, stripping everything to the bones and then installing all new plumbing was a bit more than the budget allowed.”
“So, there’s a hot tub but no toilet for my room,” I muttered with a shake of my head.
I left the plastic case with the medicine in my room and then went with Rebecca while she showed me the rest of the building. It was definitely spacious and seemed even more so because it was completely empty of other people. The top floor contained most of the real living area while the bottom floor contained things like a gym, training room, and storage. The pool Rebecca had mentioned was in back of the building.
“You have free range of Heaven,” Rebecca told me once she was done with the tour. “But for now, the higher ups want one of us to escort you whenever you go elsewhere on base.” She gave me an apologetic look at that.
I nodded at that, then admitted, “It’s a bit more freedom than I was expecting.”
“None of this is your fault,” she said with a sigh. “And it’s a shitty reward for trying to save someone’s life. We’re trying to make this as easy on you as we can.”
“I appreciate it,” I said, absently scratching my arm.
I looked down and scowled, no longer having any hair on my arms at all. And though I hadn’t checked, from the faint itching my legs, I was fairly sure that my arms weren’t the only things that had gone bald.
“Now that you’ve seen Heaven,” Rebecca told me with a grin. “It’s time for you to meet the other angels.”
I was a bit nervous about meeting these women, though admittedly, I was curious about Nicole. After the condition she’d been in the last time I saw her, I wanted to see for myself if she was all right.
“They’re eager to meet you,” Rebecca told me with a grin. “I asked them to hold back for a bit though so I could give you the tour first. I didn’t want to overwhelm you with too much at once.”
“And all this isn’t too much at once?” I asked bitterly, thing about everything I’d already been hit with.
Rebecca just gave me a sympathetic look and said, “Come on.”
We went back to the dining room area that Rebecca had shown me a short time earlier, and to my surprise, there were four beers sitting out on the table. When we came through here earlier, the table had been completely empty.
“We thought you could use a drink,” Rebecca’s voice said, though Rebecca hadn’t said a word. I snapped around and saw Rebecca standing in the side doorway, even though she was also standing beside me. It took a moment to realize that Rebecca had shoulder length hair while this new Rebecca had hair that went to her mid back.
This other Rebecca stepped the rest of the way into the dining room while another Rebecca came in behind her. This one had fairly short hair that was bleached blonde. She even had a half dozen rings through each ear.
“These are my sisters,” Rebecca said with a grin, gesturing to the newcomers. “Dani and Nicole.”
“I’m really sorry about this,” the one with the long hair said, giving me a guilty look. “This is my fault. If I hadn’t gotten distracted, this never would have happened.”
“What…?” I started, then paused in realization. “You’re the one I patched up. Nicole…”
“Not fair,” the blonde one said, handing a five dollar bill over to Rebecca who just stood there smirking. “Nicole gave it up.”
“He had a fifty percent chance of guessing right anyway,” Nicole told Dani.
“How can you be up and walking after that?” I blurted out, staring at Nicole.
Nicole lifted her shirt enough to give me a good view of her side, which had a nasty looking scar where she’d been torn open. “We heal fast,” she explained with a self-conscious smile. “The scar will be gone by tomorrow.”
I nodded at that, staring at Nicole and then Dani, feeling a little stunned by just how much they looked like Rebecca. They were all identical, except for the hair and the fact that Dani had more piercings in her ears.
“I really appreciate what you did for me,” Nicole said as she came up to me. “If you hadn’t helped me, I probably would have bled out before healing enough to stop it.”
Then Nicole surprised me by leaning forward and kissing me on the lips. Her lips lingered against mine before she slowly pulled back, smirking faintly as she did so.
“Hey,” Rebecca protested. “He’s going to be one of us soon.”
“But he isn’t yet,” Nicole pointed out.
“Nice to meet you,” Dani said, holding out her hand. As I shook it, she gave me an odd look and said, “You’re in for a rough road, but it probably won’t be as bad as you think.”
“Have a seat,” Rebecca said, handing me one of the beers from the table before taking one for herself. “Since you’re going to be living here with us for the foreseeable future, I think we should get to know each other a little better.”
By
Morpheus
I woke up early, still feeling exhausted since I hadn’t slept well last night. In fact, I hadn’t slept well at all over the last few nights. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing Dom being impaled by that demon, or just as bad, I would think about what my own future held.
After laying there for at least ten minutes, I sat up on the edge of my bed and rubbed my eyes, trying to wake myself up. Then I turned on the light and decided that I might as well get up and take a shower.
For a brief moment, I wondered if any of those girls were up and about yet. After all, I certainly wouldn’t want to bump into one of them in the bathroom or while using the communal shower. Of course, it might be a nice view for me if that happened.
“You’re going to look just like them before long,” I reminded myself bitterly.
Intellectually, I knew that this was actually a much better fate than what I’d previously expected. I’d spent two days thinking that I was going to either turn into a demon or be killed by the government before that happened. Compared to that, being turned into a girl wasn’t really that bad.
“It still sucks,” I muttered with a shake of my head.
Last night, the three angels had all been friendly towards me and even sympathetic. They seemed like nice people, though it was a bit eerie talking to them since they sounded identical to each other. At least when I was looking at them, their hair styles allowed me to tell them apart.
In spite of the way they were all friendly and welcoming, I had no doubt that they were also keeping an eye on me. I had a feeling that if I tried sneaking out now, one of them would ‘just happen’ to show up.
Then I thought that maybe I could find a way to contact my family to let them know I was really alive. After all, all I needed was an open computer or a cell phone and I could call my girlfriend Cindy or my parents.
“I know I’m supposed to be dead,” I mused to myself, imagining the conversation I’d have with them. “But I’m really still alive, though I do have the harkon virus. Oh, and I’m going to turn into a girl too…” Somehow, I couldn’t imagine any of that working out very well. In fact, the more I thought about it, the worse I imagined that conversation turning out.
With a shake of my head, I went and grabbed some of the clothes that Rebecca had given me last night. There really weren’t a lot of clothes, mostly just a few jogging suits. After all, it was pointless giving me more than that when none of it would fit me in a few days.
A few minutes later, I was in the showers, feeling thankful that I was the only one there. It was a lot like being back in high school and using the locker room showers, though admittedly, these were a little nicer.
“Reminds me of the days back on the swim team,” I muttered to myself, glad that this time I didn’t have anyone else around to worry about.
While washing myself off, I couldn’t help but noticing that nearly all of the hair below my neck had fallen out. My arms, legs, and chest were all completely void of hair and the skin seemed somehow softer and smoother as well. I gulped at that but tried not to think about it too much.
Once I was finished with my shower, I dried myself off and got dressed, not even bothering to make the short trek back to my room. Then I looked into one of the bathroom mirrors, taking a long look at my face and trying to see if there were any changes.
“My hair,” I said, noticing that it was several shades darker than my normal sandy blonde color, not to mention an inch longer.
The changes to my body weren’t too bad so far, but I knew that they would only get worse. I even knew what the end result was going to be, though that didn’t mean I had any desire to get there.
“At least I’m not turning into a demon,” I said, trying to think of the positive side.
I let out a sigh and then went to find something to eat. I knew where the kitchen was but had no idea of how well stocked it was. Then again, I wasn’t exactly Bobby Flay so my best hope was that they at least had milk and cereal. Preferably the sugary kind with a silly toy inside.
When I reached the kitchen, I was met with the delicious aroma of coffee, which quickly drew me to the coffee machine on the counter which contained half a pot. I inhaled deeply of the enticing scent, then looked around for a cup.
“Ah, another coffee addict,” a now familiar voice said from behind me.
I turned and saw Rebecca standing there, wearing a pink bathrobe and holding a mug of coffee in her hand. Then I had to correct myself, realizing that it wasn’t Rebecca but Nicole.
“You should fit right in,” Nicole said with a chuckle.
“To be honest,” I told her with a sigh. “I’m not really looking forward to fitting in.”
“I don’t blame you,” she responded with an apologetic look. She sat down on a stool by the counter, staring at me for a moment before saying, “You should probably talk to Dani. She knows what you’re going through a little better than I do.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Dani used to be a guy too,” Nicole told me.
I blinked in surprise at that. “Really?”
Nicole nodded. “She doesn’t like talking about it much but she used to be a security guard at the project. Dan was a pretty big guy and spent a lot of time at the gym.” She paused at that, smiling as she mused, “I worked as a receptionist there and he’d come buy my desk and flirt with me all the time. He was always showing off his muscles.”
I thought about Dani and had a hard time imagining that she’d ever been a guy. However, since the angel strain was changing me, there was no reason that it couldn’t have changed other guys before me.
“Make no mistake,” Nicole told me. “Dani isn’t who she used to be any more than I am. We both had to do a lot of adjusting, though admittedly, she had a bit more to do.”
“What about you?” I asked her. “What were you like before you changed?”
“Well,” Nicole mused thoughtfully. “I was blond haired, a bit bigger up top than I am now, and I hate to admit it but I was a bit of a bimbo. I was more interested in guys and fashion than in what was going on in that lab.”
She shook her head at that, looking sad. I couldn’t blame her for that since she’d actually been there for the birth of the demons. She’d actually been part of the events that had changed the entire world, and not for the better.
“What was it like?” I asked. “Rebecca told me a little about the day this all happened to you guys, but she didn’t go into a lot of details.”
Nicole was silent for several long seconds and I thought she wasn’t going to answer me. Then she said, “I was at my desk, talking to Dan. He’d been doing his rounds and stopped to flirt with me. Then some sirens started to go off, and before I knew what was happening, Rebecca came out of the lab, all torn up and bleeding. Lisa, a geek girl who worked as one of the lab assistants was helping her...”
“And that’s how you got infected?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Nicole agreed. “Dan and I tried helping her, and you know what that does…”
“So you got infected the same way I did,” I said, giving her a curious look.
“I guess it is kind of similar,” she agreed, giving me a thoughtful look. “I really do feel guilty about this though.”
“It’s not your fault,” I responded with a sigh, wishing that there was someone else I could blame this all on. “If I’d gone back for my gloves…”
“Then I might have bled out and died,” she pointed out with a faint smile. “At least, someone who wasn’t augmented would have.”
I couldn’t very well argue with that since I knew she was right. At the time, I’d just wanted to help someone who was dying in front of me and I hadn’t really cared about the risks to myself. Now, I just had to deal with the consequences of that decision.
“At least I’m not turning into a demon,” I told her with a weak chuckle.
“There is that,” Nicole agreed, giving me another odd look.
“What?” I asked, a little disconcerted by the way she was staring at me.
“I really want to thank you for risking yourself for me,” Nicole said, setting her cup of coffee down and then beginning to undo her bathrobe. “I feel bad about you getting infected for doing it and want to make it up to you a bit.”
With that, Nicole opened her bathrobe and exposed her naked body to me. I stared in amazement, immediately getting hard. She definitely had a killer body, sexy and well-toned with perfectly shaped breasts.
“What about the others?” I asked, suddenly afraid that Rebecca or Dani would come into the kitchen at any moment.
“Don’t worry about them,” Nicole told me smugly. “I asked them to give me a little private time with you. Why do you think they haven’t come out of their rooms yet? We’re all early risers…”
Nicole gave me a kiss and I certainly wasn’t about to protest that. I kissed her back, enjoying it as she pressed her breasts up against me and turned me on even more. As an EMT, I’ve had people thank me before and even offer me cash bonuses. However, this was the first time anyone had ever tried rewarding me like this.
“Isn’t this going a bit fast?” I asked, thinking about the fact that I’d only met her yesterday. I’d never gotten a girl in the sack so fast and usually had to do a lot of wining and dining first. I certainly wasn’t complaining, but I was a bit thrown off.
“This is probably the last chance you’ll ever get to have sex as a guy,” Nicole pointed out, giving me another quick kiss. “That’s why we have to do this now if we’re going to do it at all. With your hormones and everything else changing, mister happy will probably stop working well before you actually lose it.”
I didn’t protest any more after that and just kissed her, trying not to think about the fact that I’d actually look like her before long. Her bathrobe dropped to the floor and my clothes followed moments later. We ended up on the kitchen table, with me going at it with a desperation to get everything I could out of this while I still could.
To my disappointment, I didn’t last nearly as long as I wanted before I lost my load and couldn’t continue, but Nicole didn’t complain. Instead, she just held me as I started to cry.
By
Morpheus
It was early evening and I was sitting around the dinner table with my new housemates. Dinner consisted of chili and cornbread, something that I wouldn’t have expected a bunch of girls to make. Of course, it was Dani who’d done all the cooking though the other two didn’t seem to mind the meal.
“Damn,” I exclaimed, taking a gulp of water to wash the flames out of my mouth. “How can you all eat this?” This was definitely the spiciest chili I’d ever had in my life. My tongue still felt like it was burning but none of the girls seemed bothered at all.
“Sorry,” Dani apologized though she had a faint smirk. “I guess you don’t like spicy food.”
“We have a high tolerance,” Rebecca exclaimed with a smile. “I guess we forgot that most people can’t handle it as easily as we do.”
All three of them had identical amused looks which made me realize that they were messing with me. This was some kind of hazing thing for the new guy.
“That’s all right,” I said, trying to act as though I hadn’t realized this was some sort of game.
“Most of the time we eat at the base chow hall,” Rebecca told me, taking a large bite of her chili. “None of us are great cooks.” She glanced to Dani. “But we thought it would be safest to keep you here until you finished changing.”
“Safest?” I asked warily.
“While you’re changing, your virus is in hyperdrive,” Rebecca pointed out. “Until you stabilize, the shots to make you less contagious won’t really be very effective.”
“And staying here will probably be less embarrassing for you too,” Dani added with a wry smile. “Trust me, you don’t want a bunch of strangers watching you go through it all and staring.”
I nodded at that, knowing that both points were good ones. I didn’t want to be infected and I certainly didn’t want to accidentally put anyone else through this either. However, from what Rebecca had told me, even without the shots it should still be fairly easy to avoid infecting anyone else.
While I continued eating, mostly the cornbread since the chili was a little hot for me, I watched the others. With the way they acted with each other, it was hard to believe that they weren’t natural triplets and lifelong sisters.
My eyes went to Nicole and I blushed a bit as I thought about this morning. I still felt embarrassed over how it all ended, both too quickly and with me sobbing like a little girl. I’d decided to blame both of those things on the harkon virus and screwed up hormones.
Nicole hadn’t said a thing about this morning and almost seemed to be pretending it never happened. Maybe she wanted to spare me the embarrassment over it, or maybe she thought it would be weird to dwell on it when soon I’d be looking like her as well. Fortunately, neither Dani or Rebecca had said anything either.
The three of them had stayed in Heaven with me all day, with only one of them leaving at a time. Rebecca had said that it was because they had the day off but I suspected there was more to it than that. Maybe they wanted to keep an eye on me so I didn’t do anything stupid like trying to escape or contact the outside world, or maybe they were just trying to help me adjust to my changing circumstances.
When everyone was done eating, I helped clear the table and do dishes. My body felt a bit off as I did this, a bit…wrong. I hadn’t really noticed any more changes since this morning, at least not more than my hair growing another two inches, but I could still feel it.
Once Rebecca and I finished with the dishes, we went to the rec room where Dani was sitting by an open window, smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke outside. She was the only one of the three who smoked and it was obvious that Rebecca and Nicole didn’t really approve.
“Do you have to smoke those smelly things in here?” Rebecca asked Dani with a sigh. “You know how much the smell lingers.”
Dani didn’t respond to them, though she did look at me and asked, “Do you smoke?”
I shook my head at that before responding, “I tried it a few times but didn’t like it.”
“Damn,” Dani said as she put out her cigarette. “I was hoping I wouldn’t be outnumbered anymore.”
I went over to Dani, who was the only one of the three that I hadn’t spent any time with alone. And after what Nicole told me about her this morning, she was the one I wanted to talk to the most.
“Nicole said you used to be a guy,” I said, deciding not to wait until I had her alone.
Dani gave Nicole a look of annoyance before looking back at me. “Yeah, but that was a long time ago and a whole other life.”
“Does…does it hurt?” I asked nervously, not sure exactly what the process would entail. I just couldn’t imagine the human body going through that kind of transformation without it being complete and utter agony.
“Changing?” Dani asked. She hesitated a moment before answering. “Some of it does.” She gave me an apologetic look. “Sorry, but it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.”
I winced at that, almost wishing that I hadn’t asked that question. I’d already been worried enough about my body changing and now I was even more nervous about it.
“This takes a bit to get used to,” Dani admitted, gesturing down at herself. “But trust me, it isn’t the end of the world. In fact, it’s more like the beginning. You just need to realize that your old life is ending and a new one is starting up. You have an opportunity to start over and become a whole new person.”
“You should try to embrace it,” Nicole added, giving me a reassuring smile. “It won’t be easy, but Jarrod West is dying and someone new is being born.” Then she grinned and said, “It’s kind of exciting.”
“We’ve all been through it,” Rebecca told me gently. “Well, Nicole and I didn’t do the sex change thing, but we did change a lot.”
I stared at Rebecca for a moment and then asked, “But wasn’t it your own DNA?”
“True,” Rebecca agreed with a grin. “But my disease was filtered out and I was made into more of an idealized version of myself. I was four inches shorter, underdeveloped, and stuck with a wheelchair and oxygen tank. When I first changed, I thought the harkon virus was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“And the worst thing to happen to the rest of the world,” I muttered bitterly.
“I know,” Rebecca responded with a sigh. “I know that better than anyone. It gave me a chance to finally start a real life, but also resulted in my mom’s death. You have no idea how many times I’ve cursed Doctor Yavich.”
“I’m sorry,” I told her, feeling guilty for bringing up painful memories.
Then Dani abruptly asked, “Hey, you want to play some more ping-pong?”
“No, I think I’ve had enough ping-pong,” I responded with a wince as I remembered my earlier game with Dani.
When Dani and I had played ping-pong a couple hours ago, she’d kicked my ass without even trying. I’d always thought I was decent at the game, but Dani had proven otherwise.
“Then how about a video game?” Dani asked me, smirking faintly.
“Sure,” I responded with a sigh.
I wasn’t really in the mood for games but I could definitely use another distraction. In fact, my new housemates had been doing quite a bit to keep my distracted today and I appreciated it.
The game Dani plugged in was one that I’d played a thousand times before and which I’d long since gotten bored with. However, it was just the thing I needed to take my mind off my problems. Or at least I thought it was until Dani began kicking my ass again.
Finally, Rebecca leaned over and whispered into my ear. “Enhanced reflexes and hand eye coordination. You’ll need another week if you want a chance at winning.”
I glared at Dani who was looking rather smug. Rebecca and Nicole both sat back laughing, making me realize that this whole gaming thing was yet another hazing thing. It was either that or Dani just showing off, probably a bit of both.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dani said, lighting a cigarette and going to the window. “We can have a rematch after you finish changing.”
“Gee, I am so looking forward to that,” I responded sarcastically, earning a snicker from Nicole.
About an hour later, the pressure in my bladder was demanding attention so I started for the bathroom. My whole body still felt subtly wrong though I still couldn’t point out any specific thing that had really changed. I staggered a little as I walked down the hallway, almost tripping over my own feet.
While I was doing my business, I grabbed my penis and tried to determine if it had shrunk any. I thought it might have become just a little smaller, though that might just have been my fears and imagination.
“Oh God,” I whispered, nearly shaking. “This can’t be happening.”
Then I staggered back towards the rec room, feeling as though my body was gaining weight with every step. My limbs felt so heavy and it was only getting worse. I didn’t even make it to the rec room before I tripped and fell face first into the floor.
“Jarrod,” Rebecca called out, rushing to me and helping me to my feet. “She gave me a worried look and said, “I think you need to get to bed.”
“But I’m not tired,” I protested, punctuating that with a loud yawn. It wasn’t anywhere near my normal bed time yet I was completely and total exhausted.
“Sure you aren’t,” I Rebecca responded, easily holding me up and helping me to my room. She got me to my bed where I immediately collapsed, unable to really keep my eyes open.
“Is he all right?” either Dani or Nicole asked from the doorway.
“I think so,” Rebecca responded from beside me. “This is just putting a lot of stress on his body. You remember how it is.”
I was quickly falling asleep and the last thing I was really aware of was someone kissing my forehead and saying, “Sleep well sister.”
By
Morpheus
Part 6
I stared into the mirror with a feeling of dread, hating the sight that was reflected back. My face was no longer quite my own, having changed enough that it no longer felt right. It was as though someone else’s face was slowly replacing my own, which was exactly what was happening.
“Damn,” I muttered, closing my eyes and taking several deep breaths as I just tried to stay calm. Then I opened my eyes and faced the mirror again.
My face was still mostly my own, but it had definitely changed. Not only was my hair longer and darker but my eyes, which had always been a nondescript brown, were now green in color. But more than that, there was a new softness had had moved into my features as well, one which made me look younger…or more feminine.
The rest of my body had changed as well, though the changes were subtle and hard to really point out. All in all, the effect was almost as though puberty had begun going in reverse for me, leaving my body softer and less developed. If this continued, I’d probably look like a twelve year old boy by this evening.
I absolutely dreaded the fact that my body would only continue to change from there, transforming me into another clone of Rebecca. As it was, I wanted to scream in outrage and smash my fist into the mirror.
When I was with Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole, it was hard to feel sorry for myself and easier to think of this as actually being a good thing. After all, it was better to be an angel than a demon, and the three of them certainly didn’t make it seem like such a bad thing. But when I was by myself like I was right now, I couldn’t help but remembering that not only was I losing my body, I was also losing my friends, family, and even my very identity.
“What would Cindy say about this?” I muttered bitterly, imagining her mocking me and saying that I wasn’t man enough for her.
Then I imagined Dom saying, “Shit happens kid. You’ve just got to pick up and go on.”
“Easy for you to say,” I spat out. “You’re dead and don’t have to worry about this anymore.”
With that, I turned away from the mirror and started for the showers. I’d already had breakfast and did the whole late morning thing before I finally decided that I needed to clean up. Or more accurately, I thought the hot shower might help ease some of the aches and pains that my body had developed.
Due to the changes my body was going through, everything just felt off. I was uncoordinated and clumsy with muscles that almost felt like jello. Add that to the various aches that were creeping through my body and I just wanted to curl up with a bowl of chicken soup and wait for this all to blow over.
Once I started the shower, the hot water did feel good, making me realize that I probably should have jumped into the hot tub rather than the shower. Maybe I could do that later on. For now, I just washed up quickly, trying to ignore the strange smoothness of my skin and the general oddness of my entire body.
There was one thing that I couldn’t avoid noticing, the fact that my nipples felt tender. This was a clear reminder of what was coming and an indication that my chest was beginning to change.
I was nearly finished with my shower when Dani stepped into the showers, being completely naked and not seeming to care that I was there. She nodded to me and then went to a different shower head to begin her own shower.
“I would have been done in a minute,” I protested, feeling extremely awkward to have her in there with me.
“You don’t have anything I haven’t seen,” Dani answered in amusement. “And I don’t have anything you won’t soon enough.”
“That’s not the point,” I argued, trying to hide my embarrassment. “You know what that kind of thing does to a guy.”
“Of course,” she responded with a grin.
I groaned at that, caught between wanting to stare at her naked body and look away. The fact that she didn’t seem bothered by this at all only encouraged me to keep looking as I told myself that I was merely trying to embarrass her back.
Then I realized that as hot as she was, there was absolutely no reaction at all from downstairs. Nicole had warned me that my changing hormones would probably stop mister happy from working well before he went away and this seemed to prove it.
Without a word, I turned off my own shower and began to leave. Dani exclaimed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to mess with you…” She hurried towards me, not even bothering to turn of the water from her own shower. “Okay, I sort of did,” she admitted, giving me a faint smile. “But I was just trying to take your mind off things and give you something nicer to think about.”
“I appreciate the effort,” I said wryly, trying hard to look her in the face rather than stare at her very shapely naked breasts.
“Things will get better,” Dani assured me, putting her hand on my shoulder. Since we were both completely naked and soaking wet, I was even more aware of the fact that mister happy was no longer working.
“I hope so,” I told her with a sigh before I left the showers to dry off and get dressed.
When I left the showers, I started back to my room, not exactly feeling like socializing at the moment. However, I encountered Rebecca in the hallway and she gave me a concerned look.
“Come on,” Rebecca told me, putting her arm on my shoulder and gently leading me to the rec room where she had me sit in a comfortable recliner. “It looks like it’s finally starting to hit you hard. Relax here and we’ll try making it a little easier for you.”
“Here,” Nicole said, coming over and handing me a glass.
“What is this?” I asked, staring at the nasty looking green liquid that filled the glass.
“Protein shake,” Rebecca told me. “Mixed with some vitamins and nutrients. It may not taste very good, but it’s just what your body needs while it’s changing. Hopefully, this should make it smoother for you.”
“We mixed up a bunch of it in the fridge,” Nicole added with a shrug. “I know a lot of the energy for your change will come from your excess body mass, but this will help too.”
I took a drink of the nasty looking green stuff and winced. Rebecca was right when she said it didn’t taste very good. Still, I downed it all as quickly as I could, then exclaimed, “Oh yummy.”
“Maybe this can kill the taste,” Rebecca said as she handed me a can of soda.
For the next few hours, I remained in the recliner while all three of the girls took turns looking after me. They brought me another of those foul drinks every hour, but between then I was also given things to eat and drink. I was a bit uncomfortable with all this attention, though it reminded me of the way my mom used to pamper me when I was sick.
“You don’t need to do this for me,” I protested after Dani brought me a bowl of chicken soup.
“Don’t worry about it,” Dani told me with a smile. “We’ve all been here.”
Then a strange alarm suddenly began going off and Rebecca blurted out, “Not now…”
“Shit,” Dani exclaimed with a scowl.
“What’s going on?” I asked, climbing out of the chair, only to have Nicole gently push me back into it.
“Demon alarm,” Rebecca told med with a sigh. “There’s a demon attack and we have to go deal with it.”
“Oh shit,” I blurted out, remembering the terrifying demon that had killed Dom in front of me. I stared at all three girls who were going to actually face another one of those things. Now that I actually knew them, I couldn’t help but feeling worried.
“I wish we could stay here with you,” Rebecca told me with a shake of her head. “But we can’t.”
Nicole put a hand on my shoulder and said, “There’s more food and protein drink in the fridge. Please be careful and don’t try to overdo anything.”
“Yeah,” Dani added, giving me a gentle smile. “Don’t push yourself right now.”
As they began to leave, Rebecca told me, “I don’t know when we’ll be back but I’ll have someone come and check in on you in case you need anything.”
“Just be careful,” I responded. Then I looked to Nicole and said, “And don’t you dare get hurt like that again.”
“I won’t,” Nicole promised, giving me a grin before leaving.
A moment later, all three girls were gone and I was left in Heaven all by myself. If I was still interested in escaping, this was definitely the time to do it. However, I’d already given that up as a bad idea. Whether I liked it or not, I’d already accepted that I had nowhere else to go.
By
Morpheus
A long soak in the hot tub was just the thing I needed to sooth some of the aches in my body. I leaned back in the water, savoring the warmth and wishing I could stay here forever. Unfortunately, I was near the point of passing out and I didn’t want to risk doing that in the water. So with a deep sigh of regret, I slowly climbed out of the water.
Once I was out of the water, I dried myself off while trying very hard not to actually look at myself, especially not the two small mounds that had begun forming on my chest. Ever since Angel Squad had left yesterday on their mission, my body had continued to change to the point where I now looked a little more like Rebecca than I did myself. My penis was less than half the size of normal and I’d even developed my own pair of breasts. They were still small, only about A cups, but they were definitely breasts.
My body had small aches all over the place, though not really as bad as I would have expected considering that my body was reshaping itself. My ribs hurt and I had some nasty cramps that kept hitting my guts off and on, but other than that it was just general aches and a feeling as though my muscles had turned to rubber. I felt weak, unstable, and very clumsy at the moment.
I slowly made my way back to the main living area, being careful to use the wall for balance and not to fall on my face. If I did, none of the girls were currently present to help me back up again. And since I currently felt so unbalanced and drained of energy, there was a very good chance that this would happen if I wasn’t careful.
Once I was back in the kitchen, I took another glass of the nasty green stuff that Rebecca had made for me and then sat down to rest. I closed my eyes, trying not to think about the fact that I was the only person present in this large building. It felt so empty without the girls.
Of course, they’d arranged for people to come check on me while they were gone, but it wasn’t really worth the effort. A doctor came by this morning to take a blood sample, making me feel like I was back in the quarantine room again. And then there was the soldier who brought me food, always while wearing latex gloves and a respirator mask. He kept his distance as much as he could and left as quickly as possible.
“You’d think I was turning into a demon,” I muttered.
As I sat there, sipping on the green slime, I couldn’t resist poking my now soft and puffy chest. I let out a sigh, knowing that my breasts would only get bigger from here. There was no more escaping that than there was the fact that I had the harkon virus in my system. I’d already screamed and cried over my fate and now I mostly felt a dull resignation. I’d accepted the fact that nothing I could do would stop or reverse these changes, though that didn’t mean I liked it.
I drifted off to sleep, only to wake back up again when I heard voices. I looked up to see Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole coming into the room, all of them wearing black uniforms and looking tired and dirty. Then I noticed that Rebecca had her arm in a sling, making me sit up.
“Are you okay?” I asked, noticing that my voice cracked as I spoke.
“I think we should be asking you that,” Rebecca responded, coming over and looking me over.
“There were two demons,” Dani said with a look of disgust. “We thought we were only dealing with one and then the second one got the drop on us…”
Nicole stood there with a sad look before saying, “She was just a little girl too…”
“That was no little girl,” Dani pointed out grimly. “Not once she went demon.”
All three of them went silent at that and I got out of the chair, trying to keep my balance so I didn’t fall over. “What happened with your arm?” I asked, gesturing to Rebecca’s sling.
“I broke it,” Rebecca said with a forced smile, though I saw the wince of pain when she moved.
Since she was in a sling without a cast, I asked, “What did the doctor say?”
“Nothing,” Dani responded with a snort. “The general rule is that when we get hurt, the rest of the unit backs off so they don’t accidentally get infected. That means we usually have to provide our own first aid.”
“Wait,” I blurted out in surprise. “You haven’t had anyone look at this yet?”
“It’ll heal on its own,” Rebecca told me with a sigh, though I could see she was obviously hurting.
“Sit down,” I ordered her, much to Dani’s amusement. “Let me take a look at this…”
Once Rebecca’s arm was out of the sling, I saw that most of her arm was wrapped up in bandages from her wrist to just above her elbow. And what was more, I noticed that there was blood on the bandages. I grimaced and began to carefully unwrap the bandages for a better look.
“Get me whatever medical supplies you have here,” I said without looking up. Nicole hurried off at that.
“Careful,” Rebecca warned me when I touched the bandage.
“What?” I asked, looking Rebecca in the eyes. “It’s a little late to worry about infecting me.”
When the bandages were off, I got a good look at Rebecca’s arm. It was in a slightly odd shape with a piece of bone actually poking out through the skin. “Compound fracture,” I said, slipping into the professional mindset I used when I worked. “I don’t have an X-ray, but I’m guessing you have multiple internal fractures as well.”
“I got hit hard,” Rebecca admitted. Then she told me, “I’ll be good as new in just a few days.”
I stared at her arm for a moment before responding, “But I bet you’d heal faster and easier if we can get this bone back in place.”
Rebecca looked at me for a few seconds before nodding. “Do it.”
“It’s gonna hurt like hell,” I warned her.
“We have a high pain threshold,” Dani said, though a moment later she added, “But that still looks like it hurts like a bitch.”
I carefully went to work on Rebecca’s arm, trying to get the bone back into place. I never would have done something like this with a normal person, but I was pretty sure that I just needed to get the bones as close to their normal position as possible and their own healing abilities would do the rest. After seeing the way Nicole healed, I had no doubts that this would be enough. However, I sterilized the wound, sutured it shut, and then wrapped it all back up.
“Now take two aspirin and call me in the morning,” I joked weakly. “And try not to punch any demons for at least a week.”
“Thank you,” Rebecca told me with an amused look.
“I like this one,” Dani told Rebecca. “Can we keep her?”
I noticed that Dani had used the female pronoun but I didn’t bother protesting. I might not be female yet, but I was close enough that it wasn’t worth arguing over. Since Rebecca had been taken care of, I sat back down again, letting out a long sigh as the exhaustion hit me again. Nicole was immediately by my side, silently handing me a glass of water.
“You guys really need your own medic,” I finally said, taking a long drink of the water.
“Don’t worry,” Rebecca responded with a chuckle. “We’re in the process of trying to recruit one.”
Nicole put a hand on my shoulder and sadly told me, “Lisa used to take care of the medical stuff.”
The mention of their missing ‘sister’ seemed to dim the mood even further. A minute later, all three of them wandered off towards the showers to get cleaned up after their mission. I remained where I was, closing my eyes and thinking about three hot girls taking a shower together until I drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up again, it was to the pleasant aroma of food in the air. My stomach immediately grumbled in response, giving clear notice that it wanted attention. Then as I sat up, I noticed that someone had draped a blanket over me while I slept. I smiled faintly at that, thinking that this was definitely the way to wake up. The only downside was the headache I could feel starting to build.
“You’re up,” Nicole exclaimed when she saw me good. “We were just about to wake you for dinner…”
“Tonight, I made buffalo chicken wings,” Dani exclaimed with a grin, then giving me a wink. “Extra spicy.”
I groaned at that but Nicole elbowed Dani and said, “Quit that.” Then she turned to me and said, “It’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes from the chow hall. Not the greatest, but not that bad either.”
“Party pooper,” Dani joked, sticking her tongue out at Nicole. Watching the way they interacted made me chuckle. They really did act like siblings, teasing each other and everything.
“I don’t know if you like chocolate or not,” Rebecca said as she came into the room. “But we picked up some chocolate mousse for dessert.”
Nicole grinned at that and added, “I am so glad I don’t need to worry about calories or carbs anymore. Being able to eat whatever I want whenever I want makes the whole breast reduction thing worth it.” She made a motion of cupping herself which made me snicker at the movement.
“We aren’t that small,” Rebecca protested in mock outrage while I nodded. They all looked pretty nicely sized to me.
“Yeah,” Nicole responded smugly. “But I used to be bigger.”
A few minutes later, we were all sitting at the dinner table and I was gulping down the food, being even hungrier than I’d thought. I suspected that my body just needed the extra energy for all the work it was doing rebuilding itself. At least this stuff tasted better than the green sludge I’d been drinking.
Once I was done eating, I remained at the table and rubbed my temples. My headache had slowly been growing stronger and I could now feel it like a pounding pressure in my head.
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked me with a worried look.
“A headache,” I answered, forcing a smile. It wasn’t like I could complain about something like a headache when Rebecca was sitting across from me with a shattered arm. Besides, compared to what was happening to the rest of my body, a headache was pretty small. I just wished it didn’t hurt so much. “Is there any Advil?”
“When did it start?” Dani asked me with a scowl.
“When I woke up from my nap,” I answered, only to wince as my head began to pound from within. I gasped at that as the pressure only grew worse.
“Damn,” Dani exclaimed, giving me a look of sympathy. “I’d almost forgotten about this…”
Dani’s reaction was beginning to make me very worried. “What’s happening?”
“Your brain is changing,” Rebecca answered carefully. “It hit Dani hard because…” She glanced at Dani and then added, “Because her brain needed to change more than Nicole’s did…”
I stood up from the table, only to get hit with another burst of this ever expanding migraine. This time it hit me hard enough to drop me to my knees. My head was bursting with pressure, feeling like it was about to explode.
Dani was immediately by my side, whispering, “I know this hurts like hell, but it will get better. You have to hold on and remember that.”
Tears began running down my cheeks and all I could do was gasp, “It hurts so bad…”
There were several times in my life when I’d drunk too much, the worst of which landed me behind bars and left a hangover that was still the stuff of my nightmares. My guts had been tied in knots, my head felt like someone had driven a spike right into it, and every fiber of my body seemed to scream in agony. Of course, the fight that had landed me in jail had definitely contributed to all that, but it had been enough to keep me from every getting that drunk again. What I felt now was more than ten times worse.
I closed my eyes but was unable to block out the agony as invisible hands seemed to pound nails into my brain one at a time. I curled up into a ball and sobbed at it all, only vaguely aware that several pairs of hand were holding me and trying to offer what comfort they could.
By
Morpheus
I was lying in my bed, though I had no idea how long I’d been here. In fact, I didn’t even remember coming to my room, which meant that the girls must have brought me.
My skull crushing migraine had been hitting me in waves, overwhelming me with pain so that I wasn’t very aware of anything else beyond that. Whenever the headache receded, I’d been aware of the fact that there was always someone there, either holding my hand or just watching over me. Several times, I thought that they were talking to me but the words never quite made sense.
With a groan, I slowly sat up, fully aware of the pounding in my head. It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been, having receded to the point where it was now just a normal bad headache rather than a crippling migraine.
“You’re up,” Dani said from where she sat beside my bed. She gave me an odd look and asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Like shit,” I answered, my voice sounding odd to my ears. “My head still hurts but not as bad.”
Dani nodded at that, giving me a faint smile and saying, “The worst is over.”
“Thank God,” I muttered, wondering what I would have done if Dani had told me that the worst was yet to come. I considered it for a moment then decided that I probably would have screamed profanities.
“Wait,” Dani said, getting up and putting a hand on my shoulder. She smiled faintly, though it was a little sad. “You’ve been out of it for almost two days.”
“Two days?” I gasped, then wincing as my headache hit me. Dani didn’t need to point out exactly what that much time meant since I could already feel that my body had continued changing while I was out of it.
“You’re probably starving,” she said, giving me a forced grin. “I’ll go let the others know you’re up and get some food going.” Then she paused, giving me a sympathetic look before adding, “Come on out whenever you’re ready.”
When Dani left a moment later, she closed my bedroom door behind her. She had made a less than subtle effort to give me some privacy, and that alone was enough to make me nervous. I slowly removed my blankets, seeing that I was completely naked in bed. That didn’t surprise me, nor did my body.
“Oh shit,” I whispered.
My body had definitely continued to change while I was out of it and now I couldn’t see any traces of the old me. My breasts were nice, round and firm, and looked to be the same size as what Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole had. The rest of my body looked equally feminine, though I definitely had great muscle tone. This looked like a body that could have belonged to an aerobics instructor…or an angel.
When I reached between my legs, I found the equipment that would be expected of a normal woman. Mister happy had vanished while I was out of it, not even bothering to say goodbye. I pulled my hand away, shaking a little as I did so.
“It’s done,” I said, though I was pretty sure that my changes weren’t fully complete. I still felt a number of aches and pains in my joins and gut which suggested that the virus may have finished remodeling my outside but that it was still putting some finishing touches on the inside. Still, I had no doubt that I was in the final stages of my transformation from man into angel.
I climbed out of bed, feeling awkward and unbalanced but I was relieved to discover that my legs no longer felt like jello. I was actually able to stand up and walk around, though I kept one hand on the wall until I was sure that I was stable enough to walk without one.
“I’m a girl now,” I said with a sigh of resignation as I sat back down on my bed.
I cupped my new breasts and then ran my hands down the rest of my body, silently reminding myself that this was who I was from now on. This was now my body and I’d just have to get used to it. Then my stomach grumbled and I let out a sigh, realizing that as curious as I was about my new body, I was also starving.
After a moment of hesitation, I went to get dressed, only to find the sweat suits that had in my room were now gone. Instead, I found some new clothes stacked up on my dresser as well as a pair of tennis shoes on the floor beside it. The sizes were all smaller than what I was used to, but I had no doubt that they’d all fit me perfectly.
I held up a shirt which had been on top of the pile, a black T shirt that had a logo on the front which looked like angel wings and a halo. The Angel Squad logo. I stared at the shirt for a moment and then shook my head before getting dressed.
When I left my room and started for the kitchen, I already knew that Dani, Rebecca, and Nicole would be there waiting for me. I felt nervous about seeing them like this, not to mention more than a little self-conscious. However, my appearance wouldn’t be a surprise to any of them so I just grimaced and tried to keep it under control.
As I expected, all three of the girls were waiting for me at the end of the hallway. I stopped and looked them over nervously, fully aware of the fact that all three of them were staring at me, making me even more nervous and self-conscious.
Nicole suddenly threw her arms around me in a hug, exclaiming, “I’m glad you’re up…”
“How are you feeling?” Rebecca asked me, giving me a concerned look.
“Hungry,” I responded, looking her in the eyes and realizing that we were now exactly eye level. I had been a bit taller than her and the others when I first arrived, but that was obviously no longer the case.
Then Rebecca hugged me as well, using only one arm. I noticed that the other arm was no longer in a sling but it was still wrapped in bandages. “Have you looked in a mirror yet?” she asked as she pulled away. She sounded just a little nervous, perhaps afraid of how I’d react to my new face.
“Not yet,” I responded awkwardly, unable to meet her eyes.
“Come on,” Dani exclaimed, “Give the girl some room. At least give her a chance to eat.”
As Dani had promised when she’d left my room, she’d begun getting food ready for me. Of course, most of it appeared to be leftovers that had been pulled out of the fridge and reheated, but that was perfectly fine with me. There was meatloaf, mashed potatoes, a couple slices of pizza, and even a bowl of chili. There was more food than I’d ever eaten at one time in my life but I dug in began gulping it down.
Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole sat with me and helped themselves to some of the food, but they only snacked a little. Mostly, they talked among themselves but kept a close eye on me, almost as if afraid I’d freak out at any moment. It was clear that all three of them were worried about me.
While I ate, I noticed that my headache was receding until it was merely a dull pain, the kind I probably wouldn’t bother to take anything for on most days. When I’d finished most of the food, I turned my attention to the bowl of chili and cautiously sniffed it. I stuck a finger and licked it, finding that it was delicious, with just enough heat to let me know it was there but not enough to actually burn. I happily dug into the chili, then noticed that Dani had a smug look on her face.
“What?” I asked her suspiciously.
“A little easier to eat this time, isn’t it?” she asked.
“This can’t be the same stuff,” I protested. “It isn’t nearly as hot…”
“Your tolerance is just higher now,” Rebecca told me with an amused look.
Dani nodded at that and pulled out a cigarette. However, after a glare from Nicole, she put it back into the pack and gave me a look of chagrin.
“Back before I changed,” Dani said, gesturing to the bowl of chili, “this was my prize winning recipe. I entered it into a few contests and won a couple prizes, including best chili in one and hottest chili in two.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise. I took another bite of the chili, deciding that since it was no longer too hot to eat, I could definitely appreciate the flavor.
“Now it might as well be mild,” Dani complained with a shake of her head. “If I actually want to feel the heat, I have to throw in a couple ghost peppers.”
“I never liked hot food before I changed,” Nicole told me.
“I never ate hot food before I changed,” Rebecca pointed out with a wry smile. “I was on a pretty strict diet.”
Once I finished eating, I just sat there, staring down at my own hands. They were the hands of a stranger, feminine with longer nails. I wasn’t sure why the virus would cause nails and hair to grow, other than to shed excess mass, but they had. What was even odder was that they hadn’t grown a lot more.
“I…I need to see myself,” I finally said, looking up at the others. They shared knowing looks with each other but didn’t say anything.
I got up and made my way to the bathroom, feeling almost as though I was heading to my own execution. I was relieved when none of the others followed since I wanted a little privacy for this.
When I reached the bathroom and looked into the mirror above the sink, I wasn’t at all surprised to see Rebecca’s face staring back at me. However, expecting it and actually seeing it with my own eyes were two different things. The sight hit me almost like a physical blow.
“At least I look younger,” I joked weakly.
Just like the other angels, I now looked like I was only eighteen or nineteen years old. However, that was probably the one part of my transformation that I didn’t really care about one way or another. The loss of a few years of age wasn’t anything at all compared to switching genders.
“Oh God,” I groaned, not sure what I could think or do.
There was no doubt that this was permanent, that there was no way I could possibly change back. Somehow, I had to adjust to this and move on with my life. The problem was, I couldn’t see any life for me like this.
My family and friends had been cut from my life and there was absolutely no way I could face them with this or explain what had happened to me. Now I’d lost my face, my body, and my very identity. The harkon virus had just erased Jarrod West and left me with no idea of who I was anymore.
I staggered back from the mirror and collapsed to my knees, feeling overwhelmed by everything that was happening. I began crying, sobbing like a baby. I had no idea how long I remained like that before a pair of hands settled on my shoulder and then pulled me in for a hug.
“It’s okay,” Nicole told me quietly. “Let it all out.”
“We’re sisters now,” Rebecca said as she crouched down beside me, giving me a sympathetic look and then a gentle hug. “We’ll help you anyway we can.”
I felt ashamed of myself for losing control like this and crying uncontrollably. However, neither Rebecca or Nicole seemed the least bit judgmental. Instead, they just held me, somehow making me actually feel a little better…as if I wasn’t going through this alone.
By
Morpheus
It was early morning and I was lying in my bed, still unable to fall asleep. I was just too awake with my mind spinning in circles as I thought about the changes to my body and what they would mean for my unknown future. After staring at the ceiling for who knows how long, I finally sat up in bed and let out a sigh.
“How can I sleep with these things?” I asked, cupping my new breasts. The weight on my chest was a huge distraction, especially whenever I tried sleeping on my stomach.
Then I let out another sigh, relieved to consider the fact that at least all my aches and pains had finally gone away. Of course, that meant my changes were finally complete and I was now stabilized as an angel, physically identical to my three new sisters. I still had a hard time getting my mind around the idea that I was now one of them.
After sitting on the edge of my bed for several minutes, I decided that I might as well go relieve myself. I tossed on a shirt and shorts and then started down the hallway to the bathroom. But as I entered the bathroom, I was a little startled to find Dani already there, just coming out of a stall.
“Sorry,” I apologized, embarrassed at walking into the bathroom while one of the girls was using it.
Dani seemed faintly amused by that and said, “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. We all use the same facilities. Hell, half the time we shower together.”
I blushed at that, remembering how she’d walked in on me during my shower a few days ago. “But isn’t that awkward?”
Dani hesitated a moment before admitting, “It was at first. I mean, the idea of showering with three hot girls kind of got to me at first.” She gave me a grin and added, “But I got over it pretty quickly. Now, I don’t even think anything about it.”
I just shook my head at that, unable to imagine actually showering with Dani, Rebecca and Nicole. It had been weird enough when it was just Dani in there with me. Then again, I reminded myself that I no longer had anything that they didn’t, nor did they have anything I didn’t.
“When you’re done here,” Dani said, “why don’t you come to my room. I’ve been wanting to talk to you away from the others.”
After Dani left, I did my business and then went to her room as she requested. I couldn’t help but being extremely curious about what she wanted to talk about since she didn’t seem to want Rebecca or Nicole there.
When I went to Dani’s room, I found that it was the same size as my own but with different furniture. Clothes were scattered about and there were even a couple bras hanging over the back of a chair. As I looked around, I couldn’t help but thinking that it looked like a bachelor lived here. In fact, other than the bras, there was a resemblance to the way my apartment looked before I’d begun dating Cindy.
Then I noticed a picture on the wall which had four angels posing. They all had natural color hair and the same haircut so I couldn’t really tell them apart, though I could guess who was who based off body language. The only angel who stood out in the picture as different was one who was wearing a pair of glasses. That caught my attention since I knew we all had great vision.
“That’s Lisa,” Dani said, pointing to the girl in the glasses. She smiled faintly and mused, “She always insisted on wearing those glasses even though she didn’t need them. Said they made her feel more like herself.”
“I can understand that,” I responded after a moment. When you’re surrounded by people who look exactly like you, you’d want to do something to stand out as in individual. I guessed that was probably the same reason that Dani had her hair cut short and bleached blonde.
Dani nodded at that and set out a pair of glasses which she proceeded to fill with fruit flavored vodka. She gave me a self-conscious look and said, “I used to drink bourbon, but after my change I kind of lost the taste for it.”
Dani sat down in a chair and gestured for me to do the same. She took a sip of her drink, watching me with a thoughtful look but not saying anything at first. I took a sip of the vodka as well and waited for her to tell me what she wanted to talk about.
“I guess I should say welcome to the family,” Dani told me with wry smile. “Though I doubt you think it’s worth celebrating.”
I nodded agreement at that, saying, “No offense.”
“None taken,” Dani responded with a chuckle. “Remember, I know where you’re coming from. That’s why I wanted to talk to you. What you did for Nicole means a lot to us, more than you realize. You see, we’re not used to anyone really helping us when we’re injured. In spite of what you’ve seen in the last week, it doesn’t actually happen often, not with our reflexes. But on the few occasions we do get hurt in the field, everyone is ordered to keep back to avoid accidental infection. We have some good friends in the unit and even they can’t help us.”
“If I’d known about the angel strain,” I admitted self-consciously. “I probably would have stayed back.”
“Maybe,” Dani responded with a faint smile and giving me an odd look. “But I kind of doubt it.”
“Of course, we do have some doctors on base who will fix us up,” Dani mused, surprising me by that after what had happened with Rebecca’s arm. “But they put us in quarantine conditions to work on us and make us feel like lab rats or something.” She shrugged at that, having a look of disgust on her face. “We usually avoid going to them if we can help it, especially since we can heal on our own.”
“So that’s why Rebecca didn’t go to the doctor,” I said. Dani nodded at that.
“Nicole feels guilty over your infection,” Dani told me, taking a drink of her vodka and adding. “And all of us want to make this easier for you. As you might have noticed, I’m not exactly the comforting and motherly type.”
“I think I’ve noticed that,” I responded wryly.
“Rebecca and Nicole will do anything to help you that they can,” Dani told me. “But there are some things they just don’t understand.” She was silent for several long seconds before saying, “They don’t know what it’s like to change so drastically…to lose such a key part of your own identity.”
I took a drink from my vodka and nodded at that, feeling depressed again. It was true, Rebecca and Nicole didn’t know what that was like. How could they? This was something that Dani and I had in common though.
“Did you know,” Dani asked quietly, no longer looking at me but staring off in the distance. “I have a daughter who should be getting her driver’s license this year. I haven’t seen her in eight years.”
I stared at Dani in surprise. “I didn’t know…”
“I only had custody of her every other weekend,” she told me quietly, looking sad. “But she’s the one thing I miss most about my old life. Rebecca’s father ran off when she was just a kid and she lost her mom during the disaster. Nicole didn’t have any close family either so neither of them knows what it’s like to have to walk away from your own family.”
“To family,” I said quietly, holding up my glass.
“To family,” Dani agreed, toasting my glass with her own. “Both the ones we had to walk away from and the new one fate gave us.”
We were both silent for about half a minute before Dani said, “I didn’t ask you here for some kind of mutual pity party or anything. I just wanted to put a few things in the open so you know what to expect.”
“What kind of things?” I asked curiously. “If this is the birds and the bees lecture, I think I know enough to get by.”
“Jarrod West is dead,” Dani stated simply, looking me right in the eyes. “He’s dead and gone. You’re someone else now…someone new. Once you accept that, you can learn who you really are now.”
“I know who I am,” I snapped in annoyance. Unfortunately, she’d hit right on my own doubts about who I was now.
“Do you?” Dani asked me with a sad smile. “I don’t think you realize how much you’ve changed yet. This isn’t just the way you look. Your hormones, brain chemistry, and even your DNA has changed. This is all going to change the way you think and feel. It’s going to affect your likes and dislikes…and your very sense of identity. Whether you want to admit it or not, you don’t just look female. You are one. The only things about you that are male are your memories.”
I glared at Dani, hating the fact that she had a point. DNA, hormones, and brain chemistry were bound to have an effect on me, whether I liked it or not. Still, I wasn’t going to accept the idea that they determined everything so argued, “I’m more than just my body.”
“I know,” Dani agreed with a chuckle. “We angels are the perfect evidence in that argument about nature versus nurture. Physically, we are all identical and have a lot of the same reactions to things, but we’re all individuals as well. Our past and experiences determine who we are just as much as our DNA.”
“But you just made a big deal about our bodies,” I said, feeling a little confused.
Dani shook her head and let out a long sigh before admitting, “I spent half a year in denial, trying to ignore my body and insisting that I was still the same person I used to be. My thoughts and feelings didn’t match what I thought I should be thinking and feeling…and it was…uncomfortable.”
“Then what happened?” I asked curiously.
Dani just gave me a wry smile and admitted, “I realized that I wasn’t Dan Framburg anymore. I didn’t have to think and feel a certain way just because that was what I did before my change.” She gestured down at herself and grinned. “I accepted that this is who I am now. Now, I’m happy with who I’ve become and wouldn’t change back even if I could.”
I stared at her for a moment, not sure what to think about these personal revelations. It did answer a few questions I had about Dani, though I still had plenty more.
“In just a few days,” Dani stated, “You’ll start feeling an almost uncontrollable urge to go shopping and get your nails done…”
“What?” I gasped in horror.
“Just making sure you were listening,” Dani told me with a smirk. “It doesn’t work like that. If it did, I wouldn’t be such a tomboy. I might be all woman now, but I don’t feel any particular desire to wear fancy dresses.” She hesitated a moment and blushed a little before admitting, “At least not most of the time.”
“Oh God,” I groaned.
“Trust me, I know this isn’t easy,” Dani told me, “But just keep in mind that your perceptions are going to change…and that there isn’t anything wrong with that. Don’t make the mistake I did and fight yourself. That will only make you frustrated and miserable.”
I nodded at that, finished my vodka and quietly said, “Thanks for the advice.”
Dani hesitated a moment, then she gave me a hug and said, “That’s what sisters are for.”
By
Morpheus
When I woke up, it was pretty early, yet I still felt wide awake and full of energy. I was a little confused about this since I’d only gone to bed a few hours ago and shouldn’t have had nearly enough sleep to recharge this much.
After throwing some clothes on, I went to get some coffee and breakfast, only to find Nicole and Dani already up as well. Dani was sitting back with a cup of coffee and reading a magazine while Nicole was watching some kind of early morning talk show on TV.
“Morning sleepyhead,” Nicole called out when she saw me, sounding far too cheerful for this time of morning.
“It’s still early,” I protested, only to remember that Nicole had previously told me that they all usually got up pretty early. “Let me guess...we don’t need much sleep.”
“About three or four hours a night,” Dani responded, looking up from her magazine. Then she held the magazine out to Nicole, asking, “Do you think this would look good on us?”
Nicole stared at the magazine for a moment before responding, “No, that top wouldn’t go with our coloration.” Then she teased, “You still have the fashion sense of a guy.”
“Bite me,” Dani told her, pulling out a cigarette and then going to open the window.
I looked around and asked, “Is Rebecca up yet?”
“Downstairs in the gym,” Dani answered, lighting her cigarette and then blowing the smoke out the window.
I watched Dani for a moment and thought about what she’d told me last night. In spite of her talk about not being who she used to be, I suspected that a great deal of what she did now was still a matter of old habits, or at least trying to hold onto things that made her feel like her old self. Then again, she’d also told me that I’d need to find a balance between who I used to be and who I was now.
I shook my head, not wanting to think about that. Unfortunately, my newly long hair tickled my shoulders and reminded me of my new body nearly as much as the weight on my chest. With a sigh, I went and got myself a cup of coffee, then stood back and watched Dani and Nicole. It looked like they were both going through a normal morning routine, but since this was all still so new to me, I didn’t have any kind of routine yet. So after a minute of just watching them, I decided to go check on Rebecca.
As Dani had told me, I found Rebecca downstairs in the gym, running on a treadmill. She glanced at me when I entered and gave me a nod but didn’t stop running. I just stood back and watched her for a minute, absently noticing that the bandages were gone from her arm while being amazed at the pace she was moving. She was going at a pace that I’d consider a full out sprint, but she didn’t really look like she was exerting herself much.
“Why don’t you join me?” Rebecca finally asked, gesturing to the treadmill that was set up beside her own. “You should probably try to get familiar with what your new body can do.”
I hesitated a moment, noting that I wasn’t really dressed for exercise, but then I hopped on the treadmill anyway. As soon as I started running, I found that my new breasts bounced around very uncomfortably and had to stop.
“Sorry,” Rebecca told me with a look of chagrin. “I guess we’ll need to get you some athletic bras...and regular ones too. You can borrow some of mine for now.” Then she slowed down and stepped off the treadmill, giving me a faint smile as she added, “We tend to borrow each other’s clothes all the time…for obvious reasons.”
“Oh yeah,” I responded with a sigh, looking at her breasts and then down at my own. It seemed that every time I turned around, I was being reminded of my altered body and the fact that I now had three identical sisters.
“I know this probably isn’t something you want to think about right now,” Rebecca told me with an apologetic look. “But have you thought about a new name yet?”
“A little,” I admitted, a little embarrassed at that. Once it had sunk in that I really was going to change into a girl, I’d been considering what I could call myself. I just hadn’t been able to bring myself to say it aloud.
Rebecca gave me a curious look but didn’t really press me as we went back upstairs together. Instead, she asked, “Do you ever go running?”
“Not since high school,” I responded with a shrug. “I haven’t really gone to the gym since then.” Then I looked at her and mused, “I didn’t think you…that we had to exercise to stay in shape.”
“We don’t,” Rebecca replied with a grin. “I just like running.” Then her expression darkened a bit and she told me, “I never got to run around or do anything active when I was growing up so I guess I’m making up for lost time.”
I nodded in understanding. If I’d been stuck in a wheelchair for seven years, I’d probably want to take every opportunity I found to run as well. I could only imagine what it was like, spending your whole life being sick and unable to do much, and then to suddenly find yourself super healthy and physically able to do all the things you’d always dreamed of.
When we returned to the main living area, I caught the heavenly scent of bacon, just before Dani came out of the kitchen with a plate full of it. The rest of us happily helped ourselves.
“I am so glad I don’t have to worry about cholesterol,” Nicole exclaimed with a giggle.
“Amen to that,” Rebecca agreed, snatching up a couple more slices of bacon.
“So, what were you two up to?” Nicole asked, glancing to Rebecca and I.
“We were just talking about her new name,” Rebecca said, giving me an amused look.
Dani and Nicole both watched me with obvious interest. “What did you choose?” Nicole asked almost eagerly.
“I haven’t decided yet,” I lied, feeling awkward talking about it.
“How about Jarrodina?” Dani joked, only to get elbowed by Nicole.
“You are not helping,” Nicole told her, which only made Dani smirk.
“There’s Martha, Bertha, Marge,” Dani continued, providing names that obviously weren’t real suggestions. “You might want to decide before someone else decides for you.”
“Go ahead and take your time,” Rebecca told me with a gentle smile. “I know it can’t be easy.” She gave Dani a mock glare and then reluctantly admitted, “She does have a point though. If you don’t pick a new name soon, one of the bureaucrats probably will just so they have something to put on your paperwork.”
“Don’t let anyone push you into one you’re not sure of,” Dani added, this time looking serious. “You don’t want to be stuck with a name you don’t feel comfortable with.”
I nodded at that and then quietly said, “Monica.” All three of them looked at me and I blushed, embarrassed at having chosen such a feminine name. I quickly added, “My mom always said that if I had a sister, she’d planned on naming her Monica.”
“I think it’s a great name,” Nicole exclaimed, giving me a hug while Dani nodded approval.
“Good choice,” Rebecca told me with a smile. “I’ll let the paper pushers know so they can make it official.”
Then Dani abruptly asked, “Did you take your shot yet this morning?”
“Not yet,” I admitted, realizing that I’d been so caught up with my migraine and the final stages of my transformation that I hadn’t taken it for several days.
“You’ll want to take it then,” Rebecca told me, giving me a thoughtful look. “At least if you want to go out and see the rest of the base.”
That caught my attention since I’d gone straight from the quarantine room to much a much larger and nicer quarantine in Heaven. Since my changes were now finished and I was stable, that drug should actually work to make me less infectious. Heaven was actually fairly nice, but I couldn’t resist grinning at the thought of being able to leave…at least for awhile.
“That’s right,” Nicole exclaimed with a broad grin. “We still have to give you the tour and show you off.”
“Show me off?” I asked, suddenly nervous.
Dani gave Nicole a dirty look and elbowed her. “I don’t think she wants to be shown off like some kind of pet.”
Rebecca hesitated a moment before admitting, “A lot of people in the unit know you got infected and were turning into one of us. I think most of them are curious to see you now that you’ve finished changing.”
“Oh God,” I groaned, suddenly feeling self-conscious and thinking that maybe I shouldn’t go out.
“If it makes you feel better,” Rebecca said, gesturing to Nicole, “the three of us can do our hair in pony tails so no one can tell which is which.”
“Or we can all wear hats,” Nicole added.
“You’re gonna have to face other people sooner or late,” Dani told me with a sympathetic look. “But if you’re not ready to do it today, we can probably hold off a few more days.”
I nodded at that, relieved that they weren’t going to drag me out if I wasn’t ready to go. However, I was also embarrassed about this as well. “I feel like such a chicken,” I admitted.
“Don’t,” Nicole insisted. “It’s natural to feel nervous. I was a little nervous about letting other people see me after I changed to.”
A minute later, Dani looked at me with a grin and asked, “Want to play some ping-pong?”
I hesitated for a moment, remembering how badly she’d beaten me the last time we played, then also remembering that I now had the same augmentations that she did. At least I thought I did. It wasn’t like I’d had a chance to test anything out yet.
“Sure,” I agreed.
“Great,” Dani smirked. “Now I don’t have to hold back.”
When we began playing, I was delighted to find that I could keep up with what Dani was doing much more easily. However, she still beat me, just not as bad as before. We tried another couple games and she won each of those, though the last one was really close. I just wasn’t sure how much of her victory was due to her being more familiar with her reflexes and how much was due to her just being a better player.
Rebecca and Nicole had stood back and watched me play against Dani, and when we were done, Rebecca announced, “I need to take a shower.”
“I guess I should get mine out of the way too,” Nicole said, starting towards the showers with Rebecca.
“You coming too?” Dani asked me as she followed after them.
All three of them stopped and looked back at me as if waiting for my answer. Their expressions were all fairly guarded and I wondered if this was some sort of a test or initiation. Then I realized that they were just trying to include me in what they normally did. They were trying to treat me as though I was one of them.
“You don’t have to if you’re not comfortable,” Rebecca said, giving me a gentle smile.
I watched the three of them for a moment, surprised to realize that instead of being turned on by the idea of showering with three hot girls, I was actually giddy at being included like this. Without a word, I nodded and slowly started towards them at the showers.
The shower area was fairly large and there were enough shower heads that we each had our own, as well as plenty of space. Because of that, it was more like we were taking showers next to each other than together. Still, Rebecca and Dani began helping wash each other’s backs.
“You want me to get your back?” Nicole asked me.
I hesitated a moment and she took that as agreement because she came over and began scrubbing my back. I stood there, feeling nervous and thinking about how she’d seduced a few days ago. However, there was absolutely nothing sexual about this contact and all she was doing was washing my back. I didn’t even get turned on at having a naked girl touch me like that.
“Now you get me,” Nicole said, turning around so I could wash her back.
Nicole was definitely a beautiful woman, and as I began to wash her back, I thought more of the sex we’d had together…as brief and disappointing as it had been. But at that moment, I wasn’t feeling turned on by her at all. I felt something…but it definitely wasn’t sexual in nature.
By the time we finished with our showers, I had relaxed a great deal and no longer felt so self-conscious about showering with the others. After all, what was the point of being self-conscious about my body when theirs were identical?
When I grabbed a towel to dry myself off, I noticed Rebecca, Nicole, and Dani were all giving me quick glances and smiling faintly. They seemed happy with something and that left me vaguely confused. Then I suddenly realized what it was.
Ever since I’d arrived in Heaven, the three of them had been trying to make me feel as though I was welcome…as though I was one of them. Even Dani had been doing that in her own odd way. They were happy because they saw my showering with them as an indication that I was starting to trust them…to accept them.
I just a little confused by this revelation, and oddly enough, happy as well. I wasn’t sure why, but this mattered to me as well.
Then before I could make sense of my own emotions, Nicole called out, “Hey Monica.”
I was a little startled for a second, until I remembered that was me. I blushed, wondering if I’d ever be able to get use to answering to that name. “Yeah?”
“I’m glad you’re our sister,” Nicole blurted out, putting one arm over my shoulders. “Now hurry up and get dressed so we can give you the tour.”
By
Morpheus
The pearly gates stood before me though they weren’t nearly as impressive as the name implied. In fact, the pearly gates was a fairly ordinary looking door at the main entrance of Heaven, the same door I’d come through when Rebecca first brought me here.
It was a little strange to realize that even though I’d been kept in Heaven during my transformation so I couldn’t accidentally infect anyone else, this door had been unlocked from the inside the entire time. I could have technically walked right out the door at any time I really wanted to, especially when my new sisters had been off on their mission. Of course, there was no way I would have allowed myself to do so when there was a chance I could have accidentally infected someone else with the harkon virus.
At the moment, I was finally safe enough to leave Heaven but I found myself hesitant to do so. It wasn’t fear of infecting anyone else that made me hesitate this time but of what other people would think when they saw me. After all, I no longer looked anything like I had when I first came here just a few days ago.
“Don’t worry,” Rebecca told me with a reassuring smile. “The three of us will be with you.”
Nicole reached out and touched my hair, which was pulled back into a pony tail exactly like hers and Rebecca’s. “We’ll need to get your hair taken care of soon too,” Nicole said pleasantly. “I mean, it just grew so you’ll need it trimmed and styled.”
“But not today,” Dani told her. “Monica already has enough to deal with right now. Don’t push her to get prettied up before she’s ready for it.”
Rebecca reached out and touched my arm, saying, “Today, we’re just going to show you around, take you to the doctor, and have you meet our boss.”
I nodded at that and then joked, “Would his name happen to be Charlie?”
“We haven’t heard that one before,” Dani responded with a roll of her eyes.
I looked at my new sisters, all of whom were dressed in their black uniforms. I was wearing one too, so along with my hair being pulled in my pony tail as well, that would keep most people from being able to tell me apart from Nicole and Rebecca. Only Dani stood out, thanks to her shorter blonde hair.
“Don’t get so nervous,” Nicole said, giving me a sisterly hug.
Nicole’s hug did comfort me a little, though I couldn’t quite understand why. What I did know was that I hadn’t known Rebecca, Nicole, or Dani for very long but I still felt oddly close to them. Perhaps it was because they’d all been changed by the virus the same way I had and we shared a common experience. Perhaps it was because we now all shared the same DNA and my own body now instinctively recognized them as my sisters. And perhaps, this was all just part of the change in perceptions that Dani had warned me about. What I did know as that having them here beside me made me feel better.
A moment later, we left the relative privacy of Heaven and entered the larger base. The three of us walked back towards the building where I’d first been quarantined, before Rebecca had brought me to Heaven. I was still a little nervous at the idea of going back there, but I tried not to show it. After all, I was sure the others wouldn’t let me get locked up in quarantine like that again.
When we entered the medical building, several people in uniforms stared at us with curious expressions. I could almost hear them asking, “Which of you is the new one?” However, they didn’t say anything aloud.
“Hey Felix,” Rebecca abruptly called out to one guard who stood there looked back and forth between us the same way the others had.
I remembered Felix as one of the guards that had kept an eye on me when I’d been locked up in quarantine. He’d been professional and hadn’t done anything beyond standing guard at the door, but I still disliked him on general principal.
Felix looked back at Rebecca and said, “Rebecca,” though his tone held a note of question in it until she nodded.
“You’ve met my new sister Monica,” Rebecca said, though she didn’t gesture to me in any way so Felix glanced back and forth between Nicole and me. The uncertain look on his face was pretty funny, until Nicole giggled and gave herself away.
Once we left Felix, Dani commented, “For the first couple years after our change, we kept the same hairstyles and did that kind of thing all the time.”
“That was a lot of fun,” Nicole mused.
“This is where our doctor is located,” Rebecca said, gesturing to a heavy looking door and scowling. “I HATE coming here.”
“Is that why you didn’t come here for your broken arm?” I asked, giving her a look of disapproval.
Rebecca hesitated a moment before letting out a sigh. “You know how I was sick growing up?” When I nodded at that, she continued, “Let’s just say I’ve seen more than enough of doctors and hospitals to last me the rest of my life.”
Half a minute later, I was introduced to Dr. Merrit, the doctor who looked after Angel Squad. He was an elderly man with white hair and well-tanned skin, as well as a pair of thick glasses. I immediately recognized him as the main doctor who’d examined me when I was in quarantine, as well as the one who’d come to check on me in Heaven when the others were away on their mission.
“This is our new sister Monica,” Rebecca introduced me, putting an emphasis on my name.
Dr. Merrit gave me a cold look that made me feel like I was a bug under a microscope. Then he looked at Rebecca. “Angel subject prime…”
“My name is Rebecca,” she reminded him coldly.
The doctor didn’t seem to pay attention to her and immediately his computer and looked over some files. “Subject one…two…three… Angel subject four.” Then he entered something into his computer before turning his attention to me. “Subject four, please come with me. The rest of you wait.”
I scowled in annoyance, definitely seeing why the others didn’t like him. Still, I followed him as he led me to the examination room, which was much like any other examination room except there were various pieces of equipment that were obviously meant for infectious patients, including double airtight doors with a decontamination chamber between them. Fortunately, he didn’t make me go through the decontamination process, though he did put on latex gloves and filter mask over his nose and mouth.
Dr. Merrit immediately began his examination, taking a blood sample and repeating many of the tests he’d given me before and giving me a few more. It was extremely embarrassing and uncomfortable, especially with the way he was treating me. He didn’t speak to me other than to give me directions and he didn’t seem to care about my feelings or discomfort in the least.
“We’re done here,” Dr. Merrit stated, not bothering to tell me what he’d found.
“That was horrible,” I blurted out to Rebecca when I was done. Thankfully, Dr. Merrit hadn’t insisted on doing anything like a gynecology exam, but it still felt humiliating and invasive. I felt like I was about to start crying.
Nicole immediately gave me a hug, exclaiming, “It’s over now.”
“That is why we don’t like coming here,” Dani said, giving me a sympathetic look. “That asshole doesn’t have any bedside manner at all.”
As an EMT, I’ve met a lot of doctors while bringing in patients, some of which could be real assholes. I’d never met any of them as bad as Dr. Merrit. “What’s wrong with that guy?”
“Several things,” Rebecca answered grimly.
“He thinks we should all be locked up in permanent quarantine,” Dani said with a deep scowl. “He’s afraid we’ll end up starting an angel epidemic.”
“He’s a viral researcher, not a medical doctor,” Rebecca explained with a sigh. “He’s pissed because the laws won’t let him actually work on a cure for the harkon virus and this is the closest he can get.”
Dani nodded at that, then added, “He stays here because as s soon as the law changes, he’ll be in the perfect position to begin his research. I mean, he’ll have access to us and as well as samples from all the demons we take out.”
“That bites,” I muttered.
“Well, at least we’re done with him for today,” Rebecca told me, putting an arm around my shoulder. “Come on, we’ll introduce you to Charlie and then we’ll go to lunch.”
After this, we went to another building which seemed to be the command center and administration building. Rebecca brought me straight through to an office where a blonde woman in uniform sat behind a desk.
“This is our new sister Monica,” Rebecca introduced me again.
“Hi,” the woman said, giving me a broad smile. “So you’re the one who saved Nicole’s butt…”
“This is her,” Nicole responded proudly, putting an arm around my shoulder.
“This is Lieutenant Hannah Ellison,” Rebecca introduced me to the blonde, smiling as she did so. “She makes sure all the paperwork is filled out and that everything in the unit runs smoothly.”
“Well, I try,” Hannah responded, obviously pleased by the compliment.
I looked at Rebecca, Nicole, and Dani, realizing that their uniforms were not only completely different from the military uniforms that everyone else wore, but that I didn’t see any rank either. “What rank are you guys?” I asked curiously.
“Technically, we’re civilians,” Rebecca answered me with a wry smile. “We’re outside the normal chain of command.”
“It’s political,” Nicole responded with a roll of her eyes.
Dani nodded agreement before adding, “What isn’t?”
Rebecca chuckled faintly and said, “We answer directly to Colonel Roberts, who is in charge of the first DSU…Demon Suppression Unit.”
“Charlie,” Dani added with a faint smirk, then quickly added, “Just don’t let him hear you call him that.”
Hannah watched this exchange, then looked at me and said, “Rebecca called you Monica. Is this the new name you want to use?”
I nodded self-consciously at that. “Yeah.”
“Then I’ll get it into your paperwork,” Hannah told me pleasantly. “And I’ll need you to fill out a few things.” Then her expression turned sympathetic and she said, “I’m sorry about your circumstances, but I do hope you come to like it here. There are some good people in this unit.” She looked to Rebecca, Nicole and Dani, adding, “And you’ve got some good ladies to help you out.”
After this, I filled out some of the paperwork that Hannah gave me while she and Rebecca talked. From what I could see, it looked like they were good friends, which made me relax a little. Until now, the only people who’d been friendly to me had been my new sisters so I’d begun to fear that everyone in this unit hated us for being infected. For one of the few times in my life, I was quite happy to be proven wrong.
Once I was finished with the paperwork, Hannah told me, “Colonel Roberts has been expecting you. His office is the one on the right.” She pointed down the hallway. Then as my sisters began getting up, she added, “Only Monica right now.”
“Good luck,” Rebecca told me with a faint smile.
“Don’t worry,” Dani teased. “He doesn’t bite…much.”
I went down the hallway Hannah had indicated and immediately found the office, which was marked by a name plaque on the door that read ‘Col. Carl Roberts’. The door was open so I stepped into the doorway and nervously glanced around the moderately cluttered office before looking at the man behind the desk.
Colonel Roberts was a stocky man with hair that had once been dark but which was now heavily peppered with gray. He had somewhat rough features with a nose that looked like it had been broken in the past but hadn’t healed completely straight. And when he looked up at me, there was strong intensity in his eyes that made me nervous.
“So you’re the new angel,” he said as he stood up.
“Not by choice,” I responded.
“I would imagine not,” he mused, holding out his hand. “I’m Colonel Roberts.”
I shook his hand, a little startled that he’d offer to shake hands with me without seeming to have any fear of infection. Of course, I knew that with the medicine I’d been taking, I was perfectly safe for this kind of contact but I hadn’t expected him to accept that. Then again, he probably knew a lot more about the angels than I did.
“I call myself Monica now,” I introduced myself a little awkwardly.
“Very well…Monica,” he said, sitting back down and gesturing for me to do the same. “I imagine you have some questions.”
“I think my new sisters answered most of them,” I responded, not sure what to say to this man.
Colonel Roberts nodded at that. “I must apologize for the necessity of our security precautions and what they mean for you.”
“You mean faking my death?” I asked him grimly. “Making me leave my family and never seeing them again?” Then I snorted, “And keeping me here whether I want to be or not?”
“Among others,” he agreed calmly.
I glared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and reluctantly admitting, “I don’t like it…but I understand.”
Colonel Roberts nodded again. “I know that this is nothing you could have imagined when you helped Nicole. I know it’s not fair, but unfortunately, life isn’t fair.” He paused to look me in the eyes as he added, “It isn’t fair that normal people turn into demons and kill their own friends and families. It isn’t fair that this unit has to hunt down and eliminate monsters who are just as much victims as those they kill. Unfortunately, this is life.”
“And what about me?” I asked quietly.
“The harkon virus may have taken away your old life and any form of normalcy,” Colonel Roberts told me. “But it did leave you with some gifts as well. You are one of only four people on the planet who can get close enough to fight the demons without fear of being infected by them. This makes you a highly valuable asset.”
“Why not infect some of your soldiers then?” I asked him. “I’m sure you could get at least some volunteers.”
Colonel Roberts shook his head and said, “We have had a few volunteers, but I’m afraid that it isn’t that simple. Intentionally infecting someone with the harkon virus would be a deliberate violate of international law. In fact, just using Angel Squad comes close to crossing the line. That’s why they are not officially part of the military and why they are used exclusively for dealing with demons.”
I stared at Colonel Roberts for a moment before quietly saying, “I can’t do it…” I shook my head, remembering the demon who killed Dom right in front of me. The very thought was enough to make the fear come back. “I can’t fight those things…”
“Maybe not,” Colonel Roberts told me, looking a little disappointed. “But Angel Squad could still use someone a little more friendly to them in the medical department.”
“I could do that,” I agreed, glad that I’d be able to do something to help out my sisters. Maybe if I was there instead of Dr. Merrit, my sisters might be willing to get medical help when they needed it.
By
Morpheus
The base chow hall wasn’t quite what I’d expected. Instead of the high school cafeteria that I’d envisioned, it was actually a little more like a buffet line with cooks to make custom ordered burgers, omelets and other easy items. The seating area was a little more like a restaurant as well, with individual tables and a relaxed atmosphere. If it hadn’t been for most of the people wearing uniforms, I might not have guessed it was actually a military chow hall.
After getting our food, Rebecca led us to a large table in the back corner that was engraved with the Angel Squad logo of wings and a halo. “We have our own reserved table,” Nicole told me, as if I hadn’t guessed that from the logo.
“Is this to keep us separated from everyone else?” I asked quietly.
“Not really,” Rebecca told me with a chuckle. “Otherwise they wouldn’t let us use the cafeteria at all. Surprisingly, it was meant as a sign of respect for the way we fight the demons.”
The mention of demons made me remember my earlier talk with Colonel Roberts, and of course, the demon that had caused my current situation. Ever since then, I’d had several nightmares where I saw Dom being killed by that monster…and Nicole being sliced up. In a few of those dreams, it had even come after me directly and made me wake up in fear.
“I…I couldn’t fight those things,” I said, feeling almost ashamed at that. Compared to my new sisters, I felt like a coward. “I’m not a soldier.”
“Neither were we,” Rebecca pointed out, though there was no accusation in her voice.
“I used to be a receptionist,” Nicole reminded me with a smug look. “I mean, I was hired for my looks more than anything. Rebecca had been a cripple and Dani had been a muscle bound oaf.”
“Who are you calling an oaf?” Dani asked, not really looking offended.
“The point is that none of us was qualified for anything like this,” Nicole continued. “In fact, you’ve got more experience dealing with dangerous stuff than any of us did.”
“Then why did you start doing this?” I asked, feeling a little confused.
All three of them were silent for a moment and then Rebecca carefully said, “We saw with our own eyes how dangerous demons could be…and when more of them started to appear, we all wanted to help.” She gave me a wry smile as she continued, “It didn’t take long for us to realize that even without any experience, we were the most qualified people to fight demons. We can get close when others can’t and we have a much better chance of surviving.”
“The rest is training and experience,” Dani told me grimly. “We can get you those.”
Rebecca put a hand on my shoulder and told me, “We’re not trying to pressure you or anything. In fact, it might be nice having someone available to patch us up who isn’t thinking of dissecting us.”
“If Merrit is such an asshole,” I asked, “why is Roberts letting him be your doctor?”
“Politics,” Dani answered with a snort of disgust.
Rebecca scowled before saying, “Some people in the government wanted a viral expert here to keep an eye on us…just in case. Since they needed to justify his presence, they made him our doctor.”
“Trust me,” Nicole added with a roll of her eyes. “We’ve complained. But try arguing with a bureaucrat…”
Just then, I noticed someone else was coming straight towards our table, a petite woman with auburn hair and glasses. She was holding a tray of food and smiled towards us.
“Hey,” the newcomer said, pausing to look at us. “I heard there was a new angel…”
“This is Monica,” Rebecca said, gesturing towards me. Then she told me, “This is our friend Julie…one of the helicopter pilots who plays taxi for us.” She grinned at that and Julie didn’t seem offended.
“Nice to meet you,” Julie said, staring at me for a moment before taking a seat beside Nicole. “I saw you when you were brought here…” She gave me a sympathetic look and added, “It’s hard to believe how different you look.”
I winced faintly at that and muttered, “Try to imagine it from my perspective.”
“I’m sorry,” Julie apologized, as though afraid she’d accidentally insulted me. “I guess this is really hard on you.”
“A bit,” I admitted with a sigh. Then I gestured to my new sisters and gave her a reassuring smile, adding, “I probably would have freaked out if it wasn’t for them.”
Julie nodded at that and gave me another sympathetic look. Then she hesitantly said, “At least you didn’t turn into a demon.” I knew that she was trying to remind me that things could be worse, but I’d already reminded myself of the same thing numerous times. “I can’t even imagine how horrible that would be.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, thinking about Dom and the fact that he’d been lucky to die from his injuries. If he’d actually survived that, he would have become a demon himself. I shuddered at that. That really would have been a fate worse than death.
“I hate it when they still look human,” Nicole said quietly. “You can see who they used to be and…”
“Yeah,” Dani agreed with a sigh. “I hate it when they were kids.”
The table went silent at this new topic since it was so depressing. “How do demons even get to develop?” I finally asked. “I mean, it took about a week for me. I’d think they’d turn themselves in at the first symptoms, or that people would notice… I mean, why can’t we get these people before they even turn demon?”
“The demon strain isn’t as stable as the angel strain,” Rebecca reminded me, looking grim. “The infection spreads faster…changes them faster.”
“A hell of a lot faster,” Dani added with an expression that matched Rebecca’s exactly. “The first symptoms are usually extreme pain and surges of aggression. Most go postal almost right away.”
“Yavich,” Rebecca spat out bitterly. “I don’t know for sure, but I’ve always thought he might have tried making it so his version would augment a soldier’s aggression on the battlefield the way it did their physical abilities. And if the demon strain took that too far as well…”
I nodded in understanding and finished for her. “That would explain why every demon is psycho.”
Dani just snorted. “Maybe, but I always figured that just having that much pain from your body and brain changing at once would drive anyone fucking crazy.”
“Can we please talk about something else?” Nicole abruptly asked. “I don’t want to talk about demons while I’m trying to eat.”
Julie nodded agreement with her and added, “I prefer not to talk about work during lunch.”
“Sorry about that,” Rebecca said, giving a forced smile.
After this, the conversation quickly changed directions and Nicole was asking Julie about her romantic interest. “Has he asked you out yet?” Nicole watched Julie with an eager grin.
Julie blushed at that and shook her head. “No,” she admitted quietly. “I don’t even know if Rich is interested in me like that. I mean, what if he only thinks of me as just being a friend?”
I was a little startled at that since I’d always thought that guys were the only ones who were afraid of getting caught in the friend zone. That just made me look at Julie again and consider whether or not I would have dated her. She was a bit shorter and smaller chested than I liked, being petite but cute, but she certainly wasn’t ugly and I knew a lot of guys would have been happy to date her.
“I don’t know you very well,” I said awkwardly, “and I don’t know this Rich guy at all. But as someone who knows how guys think…”
“They don’t,” Nicole blurted out with a giggle, earning quick glares from both me and Dani.
“Well, you might have a point,” Dani conceded, then gave me a shrug. This time it was Julie who laughed.
“Anyway,” I said, giving Nicole a mock glare. “Maybe he doesn’t know you’re interested in him and is waiting for some indication. Guys can get pretty nervous about being turned down.”
“That’s true,” Dani agreed, then quickly added, “Though I never had that problem.”
“True,” Nicole teased him. “But you were too dumb to take a hint.”
“You might have to ask him out,” Rebecca added with a grin.
Julie looked almost shocked at the suggestion and immediately protested, “But I couldn’t do that.”
“You fly helicopters into demon zones,” Rebecca pointed out with a chuckle. “I think you can handle asking a guy for a date.”
“You’ve got that right,” Nicole nodded her agreement.
“Thanks,” Julie said, staring down at her food and blushing brightly.
Once we were finished eating lunch, the five of us all left the chow hall together. Julie was with us, still talking about boys with Rebecca and Nicole. I listened in, feeling vaguely amused by the conversation since I’d always wondered what girls said about guys behind our…behind their backs. Dani looked amused as well, though she kept giving me odd looks, perhaps because the two of us shared the perspective of having been on the other side.
As soon as we’d stepped outside the building, Dani pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one. From the look on Julie’s face, she didn’t appreciate the smell any more than I did.
Then a voice called out, “Hey Dani…” I looked up and saw two men in uniform coming towards us, both looking mostly at Dani. One was an athletic looking Hispanic guy while the other was a stocky white guy.
“Jimmy,” Dani greeted the Hispanic man. Then she nodded to the white guy. “Pete.”
“You still coming to the poker game tomorrow?” Jimmy asked her while Pete took turns looking at the rest of us with an appraising expression. There was a bit of curiosity in his eyes as well so I wondered if he was trying to figure out who the new angel was.
“Of course,” Dani agreed with a grin. “I need to earn some extra spending cash.”
“Someday I’m going to clean you out,” Jimmy warned her.
“Maybe,” Dani responded. “But it won’t be tomorrow.” Then she hesitated for a moment before gesturing to me. “This is Monica. I just might bring her along, if she’s interested in playing that is.”
“I’ve never played poker before,” I lied, trying my best to look innocent. “Is it difficult to learn?”
“Not at all,” Pete answered, his eyes locking on me with an almost predatory gleam as he obviously imagined cleaning out my wallet. “We’ll be happy to teach you.”
Pete and Jimmy continued into the chow hall a minute later and Dani leaned over to whisper into my ear, “You can trust them to watch your back, but you can also trust Pete to try getting into your pants whenever possible.”
“Let’s see,” Rebecca mused. “What should we show you next?”
“How about the obstacle course?” Nicole suggested with a grin.
Rebecca and Dani both responded with identical grins which made me a little nervous. “Not bad,” Rebecca agreed, giving me a thoughtful look. “It’s about time you found out what your body can do.”
“I guess I’ll leave you guys to it,” Julie said with a chuckle.
A moment later, I was suddenly surrounded by beeping noises that seemed to be coming from everyone else. Almost as one, everyone pulled out their cell phones and scowled, including Julie.
“We’ve just gotten a demon alert,” Rebecca explained.
“Bad timing,” Nicole complained.
Rebecca gave me an apologetic look and said, “I’m really sorry but we have to go now.” She hesitated a moment and asked, “Can you find your own way back to Heaven?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, looking at my new sisters and feeling worried. They were going to go and deal with more demons while I was staying behind. I couldn’t help but feeling a little guilty for that.
“We’ll be back before you know it,” Nicole exclaimed giving me a hug.
“Good luck,” I told them as they began to run off. “And don’t you dare get hurt again.”
“We won’t, mom,” Nicole responded with a laugh, waving back as they left me behind.
By
Morpheus
I climbed off the treadmill and wiped the dripping sweat from my face. Then I took a drink from the bottle of water I’d brought down to the gym before turning my attention back to the treadmill. I’d been running all out for over half an hour, yet I felt fully charged and ready to go at it again.
Ever since my sisters had gone off on their mission the day before yesterday, I’d been left on my own and had to find things to occupy my time. I’d explored the base on my own, found a cleaning closet and cleaned Heaven, and I decided to test the physical abilities that my sisters had mentioned. Over the last couple days, I’d discovered quite a bit about what I was now capable of.
When I lifted weights, I found that I could lift quite a bit more than a normal woman of my size and build. I could actually bench press three times my own body weight, which while not super strength, was still pretty impressive. And while running, I could go at an all out sprint for half an hour and barely feel winded. I’d never been particularly athletic before, but now I wanted to exercise more just to test my limits.
“And to think,” I muttered with a shake of my head. “I haven’t even been in a gym since high school.”
I was about to head back upstairs so I could take a shower when I heard someone calling, “Monica, are you here?”
I stepped out of the gym and saw Hannah down the hallway, standing near the pearly gates. “Here,” I called back, walking in her direction.
When I reached Hannah, she looked me over and said, “You look like you’re adjusting well.”
I glanced down at myself, and the sweat soaked workout clothes that I’d borrowed from Rebecca’s closet. I blushed at how nicely they showed off my new body and responded, “I’m trying.” Then I asked, “Is something wrong with Angel Squad?”
“They ran into some unexpected complications that I can’t go into right now,” Hannah told me with a sigh, then gave me a reassuring smile. “But last I heard, they’re doing fine and should be back later this evening.”
I let out a sigh of relief at that. The others had been gone long enough that I was starting to get really worried about them. Images of Rebecca with a shattered arm and of Nicole with her side sliced open kept coming into my head whenever I thought about how they might be doing.
This time when Angel Squad left, I had already completed my transformation so didn’t need Dr. Merrit or any guards to come check on me. However, Hannah had volunteered to come and look in on me herself, stopping by yesterday to ask if there was anything I needed and even bringing me a bunch of files and papers to read through.
“How are you doing?” she asked, just like she had yesterday. She actually seemed sincere with that which made it easier to relax around her. The fact that the others seemed to like and trust her helped with that as well.
“I’m doing all right,” I told her with a shrug, then admitted, “I’m just not sure what to do. I did finish reading that stuff you brought over.”
“All of it?” she asked in surprise.
“I didn’t really have much else to do last night,” I said with a chuckle. There had been a lot of files and papers on the 1st DSU and Angel Squad, but it had actually been pretty quick reading and I’d gotten through it all pretty quickly. “I’ve got it upstairs if you want to come up and get it.”
The two of us went upstairs and I noticed that Hannah was careful not to touch the railing or anything else. Of course, that made sense. Heaven had been set up as a sanctuary for Angel Squad, a place where the angels could relax and not have to worry about infecting anyone else. This was where Rebecca had come to recover after her arm had shattered, the place where her infected blood had gotten on the floor. It was no wonder Dr. Merrit and the guards had been so careful when they came to see me. The fact that Hannah had come in here without any of those precautions suggested she either didn’t understand the risks or wasn’t afraid of them. She didn’t strike me at all as being stupid so it was probably the latter.
“I spent a couple hours cleaning up yesterday,” I told her casually, trying to assure her that it was safe here. “You know, washing things up with bleach and stuff.”
The truth is, my old apartment might have been a bit sloppy, but the kitchen and bathroom had always been spotless. I’d always been a bit of a neat freak about those areas, and when I had nothing to do, I’d started cleaning them here. From there, I’d spread out and began cleaning a lot more of Heaven, specifically taking into account that some areas might have been inadvertently contaminated and would need some strong cleaners.
“Here,” I handed Hannah the stack of files, quickly adding, “They aren’t contaminated or anything.”
“Thank you,” she responded, taking the files without hesitation. I couldn’t resist smiling faintly at that since her lack of hesitation suggested that she trusted me.
“Do you want something to drink?” I asked, gesturing towards the kitchen. “We’ve got beer in the fridge and some sodas.”
“I’ll take a bottled water,” Hannah responded, which wasn’t one of the options I’d give, though there was bottled water in the fridge as well. Obviously she’d been here before.
After I got Hannah a bottle of water, she looked around the kitchen with a faintly amused expression. “You really have been cleaning. I’ve been in here a few times before and it’s never been this clean.” She chuckled for a moment and added, “Don’t tell them I said so, but Rebecca is the only other angel who isn’t a slob.”
“Oh, I am a slob,” I assured her with a grin. “Just a clean one.”
Hannah seemed amused by that and gave me a curious look. “Did you really read through all this last night?” she asked, holding up the files.
I nodded at that, “Yeah. Like I said, I was kind of bored.”
“So,” she asked me with a faint smile, “What’s the mission number we assigned to the outbreak in Kansas last year?” I thought about it for a moment, then gave her the string of eight numbers. Hannah nodded at that, giving me another curious look and asking, “Has your memory always been that good?”
“What?” I asked, wondering she meant until I realized that I’d just given her some numbers that I’d only seen once. “I don’t know why, but the number just stuck…”
“As did all the others, I’m sure,” Hannah mused, still watching me. Then she chuckled and said, “I assume no one told you that the angel strain augments your brain functions as well as your physical abilities.”
I stared at Hannah for a moment, feeling a little surprised by this statement. Then I remembered that Rebecca had hinted at this a few times, though neither she or the others had said anything specific. Whenever they talked about their…our augmentations, it was usually in terms of strength, reflexes, and healing.
“I’m not surprised,” Hannah told me. “Every angel is a genius, but the others don’t like talking about that aspect of their augmentation. I think that they’re intentionally trying to make everyone else forget about it. I don’t know if that’s because they want everyone to underestimate you angels, or if they just don’t want people to be even more nervous and intimidated by you than they already are. Knowing Rebecca, it’s probably a bit of both.”
“Who all knows about that?” I asked carefully.
“Anyone with clearance to read the files,” Hannah answered. “The Colonel, myself, and a few of the medical personnel.” She hesitated a moment before adding, “I suggest you keep it quiet until you talk to your sisters.”
I nodded at that, wondering why they hadn’t told me about that part of the augmentation. Of course, there were a few things they hadn’t told me yet, but I was sure this was more a matter of time and opportunity than intentionally deceiving me about anything. After all, Rebecca had made a point about wanting to show me what I was now capable of before she and the others got called away on their mission.
“So, what does this mental augmentation mean?” I asked Hannah quietly.
Hannah hesitated for a moment as she considered, taking a drink of water while she did so. Then she said, “Like I said, the other angels never talk about it but the file says that you all have a genius level IQ with the ability to process and recall information more efficiently.” She shrugged at that. “I can’t say that I’ve ever really noticed it, except for when Rebecca and the others are able to remember details and thing I’d forgotten.”
“Honestly,” I told Hannah with a sigh. “After all my other changes, that’s almost a side note.”
“I’d imagine,” she agreed, looking me over and shaking her head as though she still had a hard time believing it herself. “I don’t want to embarrass you, but you do seem to be doing a good job of adjusting. I can’t imagine how I’d react to suddenly turning into someone else…much less someone of the opposite gender.”
“It hasn’t been easy,” I told her with a wry smile. “But what choice do I have?”
Hannah nodded at that and told me, “I see your point. Anyway, this is probably a bit out of place, but you might want to consider getting your hair done at a salon. It looks just a little…messy. No offense.”
“None taken,” I responded, feeling just a little hurt though I couldn’t understand why. After all, it was just my hair and I already knew it was a mess. “Nicole keeps telling me the same thing.”
“There’s a salon on the other side of the base,” Hannah told me thoughtfully. “It’s not a great one, but they can help you out. And since they usually spend all day cutting hair for male soldiers, they’re usually happy for the chance to do something else. I would take you over there but I have to get back to my office.”
“It’s okay,” I told her. “I appreciate your coming over to check up on me.”
“It’s not a problem,” Hannah assured me with a smile.
The two of us talked for a few more minutes before Hannah had to leave and go back to work. It was nice having someone other than the other angels to talk to, especially when my sisters weren’t here right now. However, that thought just made me feel a little guilty, as though I’d somehow betrayed them by not going with them. I knew it was silly, especially since I wasn’t trained and they probably wouldn’t have let me go even if I had been willing.
“Time for a shower,” I told myself, looking down at my sweaty workout clothes and sighing. “I definitely need one.”
I went to the showers and stripped out of my clothes, then paused to look myself over in the mirror. The sight of an attractive and well-built woman staring back at me wasn’t quite as shocking as it had been the first time I’d seen this, but it was still enough to make me take a second look. I didn’t know if I’d ever get used to seeing someone else reflected back from the mirror like this.
“Get used it,” I reminded myself, knowing that the image wasn’t going to change anytime soon.
I ran my hands down my body, stopping to cup my breasts. All in all, I had to admit that this wasn’t really a bad body. It was athletic, curved in just the right places, and rather nice looking. And now that I was getting a chance to see what it was capable of, I had to admit to being a little impressed.
Then I looked at my hair and let out a sigh, suddenly feeling self-conscious now that Hannah had pointed it out. It kind of made me look like I was homeless or something and couldn’t afford to get my hair cut right. Before my change, I probably wouldn’t have been interested in dating a girl who couldn’t bother to care for her own appearance like that.
“Maybe I should keep it in a ponytail,” I muttered. At least that way, no one would notice.
After a minute, I turned away from the mirror and went to take my shower. Without anyone else in here with me, I was able to relax and enjoy just how good the hot water felt against my new body. To my surprise, my nipples began to respond and become erect. It was a strange sensation but also very nice. I couldn’t resist taking my time as I washed them with my soapy wash cloth.
Once I was done with my shower, I got dressed again, putting on jeans and a T shirt rather than one of the Angel Squad uniforms which I just didn’t feel right wearing. I checked myself out in the mirror again when done, only to shake my head again. I had to get something done about my hair. If I was going to be stuck as a girl, the least I could do was take some pride in my appearance and try to look decent.
A short time later, I left Heaven and started to walk across base, though I couldn’t help but feeling a little self-conscious about my hair as I did so. Fortunately, this wasn’t really a very large base so it wouldn’t take me long to get where I was going.
“Hey Nicole,” one guy called out to me from a distance away. I glanced at him but didn’t recognize who he was so shook my head and continued on my way.
When I reached the other side of the base, a woman said, “Rebecca, I’ve been wanting to talk to you about…”
“I’m not Rebecca,” I quickly told her, embarrassed at these misidentifications. “I’m Monica.”
“Monica?” the woman asked with a blank look.
I rolled my eyes and said, “The new angel.” She still didn’t seem to get it so I just smiled and said, “I’m her sister…”
“Okay,” the woman responded. “I thought Rebecca only had two sisters… What were their names…Nikki and Danielle?”
I gave the woman a polite smile and said, “No, there are four of us.”
“Sorry for bothering you,” the woman said before turning and leaving, muttering, “I can’t believe how much those girls look alike…”
“I guess not everyone here knows about the angels,” I mused with a shake of my head before going into the barber shop and hair salon.
The woman who was working there looked my hair over with a slightly disapproving expression, then politely asked, “I’m sorry, but I can never tell you girls apart. Which one are you again?”
“Monica,” I responded with a forced smile. “This is my first time in here and I need to do something about this…” I gestured to my hair.
The woman nodded and gave me a faint smile. “Well then Monica, you’ve come to the right place. What are you looking for…?”
My first thought was that I should probably cut my hair short the way Dani did since it would be easier to deal with. However, I hesitated, not sure I liked that idea. After all, I’d always thought women were more attractive with longer hair and since I wanted to try looking nice…
“I’m not really sure,” I admitted to the woman, feeling embarrassed about this. “Maybe something to help me stand out a little from my sisters a little…”
We talked for a few minutes to discuss what we could do, then the woman went to work. I sat there patiently while she shampooed my hair and then began to trim and style it. I was still self-conscious about going through this whole thing, but I couldn’t help but feeling just a little giddy as well.
When we were done, the woman let me look into a mirror and asked, “What do you think?”
My hair had been trimmed a little and was now only two inches longer than Rebecca’s, which made it noticeably shorter than Nicole’s. I’d been given a style that would help me stand out from either of them, especially since the tips of my hair had been frosted.
“I…I like it,” I admitted, blushing as I did so. I just wondered what my new sisters would think.
By
Morpheus
I was sitting in the base library, staring down at a book that I’d been reading through at a pace that surprised me. It was a book on algebra, one of my least favorite subjects from back in high school. Math had always been my least favorite subject, especially when it came to sines, cosines, and trying to find X, Y, or the square root of pi. I’d always thought any kind of math was boring and I’d had a hard time making sense of it, yet now, it was coming to me with much more ease.
“She was right,” I said, thinking of what Hannah told me earlier today about the angels having mental augmentations as well as physical. It had seemed hard to believe at the time, though it was nice to think that the massive migraine I’d suffered had at least given me something for the trouble.
For the last two hours, I’d been at the base library, reading through several books and testing this out. I had proven that I could definitely read faster than before, absorbing and understanding whatever I read more easily as well as remembering it. Reading through the algebra book had helped to prove that, though it had also proven one other thing. I might be able to understand and remember things more easily, but that didn’t mean I found them any more interesting. The whole topic of math still bored me.
“I don’t feel any smarter,” I muttered to myself, though I couldn’t help but wondering what being smart should feel like.
With that, I leaned back and absently ran my fingers through my hair which had been styled only a couple hours ago, right before I’d come to the library. Most of it was still the same brunette color that was natural for angels, but the very tips had been bleached into a blonde color that made my hair stand out a little. I couldn’t help but having mixed feelings about how my hair now looked. On one hand, it looked nice and made me feel good, but on the other hand, it was rather feminine and that made me a little self-conscious as well.
“I can’t believe I’m actually worried about my hair,” I said with a sigh. I was used to having fairly short hair that didn’t require a lot of care and attention, so this was definitely different. I was starting to suspect that this might be one of those changes in perspective that Dani had warned me about.
With a sigh, I shut the book in front of me and then got up to put it and the other books I’d been looking at back on the shelves. I was finished testing out whether I was smarter or not, though I couldn’t say that this really changed anything. Sure, this kind of thing would have been great back in school so I wouldn’t have needed to study much, but I didn’t have any sudden desire to become a scientist or study the mysteries of the universe. And from what I’d seen of my sisters, neither did they.
I left the library and started walking back towards Heaven, though I immediately noticed a guy watching me from the distance. I scowled, suddenly feeling a little paranoid and wondering what he wanted. Then it hit me. I was now an attractive woman so it shouldn’t have been a surprise that guys would watch me, though it still was. I grimaced, not sure what to think of this attention so I did my best to ignore the guy and continue on my way.
Now that I was aware of it, I noticed other people giving me odd looks. Some of them were like that last guy, looks of attraction and interest. However, a couple of them looked wary or even afraid of me, with one guy actually crossing the street to avoid me. I was pretty sure that these people knew what the angels really were and feared possible infection. I snorted in contempt, thinking that if they knew about the angel strain, then they knew I was perfectly safe to be around, at least as long as I took my daily shot and some common sense precautions like not bleeding on anyone.
When I reached Heaven, I let out a sigh of relief, glad to be away from all the odd looks. I wasn’t even sure which made me more uncomfortable, the ones from people who seemed to think I might infect them or the ones who thought I was attractive.
But strangely enough, now that I was back to the safety and security of Heaven, I couldn’t but feeling trapped again as well. I felt a little claustrophobic in spite of how large the building was, but I also felt annoyed by the large empty space. My emotions all contradicted each other and left me feeling a little confused. The only thing I was sure of was that I couldn’t wait until the others got back.
I went back to the main living area and then let out a sigh, realizing that I should have grabbed a couple books while I was at the library so I’d have something to read. “Definitely NOT a genius,” I muttered as I looked for something else to occupy my time.
I considered borrowing a swim suit and going down to the pool, thinking that it would be nice doing a few laps. Swimming was the one athletic activity that I’d always enjoyed, enough so that I’d been on the school swim team back in high school. Of course, I’d only ever won a couple races, but I’d enjoyed swimming nonetheless. Unfortunately, I’d just gotten my hair done and I wasn’t about to ruin it just yet.
“I am being such a girl about this,” I muttered in annoyance, not sure if that was a good thing or not. On one hand, this new concern probably meant that I was starting to adjust, but it also meant that I was losing part of myself and that scared me. I couldn’t help but thinking about what Dani had told me and her advice to just accept the new person I was becoming. I snorted at that. “Easier said than done.”
For a brief moment, I considered grabbing some scissors and just cutting my hair off so I wouldn’t have to deal with this. However, that would be nothing more than a pointless act of rebellion against my new body and the only result would be that I’d ruin my hair. After the trouble I went through to look presentable, I certainly wasn’t going to just throw it away just to make a stupid point.
With a shake of my head, I sat down and turned on the TV in order to distract myself. At first, I just started flipping through channels, though I stopped when I caught a news station that was talking about a demon outbreak. My first impulse was to change the channel so I didn’t have to think about the demons, but then I remembered Angel Squad and their mission so stayed where I was and watched.
“Multiple demons rampaged in…,” the news anchor started, talking about a small town.
My eyes were locked on video they were showing of the rampage, taken from a news helicopter before the military chased them back. It showed a large and muscular creature picking up a car and throwing it…at a woman in lean black armor. I couldn’t tell if this was Rebecca, Nicole, or Dani since she was wearing her helmet, but there was no mistaking the fact that she was one of my sisters.
“Oh shit,” I gasped, watching in horror as the demon attacked my sister. Then she used the rifle she was carrying to blow a number of holes in him until he collapsed to the ground motionless. It was only then that I let out a sigh of relief. I jumped to my feet and yelled, “Get those bastards…”
At this point, the helicopter was forced to move so they didn’t have any more footage of the fight. However, the news anchor talked about how the town had been evacuated and then how half the town had been firebombed in order to ensure the demons had been destroyed. My eyes never left the screen as I watched intently, filled with worry over my friends…my sisters.
“Please be safe,” I quietly pleaded to the TV screen.
My imagination went wild as I thought about my sisters being hurt or killed. Memories of Nicole being sliced open and then laying on the ground bleeding filled my mind, making a knot form in my stomach. I clenched my fists, knowing that I’d never forgive myself if they got hurt and died because they didn’t have anyone to give them the medical attention they needed. Tears were even starting to run down my cheeks as I thought about what could be happening to them right that minute.
The news didn’t give any more information before going onto the next story, and when they eventually returned to this demon outbreak one, all they did was repeat the very same things they’d already shown. I turned off the TV, knowing that I didn’t need to see any more of that. I already worried enough as it was and didn’t need that to fuel more of it.
About an hour later, I startled by the sound of a phone ringing, so much so that I nearly jumped when it began. I quickly looked around for the source and saw a phone attached to the wall. It looked kind of old, due largely to the fact that it had a cord to the handset.
“Hello,” I answered hesitantly.
“Monica,” Hannah’s voice came from the other end. “I’m glad you picked up.”
“Well, it was either that or wait for my secretary to answer for me,” I responded with grin.
Hannah chuckled at that, then told me, “I thought you’d want to know that Angel Squad is almost back. They should be landing in about twenty minutes.”
“Thank you,” I blurted out in relief.
Once I hung up the phone, I immediately left Heaven and started for flight line and helicopter pads. I got there just as three helicopters were descending from the sky. A guard stood there, not saying a word but making it clear that he wouldn’t let me go any further.
I stood back and waited impatiently for the helicopters to land and then for my sisters to emerge. They finally climbed out one of the helicopters, still wearing their lightweight armor though they’d removed their helmets. To my relief, they looked tired but unharmed.
“About time you got back,” I called out to them, immediately catching their attention. The three of them started walking straight towards me.
“Monica,” Nicole exclaimed, grabbing me in a hug. “I love what you did with your hair.”
I blushed at that and responded, “Thanks.”
“It looks great,” Rebecca agreed, grinning as she looked me over. “I see you’ve been busy.”
“A little,” I admitted, feeling self-conscious but pleased that they liked my hair. I’d been a little worried that they’d tell me I looked silly. Then I said, “I saw it on the news…”
Their expressions all darkened and Dani spoke first. “It was a fucking mess. There were six demons… Six.”
“Holy shit,” I blurted out, remembering how terrified I’d been at seeing just one.
“Most of the town was either dead or infected,” Rebecca said grimly, her eyes burning with anger and grief. “I’ve never seen an outbreak that bad.”
I gave her another hug, and then as I pulled away, I stared at her for a moment. The thought of ever facing a single demon again scared the shit out of me and I couldn’t imagine what going against six would be like. However, there was something else that scared me just as bad.
“If you’re still looking for a field medic,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I’d like to submit my resume.”
By
Morpheus
I stood at the beginning of the base obstacle course, dressed in my workout clothes as were Rebecca, Nicole, and Dani. Yesterday, we’d spent nearly the entire day at the shooting range while they taught me how to use a gun, and today we were going to work on familiarizing me with my own physical capabilities.
“There are actually two obstacle courses,” Rebecca told me. She gestured to one path and said, “One is for the regular soldiers and the other,” she gestured to the second path, “was built just for us angels. It’s a bit tougher so some of the guys in the unit will try running ours to show how tough they are.”
“Some of them try challenging us to races through it,” Dani said with a smirk, looking quite pleased with herself. “I’ve won a few bucks betting on those.”
“You’re just a showoff,” Nicole teased her, only to have Dani flip her off.
“And you’re one to talk,” Dani responded.
Rebecca glared at them and said, “Knock it off you two. This is serious.” Then she turned back to me and continued, “Every demon is different, but most are bigger and stronger than us. We rely on being fast and maneuverable so we can keep out of their reach until we take them down. As you’ve seen, it can get pretty messy if we let them get too close.”
“And whatever you do,” Nicole said with a wince, “don’t let yourself get distracted.” She absently rubbed her side where she’d been sliced open, though I knew there was no longer even the hint of a scar remaining.
A minute later, we began running down the path and through the obstacle course. The first obstacle was a giant monkey bars contraption that the others slipped through with ease. I followed behind, being a lot slower as I made my way through it. Once they others were through, they stopped and waited for me to catch up, then we all went to the next obstacle together.
The next few obstacles followed the same pattern, with my sisters getting through them first and waiting for me to catch up. Each time they seemed to get harder as well, demanding that I do things like go over a tightrope that was strung above a pond, jump over a wall that was twice my height, and hop from one log to another of various sizes. Some of the obstacles looked so tough that I knew I never would have been able to make my way through them before my change. But after seeing my sisters scramble through these obstacles with the same ease they had the monkey bars, I had no doubt that I could do it as well.
It was no surprise that my sisters beat me through each of the obstacles. Not only were they more familiar with the course, they were also more familiar with their abilities. However, with each obstacle, I developed a greater understanding of my own capabilities and grew more confident because of that.
When we finally finished with the obstacle course, I was sweating pretty good but wasn’t really breathing hard. In fact, I was full of energy and could have immediately started on the course again.
“Good job,” Nicole told me with a broad grin. “Not bad for your first time.”
“We’ll get some water in us and then go again,” Rebecca told me, pulling some bottles of water from a cooler that had been left at the beginning of the course and handing them out.
“That wasn’t too bad,” I said, feeling rather proud of myself for having managed to make it through all the obstacles. I was actually kind of amazed at that, especially considering how impossible some of them had seemed at first.
Dani slapped me on the back and chuckled. “It gets pretty easy after the first few times. And trust me, it’s a whole lot easier doing this when you don’t have something chasing after you.”
After a ten minute break, we began going at the obstacle course again, though this time my sisters didn’t wait for me. Instead, once they finished one obstacle, they’d continue on to the next one at a slow pace, giving me a chance to catch up. Since I’d already been through these obstacles once, I was able to go through them quickly and more easily than before, though still not at the same pace as the others. For the most part, they called back encouragements, though Dani did joke about my being slow.
By the time we’d finished with the third trip through the obstacle course, I was almost able to keep up with my sisters, though it was clear that they were still holding back a little. However, I was making clear and obvious progress which seemed to please them almost as much as it did me.
“This is crazy,” I told Rebecca while we took a break after the third time through. “I can’t believe I’m not completely exhausted yet.”
“I know,” Nicole responded with a grin, handing me a protein bar and another bottle of water. “Isn’t it awesome?”
“Don’t worry,” Dani told me as she took a drag on her cigarette. “By the time we’re through today, we’ll all be exhausted.”
Rebecca put a hand on my shoulder and said, “I wish we didn’t have to push so hard, but once you come face to face with another demon, you’ll probably be wishing we’d trained you even harder.”
Dani nodded at that. “Practice now so you can stay alive later.”
I nodded at that, almost regretting my decision to join Angel Squad. Almost. I was still terrified by the thought of actually going into demon zones and intentionally facing those monsters, but I couldn’t let my sisters go alone. I was determined to be there with them so I could make sure they came back alive.
“Another run?” I asked, trying to sound confident about this.
“Give it a few more minutes,” Rebecca told me with a grin, holding up a protein bar. “I want to finish my own snack first.”
A minute later, three men in workout uniforms arrived in order to use the obstacle course as well. Dani casually greeted them, “Hey Mike. Hey assholes.”
“Nice seeing you too, bitch,” the man she’d addressed as Mike responded. However, he was grinning as he said this and Dani didn’t seem bothered.
“You guys looking for another race?” Dani asked him. “I’m getting low on cash.”
“You’re on,” Mike said, still grinning. “The usual bet. But this time, we can do teams. Morgan and Reece will run with me.” He gestured to the two men who’d arrived with him. “If any of us beats you, we win.”
“Three against one,” Dani mused, then shrugged. “Sure, why not. In fact, let’s make this more interesting.” She gestured to me and continued, “My sister Monica races too, and if any of you three beats either of us, you win.”
“What?” I asked in surprise at being volunteered to be part of her wager
Dani just grinned at me. “See if you can beat all three of them to the end.” Then she looked back to Mike and added, “We’ve already run the course three time and are a bit tired. That should give us a bit of a handicap.”
“Sounds like good training to me,” Rebecca added with a chuckle.
Reese stared at me with an odd expression before saying, “So you’re the new angel…”
“Damn, you look different,” Morgan muttered. “I am NEVER getting infected with that shit…”
I stared back to Morgan and Reese, then at Mike, gulping in sudden recognition. These were three of the guys who’d pointed guns at me and had taken me into custody after I’d saved Nicole.
“I remember you three,” I stated, glaring at each of them.
“It wasn’t anything personal,” Mike quickly said, watching me with a wary look and tense body language that suggested he expected me to attack him. “We were just doing our jobs.”
Nicole put her hand on my shoulder and said, “Monica, relax.”
“We’re all on the same team,” Rebecca told me. “Now that you’re on Angel Squad, you’re going to be working with them.”
I nodded at that and let myself relax. “I’ll take it out on you in the race,” I stated, determined that I wasn’t going to let these guys beat me. Dani smirked at that.
Two minutes later, we began the race and I started running through the obstacle course for the fourth time. Dani ran alongside me while Rebecca and Nicole came along but actually went around the obstacles. They were watching the race rather than participating and both seemed to be enjoying themselves.
“You can do it,” Nicole called out to me.
Dani could have gone ahead but she remained with me while I kept pace with Mike. Reese and Morgan were a short distance behind, but we were slowly leaving them further behind. I was a bit amazed as Mike scrambled through one obstacle that I would have considered nearly impossible before my change, though he was obviously breathing hard and giving this everything he had.
“Now,” Dani exclaimed, jumping off a rope tower and tearing off at a rapid speed. I grimaced and hurried to catch up with her, leaving Mike behind.
Dani and I reached the end of the course well before Mike and had to wait another two minutes before he caught up, breathing hard and looking tired. It was another ten minutes before Reese and Morgan rejoined us as well. They may have lost the race, but I couldn’t help but being impressed with them anyways. After all, I knew that before my changes, I never would have been able to make it through the course much less at that speed.
“All right,” Mike grudgingly told Dani as he handed her a twenty dollar bill. “You win again.”
“I can’t believe we got our asses kicked by the rookie,” Morgan muttered in disgust.
“A rookie angel,” Dani pointed out smugly.
Reese shook his head and told Mike, “That’s almost enough to make a guy want to get infected. Almost.”
“Fuck that,” Morgan responded. “There ain’t nothing worth waking up with a pair of tits.”
Mike, Morgan, and Reese were obviously unhappy at being beaten like that and having their pride hurt. Because of that, they didn’t stick around much longer and made their way off to the other obstacle course, the easier one.
Once they were gone, Rebecca smiled at me and said, “That was your best time yet.”
“I wasn’t going to let those guys beat me,” I admitted, a little embarrassed that I’d gotten caught up in a grudge match like that.
“It would have been embarrassing if you had,” Dani pointed out.
I hesitated a moment and then admitted, “They were pretty good though.” I shook my head, knowing that there was no way I could have made it through the course at all before my transformation. The fact that those guys could said something about how good they really were.
My three sisters all nodded agreement at that. “They fight demons for a living,” Rebecca pointed out. “And they don’t have our advantages. They’ve got to be good if they want to survive.”
“I’m just imagining what they could do if they were like us,” I thought aloud.
“You shouldn’t say things like that,” Nicole told me with a scowl. “You don’t want to give anyone ideas…or just as bad…make them think that we have ideas.”
“And there is no way in hell I’d let a bunch of random people get turned into angels,” Rebecca spat out almost angrily. “I don’t want people I don’t know or trust looking like me.”
I winced at that, remembering that it was purely a matter of my being in the wrong place and time that had resulted in my becoming infected. I certainly understood what she was saying, but it still felt like she was rejecting me.
“I didn’t mean you,” Rebecca gasped in realization and grabbing hold of me. “If I was going to choose someone to become my sister, it would be you. You jumped in and helped Nicole when you could have been killed. I told you before, that’s the kind of person I want as a sister.”
“If it was someone we didn’t know,” Nicole said quietly. “Someone we didn’t trust… Then in spite of our shared DNA, she wouldn’t be our sister. She’d just be a stranger with our face.”
“Exactly,” Rebecca said, nodding agreement. “That would actually be kind of creepy. I know you’re not happy about this, but I’m glad you’re my sister.”
“I’m glad too,” I admitted self-consciously. It wasn’t that I was thankful for losing my identity and turning into a woman. It was that I’d never felt as close to any of my friends as I did to my sisters. Then I cautiously asked, “But what about that prime virus your mom made? Couldn’t they just put someone else’s DNA into it?”
“Not gonna happen,” Dani pointed out with a snort.
“Two reasons,” Rebecca responded with a scowl. “First, that kind of manipulation of the virus is strictly against international law. Anyone caught doing it would be executed and it could even lead to a world war.”
“Oh shit,” I gasped.
“The second reason,” Rebecca continued grimly. “During the first demon outbreak, they tried stopping it with an emergency containment…”
“That means the lab was sealed off and they incinerated everything,” Dani added with a snort. She lit a cigarette and shook her head.
Rebecca nodded at that, shaking her head with a sigh. “They tried destroying Yavich and all traces of the virus before it could spread. Unfortunately, they were too late and the demon strain was already out. All they ended up doing was destroying all research and samples of the harkon virus.”
“That stuff would have been useful for finding a cure,” Nicole said bitterly.
“It probably wouldn’t be difficult to reverse engineer my mom’s prime strain,” Rebecca said. “All we’d have to do is use the angel strain and filter out my DNA.” She shrugged at that. “Of course, we still have the ban.”
“So it’s not gonna happen anytime soon,” Dani added with a scowl.
“For the foreseeable future,” Rebecca told me with a wry smile, “there won’t be any cure for the demons, no custom made super soldiers to fight them, and no more angels except the ones created by accident.”
“Enough talk about this,” Nicole exclaimed with an expression of exaggerated boredom. “Let’s talk about something more interesting…like lunch.”
Rebecca laughed at that and even Dani grinned. “All right,” Rebecca agreed. “Let’s go get lunch. Afterwards, we can hit the course again.” She gave me a mischievious grin and added, “I’ve got some ideas of how we can make it more interesting.”
I groaned at that, not sure what she had in mind but knowing that it probably wouldn’t be fun for me. “My sisters are sadists,” I exclaimed, only to have Dani give her best evil laugh.
By
Morpheus
My sisters and I were sitting at the Angel Squad table in the chow hall, having a late dinner after a long day of training. Julie had come to keep us company while we ate, though she’d already had her own dinner earlier so now nursed a slice of apple pie for dessert.
It had been a long day of training, and in spite of my increased endurance and stamina, I was still tired. We’d spent most of the morning at the shooting range for target practice and the rest of the day had been spent at the obstacle course.
Today, Rebecca had made me run through the obstacle course with a heavy back pack on, and not only that, my sisters weren’t running with me this time. Instead, they hid along the path and would jump out to ambush me, either trying to catch me or just throwing water balloons at me.
“The whole reason for using the obstacle course is to learn how to avoid being caught by demons,” Rebecca had told me earlier.
“And how to catch them when necessary,” Dani had added.
I sighed and ate my dinner, trying not to think about earlier today. I was still tired from all that work, but each bite of my dinner seemed to recharge me a little more. I just hoped that Rebecca wouldn’t take this as an excuse to have me run the obstacle course tonight in the dark or something.
“So, how are things going with Rich?” Nicole asked Julie.
“Um…they’re not,” Julie admitted, looking embarrassed. “I haven’t had a chance to ask him out yet…”
“You’ll have to make the time,” Nicole pointed out.
Julie nodded at that, then made an obvious attempt to change the topic. “I was watching the news today,” she said abruptly. “The United Nations is talking about making an exception to the harkon ban for cure research…”
“They’ve been fighting over that ever since the ban was put in place,” Rebecca responded. “You know it never goes anywhere.”
“Why don’t they make an exception?” I asked with a shake of my head. “I mean, it seems like common sense to let people look for a cure.”
“Politicians and bureaucrats,” Dani said with a snort of disgust. She didn’t look up as she grabbed a bottle of siracha and began drizzling some of that hot pepper sauce onto her food.
“Some countries have been blocking the attempts,” Rebecca told me with a shake of her head, looking almost angry. “The US is the only country that has a demon problem so they don’t mind making us wait. They say that they’ll agree to an exception to search for a vaccine or cure, but only if we give them full access to all the research.”
I frowned for a moment before asking, “And what’s the problem with that? They might not have a demon problem, but I can understand them wanting the cure just in case.”
“The problem,” Rebecca explained, “is that they’d also have everything they need to make their own enhanced soldiers…and demons. You can bet that almost every country would start to secretly create their own super soldiers and I’d bet there will be a few more demon type outbreaks as a result.”
“So everything is a stall,” Nicole added with an expression that was identical to Rebecca’s. “Officially, they want to do their own cure research too, but everyone knows they want more than that.”
“Just imagine if you ended up with a bunch of different demon strains,” Dani added. “And we can’t just look for a vaccine on our own because those same countries threatened to attack any country that they catch doing harkon research. Some even suggested that they’d consider using nuclear weapons.”
I nodded at that, understanding exactly what they meant. “So, we’re stuck either dealing with the demons, giving other countries the ability to create their own, or facing World War Three.”
“It’s a lose lose situation,” Rebecca agreed.
This conversation was getting depressing fast, so I asked Dani, “What’s up with you and that Mike guy? I mean, even after we beat him yesterday, he still came by to challenge you again today…”
Of course, today Dani had been too busy to race Mike, but she had promised to give him another chance later on. I shook my head, wondering what was up with that. After all, from what I’d seen he didn’t have a chance.
Dani chuckled at that and responded, “He usually challenges me every week or so…” Then she grinned smugly, “I usually hold back a bit so he at least comes close enough to think he might be able to do it if he works a little hard.”
I stared at her for a moment before saying, “So you keep playing with him and making him think he might win…”
“Of course,” she responded with a smirk. “It’s good training for him. Besides, I’ve won a lot of money from him and plan on winning a lot more.”
“But why does he keep doing it?” I asked. “I mean, if you keep winning all his money…”
“He’s stubborn,” Dani responded with a grin.
Then Nicole laughed and added, “She also promised him a date if he could ever beat her.”
Dani actually looked a little embarrassed at that, though she quickly covered it up and stated, “And that is why he is NEVER going to win.”
“That’s just mean,” Julie told her with a scowl. “Everyone knows he likes you and you just keep stringing him along…”
Julie shook her head and then gave Dani a look of annoyance. It was obvious that Julie was a little jealous because she had a hard time getting the attention of the guy she liked while Dani had one chasing after her.
“Mike is just playing a game,” Dani explained to Julie. “He’s only interested because I’m a challenge. If I ever went on a date with him, he’d lose interest and start looking for another girl.” She paused for a moment before adding, “Trust me. I know how guys like him think.”
“Then if you’re annoyed with him bothering you,” Julie asked, looking confused, “why don’t you just let him win.”
“Because this is a lot more fun,” Dani pointed out with a grin. “Besides, I figure I can get another hundred or so out of him before he calls it quits.”
I stared at Dani for a moment, not quite sure what to make of her. Was she messing with Mike because she could keep winning money from him like she claimed, or was it something else? Dani might be my sister now, but in spite of that and our similar backgrounds, I still wasn’t sure what she was thinking half the time.
Once we’d all finished eating, Nicole put her arm around Julie’s shoulder and exclaimed, “Come on… I’ll help you put a date outfit together…”
“But I don’t have a date lined up yet,” Julie protested.
“Details,” Nicole responded with a grin. “We can talk about that too…”
Nicole and Julie left while I went back to Heaven with Dani and Rebecca. I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that they didn’t have more training planned. Instead, I could get a nice hot shower and maybe even a soak in the hot tub.
My sisters seemed to have the same thoughts as me because they both began getting undressed and going right into the showers as well. After showering with them several times, it wasn’t quite that big a deal to me anymore so I didn’t even hesitate to go in with them.
After the shower, Rebecca and I went down to the hot tub to soak while Dani wandered off to do whatever it was she did. I wasn’t quite sure but was too tired to bother asking.
“Now this feels good,” I said as I slipped into the bubbling water, closing my eyes and enjoying the sensation.
“It really helps ease sore muscles until they clear up,” Rebecca told me with a happy look on her face. “Of course, half the time our sore muscles are better by the time we get a chance to soak.”
“How long until I’m ready?” I asked her nervously. “I mean, how long until you think I can go on missions?”
Rebecca thought about it for a moment before answering, “Not too long. Physically, you’re already in shape and you’re getting a pretty good idea of what you can do. Your marksmanship could improve a bit more, but I think you’re doing all right there.”
“So what else do I need to learn?” I asked.
“A lot of things,” Rebecca told me with a wry smile. “How to find hand to hand or use random weapons you find if you need to. But since we fight monsters rather than human soldiers, we don’t need to know how to charge a machine gun next or anything like that. After we’re done here, I do have some mission reports and files on demons that I want you to read.”
“Great,” I said with an exaggerated sigh. “More reading. Hannah already gave me a bunch to read…”
Rebecca chuckled at that. “She told me.”
I nodded and just leaned back with my eyes closed for a minute, then said, “She also told me that every angel is a genius. Is that part of our augmentation?”
“Sort of,” Rebecca told me, frowning thoughtfully. “But I don’t think it was really intentional. You see, I’ve always been pretty smart. I mean, my mom was a genius scientist…”
“And we got the DNA you inherited from her,” I stated in understanding.
“Exactly,” she agreed, looking a little self-conscious. “But I think our intelligence may have been enhanced a little as an unintended side effect of another augmentation. Part of our enhanced reflexes are due to an increased ability to absorb and process stimuli.”
“But don’t spread that around,” Dani called out as she stepped into the room, wearing her bathing suit and holding three margaritas. She handed one of the drinks to Rebecca and one to me before climbing into the hot tub with us. “People tend to be intimidated by us enough as it is. They don’t need another reason.”
“So says the girl who keeps showing off on the obstacle course,” I teased her.
Dani shrugged at that while Rebecca laughed. “She does have a point,” she commented, though she wasn’t clear about which of us she meant.
“Besides,” Dani said, leaning over and telling me almost in a whisper, “it’s always a good idea to have an ace up our sleeves. You never know when some asshole will decide we need to be quarantined or treated the same way we do the demons. Colonel Roberts would never go for that, but there’s only so much he can do if his superiors give the order.”
I stared at Dani, sure that she was just being paranoid. However, Rebecca had a grim look on her face and was nodding agreement.
“Then why do we…?” I started to ask, taking a clue from Dani and keeping my voice low.
“We’re still the best option for keeping the demons contained,” Rebecca pointed out with a scowl. “The higher ups all know that, but you never know when things may change. “I’m not saying they will, only that we should be prepared…just in case.”
“I think that’s the real reason Merrit is here,” Dani added with a grimace. “Just in case it comes to that.”
“Damn,” I whispered, not sure what else to think.
“To being useful,” Dani exclaimed, holding out her drink in a toast.
“To being useful,” Rebecca and I echoed before touching glasses and taking a long drink.
I leaned back in the hot tub, no longer feeling quite so relaxed now that I had yet another thing to worry about. My sisters didn’t seem to think that this was an immediate concern, but I could tell that they both thought it was a realistic possibility. If that ever did happen, at least I wouldn’t be facing it alone.
By
Morpheus
The world was eerily silent as I slowly looked around. The street was cluttered with abandoned cars yet I saw no signs of their owners. I saw no sign of any life at all, almost as though I was the only person in the entire world.
I felt afraid though I couldn’t say exactly why. I knew that there was something bad nearby, something that I should run away from. There was an almost overwhelming sense of deja-vu at the same time which seemed to say that it would be pointless. That the end was inevitable.
Suddenly, a deafening roar filled the air and I snapped around to see a green skinned monster standing on top of one of the cars. His arms were long curved blade which he sliced through the metal of the car. Then he slowly turned his attention to me.
“Look out,” Dom called out, standing in the street in front of me though it had been empty of anyone just a moment earlier.
A tiny part of my mind wondered how Dom could possibly be here. A vague memory stirred and reminded me that Dom was dead, telling me that this was just a dream. The awareness of this being a dream stirred and grew, making me blink in realization. I looked down at myself and was startled to see that I was still an angel…that I was still Monica. I remembered now that when this had happened before, I’d still been Jarrod.
“This is a dream,” I said aloud, though that knowledge only made this feel a little less terrifying.
Then, almost as though my denying the reality of this situation had made it angry, the demon jumped at Dom, impaling him from behind for the second time. I cried out in horror, once again getting caught up in the emotions of this and almost forgetting that this was just a dream.
“Jarrod,” Dom gasped as he collapsed to his knees. “Help me… Save me…”
“Dom,” I cried out.
A moment later, the expression on Dom’s face changed to one of rage and he got back to his feet. Dom’s features began to stretch until he looked like a twisted version of himself…a demon version of himself. Then almost as one, the demon and the demonized Dom both came at me.
“Look out Monica,” a familiar voice cried out, just a moment before a black armored figure appeared in front of me, shooting both Dom and the demon. Once they hit the ground and vanished, she turned to me and asked, “Are you okay, sis?”
“I think so,” I said, staring at Nicole in relief.
Nicole suddenly screamed and fell to the ground with her upper and lower half falling in different directions. I stared in horror at her, seeing that she’d been cut completely in half.
“Nicole,” I cried out, dropping to my knees beside her and desperately hoping I could put her back together. Part of me knew that this was impossible, but I was operating off dream logic and was somehow certain I could do it if I got enough string to stitch her back into place.
While I was holding Nicole’s body, the world began to swirl and shift around me until I realized that I was somewhere else, inside a building. And I wasn’t holding Nicole but a middle-aged woman I’d never seen before. She looked a lot like an angel, but older and wearing some kind of lab coat. I didn’t recognize the woman, but I still found myself crying over her body as she was obviously dead.
“Come on,” a young woman with thick glasses exclaimed, grabbing me and helping me to my feet. As with the dead woman, I was sure that I’d never seen her before. Then once I was standing again, I took another look at this woman and was startled to see that she’d changed. She was now an angel, though she still wore the glasses. “We have to get out of here…”
Before my companion could even finish what she was saying, a loud growl filled the room. I snapped around and saw a man standing in the doorway, though he could hardly be called a man. His clothes were torn off, revealing a lean and muscular body that was slightly scaly. His fingernails were long and clawed, his eyes were yellow, and his open mouth was full of sharp teeth. And of course, there was an expression of pure malice on his face. The demon snarled and jumped straight at me.
I screamed and bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath as my whole body trembled. Ever since I’d gotten caught up in that demon attack, I’d suffered several nightmares, but none were as powerful as this one. Or as weird.
“Damn,” I gasped, rubbing my temples as I sat up and hung my feet over the edge of my bed.
After I’d calmed down a bit, I thought about why I was having this nightmare now. I suspected that it was probably because I’d been training so much lately, all so I could go out and help fight demons. I was still terrified of demons so my subconscious was probably just trying to tell me what my conscious mind already knew…that it was a very bad idea.
“Too bad subconscious,” I told myself with a sigh. “I’m not backing out now.”
Since I was already wide awake, I slipped on my sweats and a pair of slippers then made my way to the kitchen for something to snack on. I had barely arrived there when I heard someone else coming down the hallway.
“I take it you couldn’t sleep either,” Rebecca said.
“Nightmare,” I responded with a shake of my head.
“Same here,” Rebecca told me with a sigh. “I was dreaming about the incident…”
I nodded at that, knowing that when Rebecca talked about ‘THE incident’, there was only one she meant. It was the day of the first demon outbreak, the day that haunted her own dreams the same way Dom’s death did mine.
“I was dreaming of my mom’s death,” Rebecca added quietly.
I remembered the last part of my nightmare and gasped at that. Rebecca gave me an odd look, then went to the cupboard and pulled out a bottle of fruit flavored vodka. She didn’t say a word as she poured two glasses and handed one to me.
After taking a sip of her drink, Rebecca said, “You had the same dream…didn’t you?”
“How?” I blurted out in surprise.
Rebecca was silent for a moment, then she asked “You’ve heard about how twins share a link? That sometimes one knows when something has happened to the other?”
I nodded at that, frowning thoughtfully before saying, “And we’re basically twins…”
“Even closer,” Rebecca added, giving me a wry smile. “But it’s not like we can read each other’s minds or anything. Trust me, we spent a lot of time trying to see if we could. Instead, it’s more like we sometimes get in synch while dreaming. It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes if two of us are having similar dreams at the same time, our dreams connect.”
“So, I somehow saw your dream,” I mused, still a bit stunned by this.
“And I saw yours,” Rebecca agreed. “It was like I was you, trying to patch Nicole back up.”
“But how is that even possible?” I asked. “I know we’re physically identical, but this is a bit much.”
“Lisa had a theory,” Rebecca explained. “Our brain structures and are identical and she believed that when we were asleep and our mental defenses were down, our minds would sometimes resonate and synchronize, allowing us to share our dreams. It doesn’t happen often, and when it does, it’s because we’re in the same mental and emotional state…having the same kind of dreams.” She paused at that, suddenly looking embarrassed. “It usually only happens with nightmares and…wet dreams.”
I groaned at that and took a long drink of my vodka, not liking the idea of sharing my most personal dreams with anyone else, even my sisters. Rebecca was still blushing as she gave me a knowing look and took another sip of her drink.
“There is one more thing,” Rebecca told me, still looking a little self-conscious. “I don’t know of its true, but Lisa always thought that while we’re dreaming, our subconscious minds touch each other more than we realize. She thought that was part of why we feel so close to each other.” She chuckled weakly at that and then sighed with a sad expression. “Lisa always had a theory about everything.”
“I wish I could have met her,” I told Rebecca quietly.
Rebecca smiled faintly and said, “I think she would have liked you.”
The two of us sat in silence for several minutes before someone else came down the hall. “You wouldn’t believe the nightmare I had,” Nicole announced as she walked into the kitchen. “I dreamed I was cut in half…” Then she paused to look at Rebecca and then me. She stared at the bottle of vodka that was still sitting out and sighed. “Or maybe you would.”
Rebecca poured her a glass as well, then the three of us just sat there for another minute. I couldn’t help but wondering when Dani was going to come down the hall as well, though admittedly, I hadn’t seen her in my dreams. From what Rebecca said, if she wasn’t sharing our dreams that probably meant that she had just been dreaming of something else instead. At least someone was having a good sleep.
Suddenly, an alarm began going off, making me jump in surprise. I immediately recognized the demon alarm, though this was the first time since I’d been here that it had gone off in the middle of the night. Nicole and Rebecca immediately ran down the hall and I hesitated only a moment before going after them.
I went to my room and gave myself my daily shot of medication before putting on my black Angel Squad uniform. After running a brush through my hair a few times, I went out and joined with the others. Even Dani was already up and dressed, looking grim but ready to face demons.
“You’re not ready for this yet,” Nicole exclaimed when she saw me. She gave me a worried look, “Monica…”
“I’m going too,” I insisted firmly, giving Nicole and Rebecca hard looks to show that I was too determined to back down. “I’m not going to just stay here and worrying about you guys when I can be there watching your backs.”
“We had less training than she does when we first started,” Dani pointed out grimly. “I think she’s as ready as she’s going to be.”
“All right,” Rebecca said, giving me a wary look. “But you have to promise to listen to us and be careful. We don’t want to lose you.”
“The feeling is mutual,” I assured her.
There was a long pause as the four of us looked at each other, or more accurately, as my sisters all looked at me and I took turns looking back and forth between them. I knew that what I’d just asked to walk into was probably just as bad as the nightmare I’d woken up from a short time ago, but that didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to back out now when my sisters might need me. Then without a spoken word, Rebecca nodded and we all turned and left so we could find out what this new mission was.
By
Morpheus
The helicopter was much faster than I would have expected, but that shouldn’t have surprised me. It was some sort of advanced model using the latest technology which could travel at the speeds necessary to get the 1st DSU to our mission location as quickly as possible.
I was sitting in the helicopter beside my sisters, wearing the same lightweight black armor that they were. I also had a small back pack that was currently sitting on the floor between my feet, containing some emergency medical supplies which I hoped I wouldn’t need to actually use.
As I stared down at my pack, I made a mental note to read up on the kind of injuries and treatments that could be expected of people fighting demons. Of course, there would definitely be a lot of lacerations, broken bones, and other trauma injuries. Now I wasn’t just an EMT but the Angel Squad medic, which meant that I’d have to step up my skills a bit more.
I looked up, glancing at each of my sisters and then the four other soldiers who were riding with us. There were two identical helicopters traveling along with ours, providing transportation for the part of the 1st DSU that would be working to contain the current demon threat. I couldn’t help but feeling both excited and nervous. This was the first time I was deploying with my sisters. I just tried not to think about how dangerous this was going to be.
“We’ll be coming in for a landing in a few minutes,” Julie called back us.
Morgan, who was one of the soldiers in the helicopter with us, elbowed Reese who was sitting beside him and said, “To think…we could have been assigned to the third DSU and we wouldn’t have these lovely angels to accompany us on our missions.”
Dani absently flipped them off but didn’t look at them otherwise. I just chuckled, knowing that Morgan and Reese had a much higher chance to survive with Angel Squad. There were three demon suppression units in the country, but the first was the only one with angels working with them. Nicole had told me that when the second and third units had been started, they’d tried splitting the angels up between the units, but the angels had absolutely refused.
Two minutes later, the helicopter landed in the middle of a city park while the other two helicopters landed nearby. “The local SWAT team has been trying to keep this contained,” a voice came into my ear over the radio. “They still have some snipers set up and will continue to back us up. You all know your jobs so get to them.”
Soldiers began to spread up and take up their positions. Some of the soldiers would form a perimeter to keep the demon contained while others would go in search of civilians that needed to be escorted out…or quarantined. And of course, there would be those who actively dealt with the demon, though Angel Squad took point on that.
I had the bag of medical supplies on my back and was holding the gun I’d been given, some sort of short rifle that Dani had jokingly called an elephant gun. It fired large caliber rounds that were supposed to be able to put a demon down quickly.
“All right girls,” Rebecca told us grimly, “Let’s get to work.”
This demon outbreak was in the middle of a city which was bad news. A city meant that there were a lot of people around to get hurt, and just as bad, a lot of people who could inadvertently become infected as well. The only good news was that the demon hadn’t been spotted in a residential area but in a manufacturing section that was filled with a lot of warehouses.
A local cop who was dressed in SWAT gear came towards us, saying, “I was told you ladies are taking the lead on hunting this thing down.” He gave us skeptical looks and I couldn’t really blame him. We didn’t look all that impressive and he had no way of knowing about our enhancements.
“That’s correct,” Rebecca told him. “Do you have some information for us?”
“We’ve had eyes on it off and on,” the cop said, gesturing down the street. “The last time it was seen, it was going into that cluster of warehouses. We’re pretty sure it hasn’t left yet.”
“Good to know,” Dani said.
“There’s one more thing,” the cop added. “One of our snipers got a clean shot on the demon, but it didn’t stop the thing. Still, that might be why it hasn’t made a run since.”
“Ah hell,” Dani added.
Rebecca looked to the cop and explained, “If it’s injured and bleeding, it could be leaving a trail of contamination and drastically increasing the chances of infecting someone else. We’ll have to let the cleanup crew know to be extra thorough with this one.”
“When aren’t they thorough?” Nicole asked wryly.
My sisters and I started for the warehouse with four of the soldiers following close behind in order to give us backup. My heart seemed to race more with each step, and though nearly every instinct screamed for me to turn and run away, I continued moving along with my sisters. I reminded myself that I knew what I was getting into when I volunteered and there was no way I’d back out now.
“Man up and deal with it,” I quietly told myself. “Or woman up…”
We spread out a bit and moved forward carefully, looking everywhere for any sign of the demon. Rebecca paused and gestured to the ground, pointing to a trail of blood.
“At least this will make it easier finding the demon,” Nicole said.
The unenhanced soldiers who were with us backed up, looking nervous. They were each wearing thin rubber gloves and plastic face masks to help protect from infection, but they didn’t want to take any more risks than necessary.
“Fuck this shit,” Mason muttered. “I am NOT getting infected with that shit.”
“You guys hold back,” Rebecca said. “If its bleeding all over the place, the risk to you is too high…”
“We’ll be here in case it tries making a run,” Reese stated grimly.
We continued on with half our numbers being left behind. It was just Angel Squad now, but the others didn’t seem worried about it so I didn’t say anything. Instead, I just kept looking around as we followed the trail of blood into one of the warehouses. There were huge shelves and stacks of pallets, providing plenty of places for a demon to hide. But from what I knew of demons, they didn’t usually hide for very long.
As soon as we turned a corner, we saw it. There was blood splattered everywhere, far more than a single demon would probably be able to contain. However, that was explained by the three human bodies that were dismembered and scattered about. And in the middle of the mess was the demon.
The demon looked like a giant rat and was the size of a grizzly bear. It was crouched down in a pile of entrails and things I didn’t even want to think about, eating what had once been a human being. I immediately turned and emptied my stomach.
“Oh God,” Nicole gasped in horror, looking almost as though she was going to puke as well which made me feel better.
At that, the demon stood up on its hind legs, revealing that that its proportions were still somewhat human. I noticed that it was holding something in its arm, though I couldn’t make out what it was. Nor did I have time to look more closely as the demon suddenly charged straight at Dani.
“Look out,” Nicole cried out, but Dani had already jumped to the side, avoiding the demon’s attack.
Rebecca and Nicole both opened fire on the demon, blowing it full of large holes. The demon let out a loud roar, though whether of pain or rage I couldn’t quite tell. Then it leapt at Dani again. This time she fired a single shot at his head, diving to the side in the process. The demon’s body collapsed right where she’d been standing, but the spray of blood that had been thrown up in the air caught her right across the front.
“Shit,” Dani exclaimed, looking down at herself in disgust. “I HATE getting demon blood on me…”
I stared at the demon’s body in stunned disbelief, hardly able to believe how quickly that was over. There had been less than ten seconds between the time we saw the thing and its death. It might have been a real letdown if I hadn’t been so relieved it was over.
“I…I didn’t shoot,” I whispered, suddenly feeling ashamed. My sisters had been counting on me to help…and I froze. Between that and my puking…
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked me with a worried look.
“I froze,” I blurted out, angry at myself. “I puked and then I just stood there like an idiot…”
“It’s never easy,” Rebecca told me gently. “And the first time is always the hardest.”
Rebecca didn’t say anything more, but I was sure she was disappointed in me. I knew they all had to be. After all, I was extremely disappointed in myself as well.
After a moment, I pointed to the giant rat creature and said, “I didn’t think animals could become demons.”
“They can’t,” Rebecca answered grimly. “But sometimes the demon strain will take animal DNA it comes in contact with and integrate it into the demon…”
“This isn’t a newbie,” Dani said, kicking the demon’s body. “With this amount of mutation, I’m guessing this demon was about half a year old.”
I stared at Dani and then the demon, understanding what she meant. One of the files Hannah had given me had been a report on demon physiology, a report which talked about how unstable demons actually were. Even after a person went demon, the demon strain would continue to slowly alter their bodies which meant that the longer a demon lived, the less human they became.
After a moment, I saw that when the demon had been killed, it had dropped whatever it was that it had been holding. It looked sort of like a green and slimy football. I pointed to this and asked, “What is that thing?”
“No idea,” Dani answered with a scowl.
Rebecca crouched down and looked at it but didn’t touch. “I’ve never seen something like this before.” The tone in her voice made it clear that she didn’t like this at all.
“I just called the cleanup crew,” Nicole said. Then she looked to me and added, “They’ll start the decontamination process. The CDC will be here soon to quarantine the area and finish cleanup.” And though she didn’t say it, I knew that the CDC would also take care of anyone who might have come in contact with the demon strain.
The cleanup crew arrived a couple minutes later, all dressed up in full body biohazard suits that looked bulky and awkward to work in. Several of these protected soldiers began to bag up the demon’s remains while others went around with what looked like flame throwers, spraying sterilizing foam on anything that might be contaminated. That would help kill off the virus and to keep the worst of the infection contained.
Dani stood off to the side, having been stripped of her demon blood splattered armor and being cleaned up with the sterilizing foam. She stood there with an annoyed look on her face, though I had a feeling this wasn’t the first time she’d been forced to go through that humiliation. I was also pretty sure that if I stayed with Angel Squad, it would only be a matter of time before I got the same treatment as well.
When it came time for us to leave, I climbed into the helicopter with my sisters, not feeling as though this had been a victory. The demon had killed innocent people and nothing could bring them back. It was hard to even hate the demon for this when it had been just as much a victim of the harkon virus as they had been. And of course, there was the whole matter of my freezing when Dani had needed my help.
“Never again,” I whispered to myself with grim determination. I silently promised myself that I was never going to fail my sisters like that again.
By
Morpheus
The briefing room was filled with what Nicole had jokingly referred to as the usual suspects. Angel Squad was there of course, as was Colonel Roberts and Hannah. There were a few other people I didn’t really know too, including a stocky black man who stood in the back even though there were still seats available. This was Captain Brooks, the man who was usually in charge of deployed mission operations. And there was even a gruff looking guy with gray hair who was the 1st DSU’s first sergeant…whatever that meant.
Dr. Merrit went to the front of the briefing room and stood next to a large monitor. Without so much as a ‘ladies and gentlemen’ to begin, he stated, “This briefing relates to mission 35749256, which occurred two days ago.” A picture of the rat demon’s body appeared on the monitor. “As per standard mission parameters, the demon subject was terminated on site.”
“I think we all know that much,” Dani announced with a look of boredom. “So why are we all here now?”
“If you will refrain from interrupting, angel subject three,” Dr. Merrit said, giving Dani a flat look, “I will explain.”
Dani scowled in annoyance and Nicole put a hand on hers to help calm her down. However, Dani continued to silently glare at the doctor while Rebecca gave him a quickly dirty look before looking away.
“Per the after action reports,” Dr. Merrit continued. “Angel Squad approached an identified warehouse where they located the demon subject within. There was a brief conflict and the demon subject was terminated.” The image on the monitor changed and it show showed the slimy green football that the demon had been holding. “Afterwards, an anomalous object was discovered in the demon’s possession.”
“Get to the point,” someone muttered, though I couldn’t identify the source.
“I have examined the object and have determined it is an egg,” Dr. Merrit stated. Everyone suddenly went silent at that. “Specifically, a demon egg.”
“That’s impossible,” someone blurted out. This time I was able to determine the source as being Mike.
Dr. Merrit didn’t seem to notice the interruption and continued, “A fetal demon was contained within and all indications are that if we had not aborted the egg, it would most likely have been able to hatch successfully.”
There were gasps of shock and then whispering all around the room as we absorbed what this meant. Until now, the only way for demons to be created was for a normal human to become infected with the harkon virus.
“This is the first known case of demon reproduction,” Dr. Merrit said. “Until now, it was believed that their mutant physiology and hostile natures would prohibit the possibility.”
“At least we killed the mother,” Dani said grimly.
Dr. Merrit looked at her and said, “You are incorrect. The demon subject that you terminated was male and an autopsy confirmed that he would not have had the capability of laying eggs.”
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach at that. “It had a mate…”
“That is the most likely explanation, angel subject four,” Dr. Merrit responded.
At that point, Colonel Roberts stood up and went to the front of the briefing room. “At this point, there has been no sign of either another demon in the area or a nest. The CDC and local police are searching the area and will notify us the moment they find anything.”
“At least a baby demon shouldn’t be much of a threat,” Captain Brooks commented, though his expression was grim and I wasn’t sure he actually believed that.
“The fetal demon and embryotic fluid both contained the harkon virus,” Dr. Merrit responded. “Even if not an immediate physical threat, it would undoubtedly act as a carrier and spread the infection.”
“I wouldn’t count on it remaining harmless for long either,” Colonel Roberts said, slowly looking around the room. “In fact, it might even be more dangerous because it would be less likely to actually kill any victims, and more attack survivors mean a greater chance for new demons. That’s why finding the mother and any nest is considered a priority.”
The briefing continued like this for another twenty minutes, not giving any new information, just going on about what the ramifications could be if demons were now reproducing on their own. The idea was scary, but there was nothing we could do at the moment. When the briefing ended, everyone left with something new to worry about.
As we left the building, Nicole exclaimed, “Demon babies… That is just so wrong…”
Rebecca nodded at that, then paused to rub her temples and let out a sigh. “I think I need to burn off some stress.”
“Ditto,” Dani said while Nicole and I nodded in silent agreement.
We went to the obstacle course and began running through it at a leisurely pace. Our goal today wasn’t training but to give Rebecca a chance to burn off stress the way she did best, by moving. The rest of us were along partly for moral support and partly because we didn’t really have anything better to do at the moment.
I wasn’t into running the way Rebecca was, but I was learning to appreciate physical activity as a way to take my mind off of other problems. The idea of demons having babies was troublesome, but I was still more concerned by my poor performance from two days ago. My sisters had assured me that even experienced soldiers sometimes froze when they came face to face with a demon for the first time, but that didn’t really make me feel better.
Once we were done running through our obstacle course, Rebecca began going through the other course. This was the first time I’d gone through the normal course, but it was only half as long and the obstacles were much smaller and easier. After going through the difficult course so many times, this one almost felt like taking a stroll through a child’s playground. Still, it was nice to do something different at least.
About halfway through the course, we encountered a group of soldiers who were running through it as well. “Hey guys,” Nicole called out cheerfully as she scrambled up one of the obstacles and outpaced them. “Bye guys…” She giggled at that, obviously enjoying herself.
“Hey Pete,” Dani called out as she went past. “Don’t forget our poker game… Hopefully, this time it won’t get cancelled.”
“Just don’t forget to bring lots of cash,” Pete called back.
A couple obstacles later, we encountered an obstacle that had four ropes stretched over a pond like tightropes. There were already two guys there, halfway across the pond when we arrived. Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole all scrambled across the ropes quickly but I decided to try something new. I actually climbed up and tried walking across the rope, seeing if I could use it as a tight rope. However, it wasn’t tight enough for that and swayed back and forth too much. I was about halfway across when I finally fell, though I caught the rope with my hands so didn’t hit the water below.
“Oh shit,” the guy on the next rope over exclaimed as he fell into the water, obviously having been distracted by my antics.
“Show off,” Nicole called back to me with a laugh.
“Bite me,” I exclaimed, then looked down at the soaking wet soldier who was climbing out of the pond. “Sorry about that…”
“Not your fault,” he responded with a grin. “Besides, the show was worth it.”
I quickly scrambled the rest of the way across the rope and then dropped down and chased after my sisters. We finished the rest of the course just a couple minutes later and stopped to take a break back at the starting area. Since this wasn’t a training exercise, I wasn’t sure if we were going to go another round or not.
“So, what now?” I asked Rebecca. “Are we going on to real training?”
“I think we’ll take it easy today,” she told me with a sigh. “I’ve got a few things I need to take care of and I know you guys do too.”
I nodded at that, deciding that if we weren’t going to be doing real training, that I should probably take advantage of the time to catch up on some reading. I’d been talking to one of the nurses in the medical office and she’d lent me a couple medical books that might help improve my skills.
While we were sitting there, the soldiers who’d been running the obstacle course began to come on in. When I saw the one who’d fallen into the pond, I couldn’t help chuckling just a little. I felt a little bad for him but it had been kind of funny. At least he didn’t seem angry about it.
“Now I need a hot shower,” he told his friends, pulling off his wet shirt and revealing his naked torso.
I suddenly found myself watching him with greater interest. His chest and abs were lean and well-muscled, making me immediately jealous since before my change, I would have killed for a body like that. Then it suddenly struck me that what I was feeling wasn’t jealousy…that I was staring at him the same way I used to stare at a girls breasts.
“Oh shit,” I blurted out in shocked realization.
“What’s wrong?” Nicole asked me with a curious look.
I jumped to my feet, tearing my eyes away from that bare-chested soldier and stammering, “Nothing…” I gulped, feeling my heart race as I quickly added, “I’ve got to go…”
I excused myself and then hurried off, wanting to get away from there as fast as I could. I felt overwhelmed with mixed emotions and completely confused. How could I possibly feel that way towards a guy? Before I realized it, I found myself in front of Heaven, a place that I’d come to think of as my home and sanctuary. I hadn’t intentionally meant to come here, but it made sense that this was where I’d go.
Since I didn’t have any specific destination in mind, I went to the back of Heaven and out the other door, into the fenced off area that contained our large patio and swimming pool. It was quiet and peaceful out here, just the kind of place I needed to be alone with my thoughts. However, I quickly realized that I didn’t really want to be alone with my thoughts. Instead, I wanted to be distracted so that I didn’t have to think about this.
Just a couple minutes later, I heard the door open from behind me though I didn’t look to see who it was. Then Dani sat down beside me, silently handing me a bottle of beer. She still didn’t say a word as she took a sip of her own.
“You were staring at Gene,” Dani finally said, though there was no judgment in her voice.
“How…?” I started to ask, embarrassed that she’d noticed
“Because I was staring at him too,” Dani admitted, giving me a wry smile. “And you can bet your ass, so were Rebecca and Nicole.”
I took a long drink of my beer, then said, “This is what you meant about my emotions changing…”
Dani just nodded before responding, “I didn’t want to freak you out too much. I figured, it would probably be easier on you if you had a chance to adjust a bit first.”
“Oh God,” I groaned, closing my eyes. “He was so…” I shuddered at the thought, feeling excited yet repulsed at the same time.
“Hot?” Dani asked with a grin. “Yeah, he definitely is.” She paused for a moment before saying, “I’d do him.”
I nearly choked at that. I gave Dani a look of disbelief but she just shrugged, as though this wasn’t a big deal.
“But you used to be…,” I started
“USED to be,” Dani pointed out. She gestured down at herself and said, “I told you before…that person is gone. My body, DNA, and brain are not only those of a woman…but of a heterosexual woman. My biological drives are aimed at sexual attraction to men…not women. The same thing is true for you and all angels.”
“The idea is…difficult to absorb,” I admitted quietly.
Dani snorted at that. “Tell me about it. I spent six months in denial, trying to convince myself that I was still interested in women, but you can only lie to yourself for so long.” She paused and had a thoughtful look on her face. “We aren’t the only ones… Lisa once told me that she used to be a confirmed lesbian, but after her infection, she lost all interest in women too.”
I stared at Dani for a moment and then let out a sigh. “How can you fight biology?”
Dani hesitated for a moment and then reached out, taking my hand in hers and giving it a comforting squeeze. “You don’t,” she told me with a faint smile. “You just have to accept that this is just part of who you are now. Trust me, it may be odd at first, but you’ll get used to it.”
By
Morpheus
I was sitting down in the helicopter, feeling a sense of deja-vu as we flew to our new mission. My emotions were currently a mess, though I was doing my best to keep control of them and not let anyone see what I was feeling. I didn’t think I was fooling my sisters though as Rebecca and Nicole had both given me looks of sympathy and concern.
I thought about my last mission and just how terrifying that rat demon had been. I cringed at the memory of the way it had been eating on those people, just as I winced every time I remembered how I’d froze. I was determined not to do that again.
There were other things going on in my head as well, thoughts and feelings that swirled around while I waited. Four normal soldiers were riding with Angel Squad, including Pete and Jimmy. I avoided looking at any of them for too long, blushing a bit whenever I caught myself doing so.
Ever since I’d realized that I was now attracted to guys, I found myself looking at nearly every guy I saw and trying to decide whether he was attractive or not. It was strange, not knowing exactly what I liked and didn’t like, not knowing my own tastes and interests. I knew that I liked guys, but not much more than that, which left me feeling confused and uncertain about my own sexuality. It was like being thirteen again and trying to figure out which girls I liked and why.
Dani gave me a look of annoyance that was half joking, then she gave one to Jimmy that was anything but a joke. Last night, Dani had gone to the poker game with her friends, which included Pete and Jimmy, and she’d brought me along. As the newcomer to the group, they all assumed that I’d be bad and would quickly lose my money. In fact, I was pretty sure that they were counting on it. But by the time the game was over, Jimmy and I split the pot and walked away with everyone’s money.
“I’m getting my money back next week,” Dani told Jimmy, who just grinned.
“You’re welcome to try,” Jimmy responded with a chuckle. “But if I remember right, most of that money used to be mine.”
Dani snorted at that, then turned to me. “You were supposed to be my good luck charm.”
“I don’t know,” I said, giving my best innocent look. “I thought I was pretty lucky.”
“She’s got you there,” Rebecca told Dani with a chuckle.
“I want another chance to get my money back too,” Pete said, looking to Jimmy and me. “But at least you broke Dani’s streak.”
This talk about the poker game helped to distract me from my concerns, and before I knew it, we were landing at our destination. Everyone immediately began climbing out of the helicopter and getting ready. I put on my pack of medical supplies and made sure my weapon was ready. Then I waited until we were ready to move.
“The demon is currently located within an apartment complex,” Captain Brooks announced over the radio, repeating what we’d already been told in our earlier briefing. However, I was sure that this was mostly to let us know that the demon was still there and hadn’t left. “Local law enforcement has been sealing off the area. A lot of residents have locked themselves inside their apartments so be careful about stray shots.”
“At least this time we know who the demon used to be,” Rebecca said grimly. “The CDC will be able to investigate the chain of infection.”
In spite of her words, I knew that Rebecca probably wished that she didn’t know who the demon had once been. Knowing that meant dealing with the fact that it had once been a human being. It was easier to fight a demon when you could forget that and just think of it as being a monster that needed to be destroyed.
A few seconds later, everyone scattered to take their positions. Soldiers from the other helicopters surrounded the apartment complex to keep the demon or infected survivors from escaping. Other soldiers began moving into the apartment building while Angel Squad took the lead.
Finding the demon was easy since we could hear the sound of things being smashed and merely had to follow the noise to an apartment door that had obviously been forced open. The door itself was caved in with the door frame being half torn out. The sounds of snarling and crashing could still be heart from within.
Rebecca stopped at the doorway, holding her hand up for us to wait. Suddenly, the demon flew through the doorway and slammed into Rebecca, sending her flying back. Then the demon snarled and jumped back to its feet, giving me a good look at her.
The demon had obviously been a woman and a rather attractive one at that. She still looked mostly human and was even still wearing a skirt and blouse, though they were stretched, torn, and covered with blood. Her muscles were swollen and bulged, stretching her clothes to the limits but looking unnatural and malformed. Her hair had begun falling out in large clumps and she stared at us through solid black eyes. There was no hint of intelligence in her face, merely the rage of a rabid animal. I suddenly felt like I was caught in some kind of zombie movie.
“I’ve got her,” I exclaimed, trying to make up for my mistake during the last mission.
But as I was about to shoot, the demon lunged at Nicole and I couldn’t hit her without possibly hitting my sister as well. The demon slashed out with her still human hands, trying to use them as claws against Nicole though they couldn’t do anything to against her armor. The demon slashed out several more times until Nicole punched her, sending her flying back. Then demon hit the ground, and before Nicole could open fire, the demon leapt at her again. This time, the demon picked Nicole up and threw her.
“Gotcha,” I exclaimed, taking advantage of the opportunity now that the demon was in the open and firing a single shot.
The demon moved faster than I’d expected, and instead of catching her in the center of the chest, I merely grazed her arm. Though from the way her arm was bleeding and hanging limp, that grazed shot had still done some good damage. But before I could fire another shot, the demon ran back into the apartment, then jumped out the window.
“She’s getting away,” Dani called out.
“No she isn’t,” Nicole responded grimly.
With that, Dani and Nicole ran around to try catching the demon outside while Rebecca and I followed her through the apartment and out the window. We were only on the second floor so the drop wasn’t any worse than what we commonly dealt with on our obstacle course.
“There she is,” Rebecca announced, aiming her rifle at the demon who was running across the parking lot.
A moment later, there was a gun shot and a large hole appeared through the demon’s torso. She immediately came to a stop and fell face first onto the ground. I looked to Rebecca and realized that she hadn’t been the one to fire the shot. Someone else had beaten her to it. A quick look revealed that the shooter was Reese, who stood a good distance away. He gave us a wave and Rebecca waved back.
“The demon is down,” Rebecca announced over the radio. “We need to check and make sure there aren’t any other demons…or infected survivors.”
We went over to the demon which was now sprawled out on the ground, no longer moving. Right then, she looked almost human again and I couldn’t help but feeling guilty over her death. I had to remind myself that we didn’t just shoot a sick person who might be cured someday. If anything, we’d been doing her a favor and ending a miserable and monstrous existence.
Suddenly, the demon jerked and began to sit up. I let out a squeal of surprise while simultaneously firing a shot right at her head. The demon collapsed to the ground again, this time for good.
Rebecca put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a faint smile. “Good job.”
“The local police just passed on a report of a possible infection,” Captain Brooks said over the radio. “They just received a 911 call from a man complaining of intense pain and demanding an ambulance. He’s the boyfriend of our demon.”
“Oh shit,” Dani exclaimed. “If he’s showing symptoms, he’s probably ready to turn demon…”
“Let’s just hope it’s just the flu,” Rebecca added grimly.
Captain Brooks had already arranged for the local police to give us a ride to the boyfriend’s home, so we took off while the cleanup operations began at the apartment complex. It wasn’t the first time I’d ever ridden in the back of a police car, though at least this time I wasn’t going to jail. In fact, it was actually kind of exciting since we had the sirens going, though the reason for the ride robbed it of any pleasure. Fortunately, it didn’t take long for us to arrive at the condo where the boyfriend lived.
After we got out of the police car, Nicole gestured to an ambulance that was parked halfway down the street. They’d arrived before we had but were hanging back until we could confirm whether or not this was a demon issue.
Nicole gave me a wry smile and asked, “Bring back memories?”
“A few,” I admitted, though I was trying not to think about it.
The cop who’d given us a ride stood next to his car, looking nervous but determined to do his job. I handed him a pair of silicone gloves from my pack, the kind I should have been wearing when I helped save Nicole. They wouldn’t do much against a demon attack, but we were here to deal with that. The gloves were mostly to give him a little more confidence.
“Stay back,” Rebecca told the cop. “Just in case.”
“You’ve got it, ma’am,” he said. “But I’m here if you need me.” However, he glanced to our weapons and I see him blushing with the realization that if we couldn’t handle this, he certainly wouldn’t be able to.
Rebecca went to the front door and knocked while the rest of us held back a little. “Ben Howard,” she called out. “We’re here with the ambulance.”
The door opened a moment later and a young man in his early twenties stood there, though he looked horrible. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale and clammy looking. His whole body was shaking and it was clear from his body language that he was in a lot of pain.
“I’m an EMT,” I said, stepping forward. I took off my helmet so that I wasn’t quite so intimidating. “Can you tell me what your symptoms are?”
Ben glared at me with a hostile look and I could see Rebecca’s expression turn grim. “I fucking hurt like hell,” Ben snarled at me, seeming to grow even angrier with every moment. “Do you think I fucking called for an ambulance because I feel good?” He was now staring at me with a look of burning fury and I took a step back, preparing to defend myself from his attack.
“Oh shit,” Dani muttered.
Ben suddenly charged at me, but I easily dodged to the side, knocking him to the ground. He snarled, drool coming from his mouth like he was some kind of rabid dog. Then he started screaming, a scream that was filled with rage and agony. And as it continued, the tone changed, becoming something that sent chills down my spine.
“He’s going demon,” Nicole called out unnecessarily. I glanced to the cop, who was now crouched down behind his car so he could use it for cover.
As I watched, his muscles all began to tense up and swell, though at the same time, his skin took on a slick look, almost as though he was covered with a thin layer of oil. I gasped, stunned that the harkon virus could change a human body that quickly. It seemed almost impossible, even after everything else I’d seen. Then Ben looked up at me and I saw no intelligence left in his eyes. All that was left was a rabid animal…a demon.
Ben…the demon snarled and leapt at me, but Nicole immediately shot him. “I’m so sorry,” Nicole whispered sadly.
“Thank you,” I told her, staring down at the dead demon and feeling nothing but sadness.
We’d stopped this demon before he had a chance to harm a single person, and that would normally be considered a huge success. However, this didn’t feel like a success to me. In fact, it felt a lot like a failure, and I could see that my sisters felt the same way.
By
Morpheus
Hitting a moving target can sometimes be a challenge, and I knew that before my change, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get this one. However, I kept my eye on the target and hit it, sending the ping-ping ball flying back over the net where it hit the corner of the table and bounced off before Dani could get it.
“All right,” Dani conceded. “You won that one.”
Playing ping-pong with Dani was a lot more fun now that I was able to keep up with her. Sure, she was still better than me, but not by very much at all. In fact, out of the five games we’d just played, I’d managed to win two of them.
“Do either of you want to play?” I called out to Nicole and Rebecca, who were sitting down talking with each other.
Nicole and Rebecca paused and both looked at me with a strange expression. Then they turned back to each other and played a quick game of rock paper scissors, with Nicole appearing to lose.
“I’ll play Dani,” Nicole said, giving me a slightly disappointed look before smirking at Dani. “It’s time to teach you a little humility…”
“What was that about?” I asked Rebecca as I joined her.
“We were just talking about you behind your back,” Rebecca answered with grin.
“Oh?” I responded, a little surprised that she’d be so honest about that.
“It’s nothing bad,” Rebecca told me with a chuckle. “We were just talking about how you haven’t left the base since you came here, other than for the missions and that doesn’t count.”
I nodded at that, then tried to keep the bitterness out of my voice as I said, “I haven’t exactly had a lot of choice.”
“Well, that’s changed,” Rebecca told me, putting a hand on my shoulder. “You’re part of Angel Squad now and we aren’t confined to base. Today, the two of us are going out for a change of scenery…and to get you some new clothes.” She gave me a wry smile and added, “We don’t mind sharing our clothes, but we thought you’d probably feel better if you could pick out your own.”
I smiled back at that and admitted, “That would be nice.” My sisters and I could all wear the same clothes, but it would definitely be nice to have some clothes I could call my own. And of course, I wouldn’t feel like such a mooch. Then I pointed out, “You said just the two of us…”
“Nicole and I had to decide which of us would take you,” Rebecca admitted wryly. “Roberts doesn’t like us all to leave at once. For one thing, having all of us angels together in public can draw a little too much attention. But more importantly, he wants at least some of us available in case we get a mission.”
“You two have fun,” Nicole called back to us, not taking her eyes from the ping-pong table.
A short time later, I found that Rebecca and I weren’t actually going out by ourselves. We were being joined by Hannah, who was dressed in civilian clothes, which surprised me just a little bit. Until now, every time I’d seen her, she’d been wearing her uniform.
“Officially,” Hannah stated with a grin, “I’m going along to keep an eye on you two and make sure you don’t get into any trouble. Unofficially…I’ve been meaning to pick up a few things.”
“I’m just glad you agreed to play chauffeur,” Rebecca told her with a chuckle.
We climbed into Hannah’s car and left the base, which was the first time I’d done this without a helicopter. As we drove right out the front gate, I suddenly felt as though a weight had been taken off my shoulders. I’d just been given a bit of freedom that I hadn’t been expecting and this did wonders for easing the bad mood I’d felt since our mission yesterday.
A short time later, we arrived at a large department store, the kind I would have avoided like the plague before my change. After we stepped through the main entrance, Rebecca and Hannah paused to look around.
“I figured we’d just worry about getting you casual clothes today,” Rebecca told me. “I mean, you’re still figuring out our own style and there will be plenty of time for other clothes later.”
I nodded at that, actually feeling relieved that she wanted to keep things casual. “I have a feeling that Nicole wouldn’t have stopped at casual…”
“You’re right,” Rebecca agreed with a chuckle. “But she wouldn’t have been nearly as bad as Dani.”
“Dani?” I asked in surprise.
“That girl loves to shop,” Hannah told me with a broad grin.
I gave Rebecca a skeptical look, but she just nodded agreement. “You might not guess it, but Dani loves shopping and trying on new clothes more than any natural born girl I know. If she brought you, you can bet that you would have spent most of the day trying on clothes and new looks.”
“And you probably would have left without getting what you actually needed,” Hannah added.
I shook my head at that, still having a hard time imagining that of Dani. “Well, if I want to try out new things I could always raid your closets…”
“Very true,” Rebecca agreed, giving me an amused look. “Nicole has a nice collection of shoes and skirts if you want to try those out. Dani has some sexy dresses…and I think she still has a fetish outfit she bought back when she was going through that lesbian phase…”
Hanna snickered at that and said, “I’d actually pay money to see her wearing that.”
We were still chuckling over the image as we began shopping, starting in the shoe section. To my relief, Rebecca didn’t even suggest that I try on high heels and instead focused on getting me the shoes I needed. She didn’t even bother looking at any shoes for herself, though the same couldn’t be said for Hannah.
“I like these ones,” Hannah said, trying on a pair of low heels that looked almost comfortable.
I ended up with three pairs of shoes, which was more than I’d been expecting but they all served a purpose. One was a pair of running shoes for training, one was a pair of comfortable shoes that I could wear most of the time, and the last pair were just some comfortable slippers. And after I was done getting what I needed, I still needed to wait another five minutes until Hannah was through.
While we were waiting for Hannah to finish up, a saleswoman stared back and forth between Rebecca and me before finally asking, “Are you two twins?”
“No,” Rebecca answered with a faint smirk. “Quadruplets. We have two sisters at home.”
“Oh my,” the saleswoman responded with a look of surprise while I tried to keep from laughing at her expression.
As we went to look for pants and shirts, I realized that shopping with Rebecca was almost like shopping with a guy. She wasn’t all that interested in trying out clothes for herself and remained focused on helping me get what I needed. And since she already knew my clothing sizes, the whole shopping experience was much more efficient than I ever would have guessed. Ironically, I found myself wishing that we could slow down a bit more so I could experiment with how certain clothes would look on me, but I was too embarrassed to mention it.
“You have got to try this on,” Hannah said, holding up a blouse that looked kind of sexy and even revealed a bit of cleavage. I blushed at the idea of wearing something that feminine.
“It looks nice,” Rebecca said, looking over the shirt and seeming to approve. However, she didn’t say anything more and merely waited to see what I’d do.
“Why not?” I asked after a moment, snatching the garment from Hannah’s hands and going into the changing room. When I came back out a minute later, I asked, “What do you think?”
Hannah looked me over for a moment before saying, “It looks really good on you.”
I nodded at that, looking myself over in the mirror and feeling self-conscious. It was a bit more feminine and revealing than I was really comfortable with, but it did look good on me. And as I silently reminded myself, I was a woman now so there was absolutely no shame in dressing like one.
“If you don’t buy it,” Rebecca said after a moment. “I will.” Then she chuckled and added, “And you can bet that whichever of us ends up with it, Nicole will be borrowing it.”
I laughed at that, then responded, “It might be fun having her borrow my clothes for a change.”
After I went to the changing room to switch back into my own shirt, I came out and wordlessly put the blouse into the cart along with everything else I was going to buy. Rebecca and Hannah grinned at each other but neither of them said anything.
The lingerie section was the last area we went to, and by this time, I’d already been wearing bras long enough that they weren’t such a big deal. I smiled faintly as I went through the racks, knowing that before my change, I would have avoided this section of the store entirely. But now, no one looked at me twice…except for another saleswoman who’d noticed that Rebecca and I were twins.
When we were done shopping, we went to a nearby restaurant for an early dinner. The waiter was a young man who couldn’t have been more than twenty-one and he stared at both Rebecca and me, though he tried to look as though he wasn’t. I blushed at the attention, surprised to find that a part of me actually kind of liked it.
“It’s so nice to have a day off,” Hannah exclaimed once we were seated at the table. She leaned back in her chair and said, “The colonel isn’t exactly a slave driver, but you have no idea how much paperwork he throws at me…”
“I know what you mean,” Rebecca said. “I mean, as far as having some time off. It’s nice to have a day where we don’t have to worry about training or going after demons.”
Then Hannah asked, “Did you hear, there was another demon outbreak in Canada yesterday…”
“Another?” Rebecca asked with a wry look. “You make it sound like they get them all the time. What’s this…their second one ever?”
“Third,” Hannah pointed out. “They had that one in Toronto where they quarantined the entire city to make sure it didn’t spread. There was the one in Vancouver last year, and this one was in a small town in Alberta.”
“I heard about the Toronto outbreak,” I commented, remembering how it had been all over the news a few years ago. A demon had appeared and the Canadians had dealt with the demon and then locked down the entire city for a week to make sure no one else had gotten infected and could spread the virus. “I don’t remember hearing about the Vancouver one though.”
“The Canadians were pretty efficient about it,” Hannah said. Then she grinned and asked, “Did you hear about that outbreak in Mexico last year?”
“I don’t remember,” I responded, though I hadn’t been paying attention too much to outbreaks in the news. That kind of news had always been depressing.
Hannah chuckled and explained, “A small town got infected and most of the people were either killed or turned demon. A local cartel started fighting back against them and were actually able to kill all the demons. By the time the military arrived, the demons were all dead and so were most of the cartel members. All they had to do was take care of the surviving cartel members who’d been infected but hadn’t gone demon yet.”
“Holy shit,” I gasped, imagining how much bloodshed there had to have been.
“It reminds me of that thing in Arizona last month,” Rebecca said. “We got deployed because there was a demon, but by the time we arrived, all his neighbors had already hunted him down and killed him.” She snorted at that and added, “We ended up with three infected civilians to deal with instead.”
I scowled, thinking about the demons we’d fought yesterday. It had been hard to watch a person turn demon right in front of me, to see him lose his humanity and turn into a snarling monster. I had a feeling that I’d be having nightmares about that for some time to come.
“Can we talk about something else?” I asked quietly. “I really don’t want to think about demons right now.”
Rebecca nodded at that, giving me a look of understanding. “Then what should we talk about?”
Hannah grinned at that and answered, “Guys.” She looked to me with a mischievious gleam in her eyes as she said, “I heard through the grapevine that you might have a crush on someone.”
I blushed bright red at that, noticing that Rebecca suddenly looked a little guilty. I groaned, closing my eyes and silently wishing that I hadn’t said anything about changing the topic. Demons would have been MUCH more comfortable than this.
By
Morpheus
I scowled as I flipped the page of my book, trying to focus on the words though I didn’t really feel like reading at the moment. I’d been reading this book on viral vectors all morning and was already halfway through it. However, it was boring as hell and difficult to concentrate on. I’d reached my limit an hour ago but had forced myself to continue.
“Enough,” I said, setting the book down and letting out a sigh.
I’d been trying to learn more about demons, which had led me to reading up on viruses and how they spread. However, from what I’d been reading, it seemed that the harkon virus didn’t behave quite like a normal virus. Then again, it wasn’t a normal virus. It was artificially created.
After reading this book, I had a few more questions about viruses that I would have liked to ask an expert about. Unfortunately, the only person I knew who was qualified was the last person I’d want to talk to. And besides, I doubted that Dr. Merrit would be very helpful anyway.
“I probably should have stuck to emergency triage books,” I mused, though I knew that would have been pointless.
I was already well versed in dealing with physical trauma, and my sisters wouldn’t need a lot of in depth medical care because they’d heal on their own once I got them stable. Because of that, I’d turned my attention to trying to get a better idea of how the demons strain worked…and how to protect people from infection.
Thinking of viruses and infections all morning had made me a bit grumpy, which made me wonder if this was why Dr. Merrit was such an asshole. If I had to think about viruses all day long, I might be one too.
I stood up and stretched, enjoying how good it felt to do so. In fact, it would probably be a good idea to go out and really stretch out with a good run or something. I chuckled faintly at that, thinking that Rebecca was rubbing off on me.
Rebecca and Nicole were currently out, but Dani was still in Heaven with me. I found her down in the gym, lifting weights and making odd grunting noises as she did so. I stood back and watched her for a moment, giving myself away with a giggle once she made another of those grunts.
“Hey,” Dani said, putting the weight down and looking up at me. “What’s up?”
“I was feeling cooped up and needed to go stretch my legs,” I told her. “I was thinking of hitting the obstacle course. You interested in coming?”
Dani hesitated for a moment before shrugging. “Sure. Why not?”
We went to the obstacle course, only to find that we weren’t the only ones there. A group of soldiers were stretching in preparation to go through the easy course. We stood there for a moment, just watching them.
Most of the soldiers looked towards Dani and me, though one of them actually started towards me. “You’re Monica…right?”
“Yeah,” I answered carefully, then gulping as I recognized him. This was Gene, the same guy who fell into the pond because I’d distracted him…and the one I’d stared at. I immediately turned bright red, though he didn’t seem to notice.
“We haven’t been officially introduced,” he said with a smile. “I’m Gene.”
He held out his hand, startling me just a little because most people avoided direct physical contact with angels, even though we were safe to touch. The fact that he offered to shake hands with me said that he wasn’t unnecessarily worried. I smiled at that and shook his hand.
The handshake lasted a little longer than it should have before we pulled our hands away. I was aware of the fact that he was staring at my chest, but I supposed that was fair because I was staring at his and remembering what he’d looked like without a shirt on. I quickly looked away, feeling guilty for those thoughts.
“Hey,” Mike exclaimed, going over to Dani and saying, “How about another shot?” He held up a twenty dollar bill and added, “This time I’m going to beat you.”
Dani burst out laughing at that and responded, “In your dreams.”
“Here they go again,” Gene chuckled beside me. “I’d think Mike would have given up by now.”
“Then you don’t mind a little race?” Mike asked Dani.
My sister shook her head and let out a sigh. “Fine,” she said. “But this time, I’m not holding back.”
“Do you guys need a referee?” I asked, though they both shook their heads no.
“Tell you what,” Dani said, “I’ll give you a head start.”
I couldn’t resist adding, “I thought you said you weren’t going to hold back.”
Mike hesitated a moment before shrugging. “Fine. I’m not above taking any advantage I can get.”
Seconds later, Mike took off running down the angel’s obstacle course while Dani stood back waiting. She gave him nearly five minutes before she started after him.
“My sister likes to show off,” I told Gene, who nodded agreement.
“So does Mike,” he added with a chuckle.
Most of the soldiers had already taken off down their own obstacle course while Gene and a couple others remained behind to see the results of this race. Most likely, they were waiting to give Mike a hard time about being beaten by a girl…again.
“I heard that you’re really a guy,” Gene blurted out to me.
I winced at that, then snapped, “Do I look like a guy?”
Gene’s words hurt, though I wasn’t really sure why. They just did. I scowled at him, feeling offended.
“No,” he quickly exclaimed, taking a step back. “Not at all…” He paused, suddenly looking extremely uncomfortable, much to my delight. “I didn’t mean it like that…”
“Then what did you mean?” I demanded, watching him squirm a little more.
“I just heard that you were a guy,” Gene said, looking apologetic as he said it, “and that you got infected with the angel strain.”
I let out a sigh and stared at the ground, feeling guilty over the way I’d snapped at him. After all, he’d just said what almost everyone knew.
“It’s true,” I said quietly, staring down at the ground and feeling almost ashamed. “I was a guy…” Then I quickly added, “But I’m not anymore.” For some reason, it seemed important that I make that distinction. “I mean, there isn’t anything of the old me left. I’m a girl now, all the way to my DNA.”
“I’m sorry,” Gene said awkwardly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just curious if it was true or not. I mean, I never would have guessed.”
“Thanks,” I told him with a faint smile. “It’s a bit to get used to.”
Gene stared at me for a moment then asked, “What’s it like? I mean, changing into a girl?”
For a moment, I just stood there, not sure how to answer it. “It’s hard to explain,” I said carefully. “It’s different…but still the same too.” I shrugged at that, feeling embarrassed.
Gene frowned at that and said, “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Me either,” I admitted wryly. “And I’m the one going through it.” Then I let out a sigh and added, “It’s easier to learn how to be who I am now if people don’t focus on who I used to be.”
“I understand,” I he responded.
I shook my head, suddenly feeling depressed. I looked at Gene, knowing that this talk about who I used to be had just shifted me into the friend zone at best. After all, who would want to date a girl who used to be a guy? And why did I even care about that? Suddenly, I wondered if this was how Julie felt with her romantic problems.
A couple minutes later, the racers appeared as they made their way back to the starting point, almost neck in neck. I was startled to see that Dani was running with a bad limp, which was obviously how Mike was keeping up with her Then Mike managed to pull ahead at the last moment.
“I won,” Mike exclaimed with a triumphant laugh.
“What happened?” I gasped as I ran to Dani’s side.
“I slipped off an obstacle and twisted my ankle,” Dani answered, her eyes locked on Mike. “He wouldn’t have won otherwise.”
I was startled by this since I’d gone through the obstacle course with Dani dozens of times and I’d never once seen her slip or fall. “Let me take a look at that,” I said, bending down to check out her ankle.
“Later,” she snapped, turning her attention back to Mike, who was clearly pleased with himself.
“It looks like I won this one,” Mike told Dani with a broad grin. “That means you owe me a date. How about I pick you up tonight at seven?”
“Six,” Dani responded with a scowl. “I don’t like eating dinner too late.”
“Six it is,” Mike agreed before he turned and walked away while Gene and the other soldiers offered him congratulations on finally beating Dani.
“I’m sorry you lost,” I told Dani, though I tried to keep from smirking.
Dani shrugged at that and responded, “You can’t win all the time.” Oddly enough, she didn’t seem too bothered about losing.
I stared at her for a moment before asking, “Are you planning on challenging him to a rematch tomorrow?”
Dani snorted at that, then gave me an odd look. “I’m sure as hell not running tomorrow…” Then she paused, staring at me for a moment more before muttering, “Damn…”
“What?” I asked, curious about her behavior.
“Rebecca and Nicole haven’t said anything to you,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Of course, they wouldn’t think to…”
“What?” I snapped in annoyance.
“You’ve been feeling pretty irritable all morning, haven’t you?” she asked me.
I scowled at that, then said defensively, “It’s that damn book I’ve been reading…”
“No it isn’t,” she responded with a faint smirk. “Sometime tomorrow, you can expect to get your monthly visitor.”
I gasped at that, staring at Dani in surprise. “You’re joking?” However, I was pretty sure she wasn’t.
“Dreams aren’t the only things that we synchronize on,” Dani explained with a sigh.
With that, Dani turned and started walking away from the obstacle course while I followed after her so we could continue that conversation. It took me half a minute to realize that she was walking without the slightest hint of a limp.
By
Morpheus
“You have got to be kidding,” I spat out in disgust as I looked at my blood soaked panties.
An hour and a half ago, Nicole had been the first one to actually start her bleeding cycle. Almost immediately, Dani and Rebecca had put in their tampons and recommended that I do the same.
“We usually start within a few hours of each other,” Rebecca told me.
The idea of putting something up inside of me had just seemed wrong so I’d refused. Nicole had given me a look that seemed to say, ‘you’ll be sorry’. Now that my own flow had actually begun, her expression seemed to say, ‘I told you so’.
“I’m sorry,” Rebecca said, giving me a faint smile that seemed to contain both sympathy and amusement. “But this is just part of being a woman.”
“Well, this part sucks,” I complained.
“No argument there,” Nicole said as she handed me a tampon. “Just be thankful that our high pain threshold means we don’t feel the cramps much.” She paused for a moment before adding, “I really don’t miss those.”
“It’s still pretty damn disgusting,” Dani added with a scowl.
“Do you need help with that?” Nicole asked, gesturing to the tampon.
I shook my head, already having read the instructions on the back of the box. Yesterday, after Dani had warned me about my period, I’d also gone online to read up on what to expect, though it wasn’t really anything new. The only real difference was that now it applied to me.
I went to the bathroom to wash up and put in my tampon. It was disgusting and I felt completely wrong putting something inside of me like this. However, I couldn’t very well complain to my sisters so decided to just pull up my big girl panties and deal with it.
When I left the bathroom, Nicole gave me a hug. “I know the first time isn’t easy,” she told me. “But you’ll get used to it.”
“I did,” Dani added with a scowl, before muttering, “Eventually.”
“Normally, we try keeping the physical training kind of light on these days,” Rebecca told me. “But don’t be surprised if we get called on a mission. Demons don’t stop attacking just because we have our monthly visitor.”
After this, we all settled down in the living room to watch TV, though no one could really agree what we wanted to watch. Rebecca won the game of rock paper scissors to decide and we ended up with some game show that was moderately amusing.
I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to the TV though as I kept thinking of what my body was going through. I imagined that my former girlfriend Cindy would probably laugh her ass off if she ever found out. Somehow, I couldn’t quite imagine her being as helpful with this as my sisters were.
“There’s one thing we need,” Nicole exclaimed, getting up and rushing to the kitchen. She came back a minute later with some bowls of chocolate ice cream. “Chocolate is the best medicine,” she assured me.
“Booze is better,” Dani added, though she didn’t turn down the ice cream.
“As you might guess,” Rebecca told me with a serious look. “We have to be even more careful than usual when we leave Heaven.”
I nodded at that, knowing what she meant. As long as we took our daily shots, we were usually no more dangerous to others than someone who had HIV. Normal physical contact wouldn’t infect anyone else and common sense precautions were all we really needed. But now that we were having our periods, that changed things a little. Any contact with our blood was enough to infect someone, which meant that we would have to be extra cautious.
“No changing tampons in public restrooms or anywhere else on base,” Nicole pointed out unnecessarily.
“It’s easiest to just stay near Heaven,” Dani said.
I nodded at that, making a mental note to scrub the bathroom down. In fact, having four bleeding angels meant that Heaven was even more risky for others to be in than usual. I’d have to decontaminate everything when I got a chance, just in case Hannah or someone else came here.
“So, how was your date last night?” Nicole asked Dani, who blushed just a little.
“None of your business,” Dani snapped.
“Come on,” Rebecca added with a grin. “We’re sisters. We share everything…”
“Besides, you didn’t have any problems asking me about my last date,” Nicole pointed out with a broad grin.
Dani rolled her eyes and said, “Fine… We just had dinner, hung out for a bit, and did a little kissing.”
Nicole gave her a skeptical look and asked, “You didn’t go any further?”
“Would that be safe?” I asked in surprise. I’d imagined that being infected with the angel strain meant that it would be too dangerous to have sex with anyone.
“It’s safe as long as we take precautions,” Rebecca said, looking just a little self-conscious. “Our shots keep most of our fluids from being infectious, but you should still use protection too.”
“The hard part is finding a guy willing to do us,” Nicole told me with a sigh. “Most are afraid that just kissing us will infect them.”
I blushed at this topic, not sure that I’d ever be ready to have sex with a guy. I was still having difficulty just getting used to the idea of being attracted to them. The thought of actually going all the way was… Well, it was actually kind of interesting now, but way more than I’d be able to bring myself to do.
Dani chuckled and said, “Actually, I told Mike that if he wants to go further, he’s going to beat me in another race.”
“You tease,” Nicole exclaimed with a laugh.
I watched Dani for a moment, remembering quite well how her limp had completely vanished the moment Mike had left. I had a feeling that Mike probably wouldn’t have to wait too long before she had another ‘slip’ while racing him.
We continued talking about Dani’s date for a few more minutes, or at least the others talked about it while I sat there listening. Rebecca put a hand on my shoulder and gave me a gentle smile.
“I know this has to be a bit odd for you,” she told me. “I mean, you were on the other side less than a month ago.”
“I’m getting used to it,” I assured her with a faint smile. “Slowly.”
“Don’t worry,” Dani told me with a smirk. “You’ll be ready to pop your cherry in no time.”
I gasped at that while Nicole elbowed her in the side and said, “I’d think that if anyone was sympathetic to her situation, it should be you.”
“What?” Dani asked with a look of mock innocence. “Too soon?”
“You are such a bitch,” Nicole told her with a scowl while Rebecca and I just watched and laughed.
As I sat there with my sisters and eating a bowl of ice cream, it was easy to get distracted and forget about the fact that I was actually having my period. Of course, it was still there in the back of my mind, but while I watched Dani, I couldn’t help but thinking that she’d adjusted to it without a problem, and if she could do it, then so could I.
By
Morpheus
“We’ll try providing what air support we can,” Captain Brooks told us over the radio as the helicopter rose back into the air. “But with the heavy tree cover, we’ll only be of limited use.”
“Figures,” Dani said with a scowl, obviously in a bad mood. Of course, all of us angels were in a bad mood at the moment. Our periods were nearly over, but they hadn’t ended quite yet.
Our current deployment location was in a national forest that had large wood areas which would make spotting the demons from the air difficult. According to the briefing, there had been reports of some missing hikers a couple weeks ago, though everyone just assumed that they’d gotten lost. Then earlier this week, a campground had been attacked and half a dozen people had been left dead. It wasn’t until this morning when other hikers had actually seen a demon that we knew where it was. From the direction and speed it had been heading, it would reach a small town in just a couple days and then things would get messy. We knew we had to stop it here and now.
“Let’s find this thing,” Rebecca announced as she left the clearing and went among the trees. Dani, Nicole, and I immediately followed.
The soldiers all began to spread out, sticking together in groups of three. Four of them remained with us, though they held back as usual, letting us take point while they watched our backs.
“Be careful,” Dani warned. “There are a lot of places around here for a demon to hide.”
I nodded at that, feeling nervous looking around carefully for any signs of the demon. The reports had been very clear about where the demon was headed so there was little doubt that it was in this area. I just hoped we were able to find it before it found us.
Half an hour after we’d begun searching among the trees, Captain Brooks came over the radio announcing, “We just received another report of the demon. A park ranger reported seeing a demon around the same time as the hiker…but the description of the demon doesn’t match.” There was a pause before he added, “We may have multiple demons in the area.”
“Damn,” Rebecca muttered with a scowl.
“That is definitely not good,” Nicole added.
Dani just snorted, “No fucking shit.”
“Reminds me of Nebraska,” Pete said from a short distance to the side.
Reese chuckled at that and responded, “Yeah, but this time I’m pretty sure we’re not going to find a bunch of kids in costume. They were damn lucky we didn’t shoot them.”
“I heard the second DSU did that,” Mason commented. “They shot some fucking idiot who was trying to play an April Fools prank on his buddy.”
I scowled, glaring back at the soldiers who were talking. I would have thought that it would be smarter to keep quiet so we could sneak up on the demon rather than warning it where we were. Then again, maybe making noise would draw it out of hiding and straight to us. Either way, I think I would have preferred to keep it quiet.
Then I heard it, a roaring sound in the distance. We all began moving towards the sound, which I thought was a very bad idea. Every horror movie I’d ever seen seemed to suggest that the wisest course of action wasn’t to investigate the weird noises but to run in the opposite direction.
I suddenly noticed a blur of motion from the corner of my eye and snapped around faster than any normal human would have been able to do. Something brown and furry was flying through the air, hitting a tree and then bouncing off. I shot at it, as did my sisters. However, this brown blur seemed to be even faster than we were as we blew holes in several of the trees, right behind the blur.
The furry blur launched itself at one of the soldiers behind us, and a moment later, the soldier’s body was sent flying through the air until he smashed into the side of a tree with a sickening crunch. It was only then that I got a good look at the demon since it was crouched down next to where the solider had been standing.
The demon was a little larger than a normal human but looked something like a cross between a gorilla and a rabbit. Its body was built like a gorilla, with a large upper body and thick powerful arms which it was leaning forward onto. However, its fur was soft and fluffy looking and its head definitely resembled that of a rabbit, especially the two large ears. That resemblance ended at the mouth, which was wide open and full of sharp teeth.
“Fucking thing got Trevor,” Mason exclaimed, opening fire on the demon, which immediately jumped into motion again.
“We’ve engaged the demon,” Rebecca called out over the radio as she opened fire.
The demon jumped up to a tree, bouncing off the trunk and then flying to another tree. One of the shots hit its side, though it wasn’t enough to stop the demon dead. Instead, it took another long leap, right over the top of Mason. A spray of demon blood trailed behind it, splashing all over the soldier’s front.
“FUCK,” Mason screamed in horror. I glanced to Mason, who was still wearing his gloves and plastic face mask, which was a good thing since several drops of blood were on the mask.
The demon continued running, so I called out to my sisters, “You guys get little bunny foo foo… I’ll catch up.” Then I grabbed Mason’s shoulder and ordered, “You stay here…”
I was already wearing gloves so didn’t hesitate to start removing the parts of Mason’s uniform and gear that had been hit with the demon blood and tossing them aside. He stood there, looking like he was in shock but not fighting me as I did this. The final piece was his mask, which joined the rest of the gear which would need to be decontaminated or destroyed.
“I don’t think you actually touched any of the blood,” I told Mason grimly, “so you might have escaped infection. Run back to the helicopter and have them spray you down with the sterilization foam just to be safe.”
“Thanks,” he stammered before rushing off, wearing nothing but his underwear and socks.
I turned my attention to Trevor, the soldier who’d been thrown into the tree. I checked his pulse and wasn’t at all surprised to see that he was dead. The angle his head was resting at had been a clear indication of that already. Since there was nothing I could do for him, I left his body where it was and went to catch up with the others.
I followed the sound of gunfire to where my sisters were still chasing big bunny foo foo. They’d managed to hit the demon again, slowing it down enough so that it was no longer able to bounce through the trees. Instead, it was staggering on the ground a short distance ahead of us. Then it turned and snarled at us.
“Time to put this bunny down,” Dani said as she took aim at the creature.
Suddenly, Reese screamed and I snapped around to see that the stump he was standing next to was moving. It was doing more than just moving…it was getting up and revealing that it was really a demon that had been crouched down and hiding. The demon’s skin was brown and wrinkled, looking almost exactly like tree bark which was how we’d missed it. I’d heard that would sometimes adapt to their environments, but was the first time I’d seen it.
Reese was still screaming from where he was curled up on the ground, clutching his hand…or at least the stump where he used to have a hand. The tree demon snarled, and while we were distracted by this demon, bunny foo foo jumped right at Rebecca.
“Look out,” Dani cried out a warning.
Rebecca immediately dove to the side, dodging the evil bunny demon. It snarled and swung large fists at her, but she dodged those as well. Then Nicole jumped at the demon, firing several shots and catching it in the side. The demon was thrown back while Rebecca and Nicole both continued shooting at it.
I remained focused on the tree demon, which slowly advanced on Pete. Pete opened fire on the demon as he backed away. I fired several shots as well, causing the tree demon to finally stop and then fall over. I was just thankful that the tree wasn’t nearly as fast as the rabbit.
“Are you okay?” I demanded as I rushed to Reese’s side.
“Do I look okay?” he snarled in pain. “I just had my fucking hand bitten off by a demon.”
Without another word, I removed my back pack and went to work. I gave Reese a shot for the pain and then put on a tourniquet in order to staunch the bleeding. I even bandaged Reese’s arm up, though the truth was he needed more medical attention than I could provide here.
But even as I was working on Reese, I knew that it was ultimately useless. After being bit by a demon, he was almost certainly infected with the demon strain. From the look of terror in Reese’s eyes, he was aware of this fact as well. Still, I had to do the best I could for him and hope that he had somehow escaped that curse.
“Damn it,” Pete said, watching Reese with a worried look on his face though he was also keeping his distance. “I’m sorry man…”
“Not your fault,” Reese said quietly, sounding groggy dues to a mixture of the shock, pain, and the shot I’d given him.
“At least we got both of the demons,” Nicole said, though she was giving Reese a worried look as well.
“I’ve notified the cleanup crew,” Rebecca told us grimly.
Just then, I heard a low rumbling growl from the side. I snapped around, gulping at the sight of a third demon stepping out from around a tree a short distance away. This one was wide and stocky, with thick gray skin that almost looked like it was made of stone.
“I’ve got this one,” Dani said quietly as she raised her weapon.
“Um…guys,” Nicole said nervously.
I looked to where Nicole was pointing and gasped at the sight of another demon, crouched down on a thick tree branch and looking down at us with a hungry expression. However, my eyes didn’t stay there. There were other growls and snarls from around us as well and I felt a cold chill run down my spine. Two more demons had appeared, leaving us surrounded by four of the rabid creatures.
I gulped, suddenly having a VERY bad feeling about this. However, it was Dani who verbalized what every one of us was thinking. “We are so fucked.”
By
Morpheus
I frantically looked around, terrified by the realization that I was surrounded by demons. Sure, two of them were dead demons, but there were another four who’d appeared that were very much still alive. This was like one of my worst nightmares come to life.
Pete was no longer staying back and keeping his distance as our backup soldiers normally did. Of course, the other three backup soldiers had already been taken out of action so he came up to stand back to back with us. We were a short distance away from Reese, who was out of action due to his injury. I just hoped that we could protect him from further attacks from these demons.
“We’ve got reinforcements nearby,” Rebecca said, her voice shaking to show that she was scared too. “I just called Brooks and asked him to send them ASAP.”
One of the demons was up in a tree, crouching on a thick branch. This demon was the smallest of the four, looking as though she had once been a teenage girl and retaining enough of her old humanity that her friends and family might even be able to recognize her. Though much of her body was still human in shape, she was naked, with light gray skin and solid black eyes that stared down at us with a malevolent expression. Her arms no longer served that purpose, having mutated into a pair of stretched wings much like what a bat would have. And from what I could see of her feet, they looked something like those of a predatory bird…just nastier.
The winged demon let out a shriek and then dove down at us from the tree, sticking her clawed feet out before her. We all dove to the side, with Dani knocking Pete to the ground. The demon swooped past us and the long blades on her feet caught the edge of a tree, tearing deep gouges in the bark.
Once the winged demon had launched her attack, the other three demons seemed to take this as their sign to come at us as well. Nicole opened fire on the winged demon, who swooped behind a tree and avoided being hit. Without a word, the rest of us each picked a different demon to focus on.
Dani picked the stocky demon who looked as though he was made of stone. She fired several shots right at his chest, hitting him dead center. The demon was knocked back but then returned to his feet, now having some chips taken out of his stony exterior but appearing mostly unharmed.
“Oh shit,” Dani blurted out.
One of the demons charging towards us was tall and gaunt with pale white skin and boney spokes that stuck out all over. He hissed and charged right at Rebecca, who opened fire. The demon howled and spat out a spray of green slime, making my sister dive for the side to avoid being hit. She tried firing again but the demon was on her, slashing out with his claws and hitting her in the side. Her body armor seemed to stop the damage but her gun had been knocked aside.
I would have helped my sisters but my own attention was occupied by the demon who was coming towards me. He was about seven feet tall and would have been called morbidly obese if he was still human. He seemed to be made of fat, though his skin was a slimy black color that looked almost as if he’d been dipped in oil. But as disgusting as that was, what really creeped me out was the fact that he had half a dozen black tentacles growing out of his back.
I shot the fat demon right in the center of his torso, and though a hole appeared, his fat seemed to absorb all the force of the bullet. A little black goo oozed from the wound, but he seemed more furious than hurt. His mouth opened up far wider than a human would have been able to and he gave an eerie gurgling roar.
“Shit,” I exclaimed, jumping to the side as he charged me and avoiding his attack. The tentacles on his back lashed out and nearly hit me, though I was fast enough to avoid them as well. Unfortunately, one of the tentacles caught my gun and knocked it from my hand. “This is insane,” I called out.
Since I was currently unarmed, I focused on backing away from the fat demon and keeping out of its reach. I was fast and agile so was confident in my ability to avoid him. But then I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my shoulder and was thrown to the ground. I looked up to see the winged demon flying away, having just hit me from behind. The fat demon took advantage of the opportunity to charge at me again, this time catching me before I could get back to my feet.
“Monica,” Nicole screamed, shooting the fat demon in the back, though it wasn’t distracted enough by this to drop me.
“Let me go,” I snarled, punching the demon in the face a digging my fingers into its eyes. That was enough to make him let go of me, though his tentacles immediately lashed out at me again.
The winged demon dove at me again, this time from the front where I could see her. My shoulder hurt and my arm wasn’t responding as well as it should, but I dove to the side and rolled, dodging both the flying demon and the fat one. There were several gunshots and then the flying demon fell from the air with one of her wings torn to pieces. Several shots later and she was dead.
“Got her,” Nicole exclaimed.
I looked past the fat demon to the others and saw that Pete had moved away from my sisters, who were busy keeping the demons occupied, and was now taking cover behind a tree and shooting at the rock demon. Between Pete and Dani, the demon had huge chips and chunks removed from its body, but it was still standing.
“I’m stuck,” Rebecca called out furiously.
The ground around Rebecca was covered with the green slime that the boney demon had been spitting out. She was pulling one of her legs which seemed to almost be glued in place by the slime. The fact that she was currently unarmed made her situation far more dangerous as the demon was now approaching her, snarling and displaying his claws.
“I’ve gotcha,” Nicole called out, turning to help Rebecca until the fat demon lashed out with a tentacle and caught her ankle, yanking her feet out from underneath her.
With a grimace, I ran past the fat demon and grabbed my rifle from where it had been dropped. I shot the boney demon who was thrown back with several holes through his chest. He didn’t get up after that so I turned my attention to helping Nicole, who was trying to get into a position to shoot the fat demon. I fired several shots at the creature, though it seemed to take them as though they were little more than bee stings.
“Get this fat freak off me,” Nicole demanded angrily.
Then the fat demon took a shot in the head that actually made him stagger. However, that shot hadn’t been one of mine. I quickly looked around and realized that it had come from Reese, who was sitting up against a tree and using his remaining hand to shoot. There was a look of pain on his face as well as one of determination.
“I’m not going down like a bitch,” Reese snarled.
“Good idea,” I responded, following Reese’s lead by shooting the demon in the head. So far, that seemed to be about the only thing that got through to him. I charged the demon, and when he opened his massive mouth to roar, I shot right inside. The back of his head blew out and he finally collapsed to the ground.
The last demon standing was the stone demon, which was extremely tough but slow moving and easy for us to avoid. Dani and Pete had nearly taken him down, and now Nicole and I joined the assault, tearing through the rest of its armored skin and killing it just as we had the others. Only then did we help Rebecca get free of the green goo that had her glued in place.
“That was disgusting,” Rebecca said with a wince.
“We did it,” Pete exclaimed, coming out from where he’d been taking cover.
Pete started towards us but Rebecca held out her hand and warned him, “Don’t come any closer… There’s demon blood everywhere and we’re all covered with it.”
“Gotcha,” Pete responded with a scowl, backing away instead.
“I hate getting this shit on me,” Dani spat out. “I hate getting those damn foam baths.”
Rebecca nodded but was slowly looking around at the six dead demons that were scattered about on the ground. This whole area was so contaminated that it was going to be a huge mess to clean up. I glanced at Pete, really hoping that he hadn’t caught the demon strain.
“I’ve never heard of demons working in a pack before,” Rebecca finally said, the worry clear in her voice. “Usually, when there are multiple demons, they’re just as likely to fight each other as they are us. Usually, we just have to stand back and let them tear each other apart. But this…”
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Nicole agreed grimly.
I nodded at that but was instead looking to Reese, who was staring at the demons with a haunted look on his face. “I’m not going down like a bitch,” he said, finally looking up at us. “I’m not turning into one of those THINGS.” And with that, he pulled his rifle to his own chin and pulled the trigger.
“NO!” I cried out, but it was already too late. Reese was gone.
I stood there for a moment, just staring at Reese’s body and crying. I knew that I’d done everything I could for him, but it still felt like it hadn’t been enough. I’d been able to patch up his arm, but what good was that against the harkon virus?
Dani snarled angrily, then got on the radio and demanded, “Where the hell were the reinforcements we asked for?”
“We were on our way but ran into trouble,” Mike’s voice came from the other end of the radio. “We ran into another one of our squads that had been ambushed. All three of them were torn to pieces.”
“Oh shit,” Nicole whispered.
“The demon who did it jumped us,” Mike continued grimly. “Two of my guys were killed before we took it down.” There was a long pause before he added, “But it gets worse.”
“How could this get any worse?” Rebecca asked over the radio, her voice more tired than anything.
Mike was silent for a few more seconds before answering, “The one we killed was carrying a couple demon eggs.”
By
Morpheus
I bolted upright in bed, gasping for breath and sweating from the nightmare that I’d just woken up from. I took several deep breaths to steady myself while the details from my dream faded. What little I remembered of it was that it had involved demons and that I hadn’t been alone. Of course, that wasn’t much of a surprise since all my sisters were having nightmares after the events of our last mission.
“Damn,” I muttered, climbing out of bed and putting my slippers on. I wasn’t planning on going very far, just to the showers. As I staggered the short distance down the hallway, I muttered, “At least my period is over.” However, the voice in my head added, “Until next month.”
None of my sisters seemed to be up yet so I had the showers all to myself. However, after I climbed under the hot water, I couldn’t help but feeling just a touch lonely. I’d gotten so used to showering with my sisters that it actually felt a little odd to be doing so alone.
While I washed, I ran a hand over the scar that now covered my shoulder and part of my upper back. The injury that the flying demon had given me was worse than I’d first realized, and since I couldn’t very well reach it all in order to treat myself, I’d been forced to go to Doctor Merrit to get stitches. I shuddered at the memory, thinking that his bedside manor had almost been as bad as the demon’s. Fortunately, after a few dozen stitches and a couple days to recover, I was almost back to normal.
“Just another day or so and there won’t be a sign than I was ever hurt,” I mused, thankful for this particular benefit of the harkon virus. In fact, there were a few benefits of the angel strain that I’d grown to appreciate. I ran my hands over my breasts, smiling faintly as I did so.
However, as I touched my scar again, I couldn’t help but remembering how I’d gotten it and just how bad things had turned out. There had been seven demons in the area, what would normally be considered a major outbreak. We’d walked right into it without warning, thinking that we were only going after a single demon…then two of them. The other five had caught us completely by surprise. And then there were the two demon eggs that had been recovered afterwards.
The higher ups were making a huge deal about the number of demons and the fact that they were actually working together in a pack, something that was completely unprecedented. My sisters were definitely shaken by that and I could understand why. Taking down a single demon could often be a very dangerous and difficult task, but if we had to face packs of demons, then we were at a far greater risk of being overwhelmed and slaughtered.
Of course, the demon eggs we’d found were getting a lot of attention as well. The previous egg we’d found had been an anomaly, a one of a kind as far as we knew. But now we knew that this wasn’t an isolated incident…that demons were reproducing without having to infect humans. The ramifications of these demon eggs was something I didn’t even want to think about.
Another thing I didn’t want to think about was the amount of death that had resulted from that last mission. Seven of our own people had been killed by those demons, including Reese and Jimmy. The only good news was that Pete and Mason had both managed to escape infection, which was nearly a miracle considering their exposure.
I scowled as I suddenly wondered what did happen to those who got infected, at least those we caught before they could turn demon. I knew that they were always rushed away into quarantine, but I had no idea if they were euthanized or if they were allowed to turn demon and then killed. I shuddered, knowing there was no happy ending for anyone who’d become infected with the demon strain and I felt guilty to realize that I wasn’t sure I really wanted to know the details.
By the time I was finished with my shower, I felt clean and more awake, but also somewhat depressed. I quickly dried off and got dressed, then went to the kitchen where I found Nicole up and sipping a cup of coffee. She gave me a faint smile and then handed me a cup as well.
Before long, Dani and Rebecca showed up as well, neither of them in a good mood. It was pretty obvious that all of us had been having difficulty sleeping.
It was a quiet morning since none of us felt much like talking, until Rebecca announced she was going to meet up with Hannah for breakfast. After she’d left, the rest of us ended up going to the chow hall to have breakfast together as we usually did, though Julie did join us. None of us talked about that last mission, but it was obviously on everyone’s minds.
As we were leaving the chow hall, I heard someone call out, “Monica…”
I paused to see Gene coming towards me. I blushed faintly at the sight of him, feeling embarrassed for having this reaction in front of my sisters. Nicole and Dani both gave me knowing looks, with Dani smirking faintly.
“We’ll see you back in Heaven,” Nicole told me as she hurried away with Dani and Julie.
“Hi,” Gene said, just a little awkwardly. Neither of us had spoken since the day on the obstacle course when Dani had lost her race and won a date.
“Hey,” I responded, just as awkwardly.
“I heard what you did for Mason,” Gene quickly blurted out. “And what you tried doing for Reese…”
I winced at that, feeling guilty over Reese’s death. Intellectually, I knew that it wasn’t my fault and that there was nothing I could have done to stop the demon infection. Reese had known that as well which was why he’d taken matters into his own hands. However, knowing something intellectually and accepting it emotionally are different things.
“I wish I could have done more for Reese,” I started apologetically.
“You did everything you could,” Gene told me. “Pete told me all about it…how you tried helping Reese…and about how you rushed to help Mason even though there was a demon nearby…” He paused for a moment and said, “Your fast action probably kept Mason from getting infected… You probably saved Mason’s life.”
“But not Reese’s,” I said quietly.
“It’s not your fault,” Gene insisted, surprising me by putting a hand on my shoulder. “And Reese wouldn’t be happy with you blaming yourself. The only one to blame was the demon who bit him.”
I smiled faintly at Gene and told him, “Thank you.”
Gene grinned at that, then abruptly said, “You know, you impressed a lot of the guys with what you did. I mean, you probably saved Mason and Pete keeps talking about how you didn’t hesitate to try helping Reese too…”
“I was just doing my job,” I responded self-consciously.
“Maybe,” Gene agreed, his expression going grim. “But most of us know the score when we go out.”
“The score?” I asked.
Gene hesitated a moment before explaining, “When we get hurt by a demon or directly exposed, we don’t expect any immediate medical care. No one wants to risk getting close to someone who just got infected…especially when you know they’re probably going to be turning demon in a few days anyway.” He paused for a moment and added, “Of course, we do have the cleanup crew, but we have to wait until they arrive, and they’re usually more interested in getting us quarantined than patched up.”
I nodded in understanding, giving Gene a thoughtful look. I’d known the angels didn’t get much medical treatment in the field due to fear of the angel strain, but I hadn’t realized that the regular soldiers had similar problems. Of course, it made sense. If people were afraid of catching the angel strain they’d be even more afraid of catching the demon strain.
“It’s nice having someone who will try helping us,” Gene told me seriously. “You can bet that Reese appreciated what you did for him.”
“Thank you,” I told Gene again. “I’m happy to help.”
Gene stood there for a moment with a nervous expression, then abruptly asked, “Would you like to have coffee with me sometime? I mean, just so we can talk?”
I stared at him in surprise, even more surprised to realize just how excited I was by that. “I’d love to,” I responded, suddenly feeling both giddy and self-conscious.
“How about this afternoon?” he asked almost eagerly.
“Sounds good to me,” I said with a broad grin. “I’ll see you then.”
After Gene and I went our separate ways, I realized that we hadn’t actually set a specific time or place to meet. However, I didn’t think it would be much of a problem. If nothing else, he knew where I lived and I knew where the barracks were. In fact, it might even be a fun game to see which of us could find the other first. I decided to tell him about that game once I won it.
When I got back to Heaven, I found Dani sitting by the window, smoking a cigarette and flipping through a fashion magazine. Nicole was watching some kind of soap opera on TV, which didn’t interest me the least. So I decided to settle down with a book on DNA that I’d recently begun reading.
Rebecca returned an hour later with a grim look on her face. “I think we need to go for a run,” she announced, her expression indicating that she wanted to do more than that.
I’d learned that there were some topics that my sisters refused to discuss in Heaven. They’d never found a single bug or listening device, but they were still cautious when it came to talking about specific things.
A short time later, we arrived at the obstacle course and began making our way through it. When we were about halfway through, Rebecca called for a stop.
“What’s this about?” Dani asked, looking worried.
“I just had a talk with Hannah about the demon situation,” Rebecca told us with a grim expression. “And I learned some things.”
I nodded at that, knowing that Hannah often filled Rebecca in on base gossip as well as more important information. And from what Rebecca had hinted at on a few occasions, it also seemed that Colonel Roberts sometimes used Hannah to pass on things that he couldn’t brief us on officially.
“As you know,” Rebecca said, looking at each of us in turn. “The demon situation is getting worse. We’ve slowly been seeing more and more demon outbreaks.”
“No shit,” Dani responded. “No matter how many we take down, more people keep getting infected.”
“And then there are the ones that we don’t know about,” Nicole added. “I mean, they hide out in the woods or sewers, slowing growing stronger and tougher until they’re really difficult to stop.”
“It’s even worse than we thought,” Rebecca told us, making the rest of us stare at her. “I just found out that Australia had an outbreak two months ago. China had one almost three weeks ago, and this morning there was one in France.”
“Holy shit,” Dani blurted out. “They’re spreading…”
I gulped at that and whispered, “We’re not just dealing with a demon epidemic. This is about to turn into a pandemic.”
“Exactly,” Rebecca agreed. “And as we’ve seen on the last mission, it’s not just more demons that we’re facing. Those ones were working as a pack. Who knows how long before more demons start doing the same thing.”
“If that happens,” Nicole whispered with a nervous look, “then we are in deep trouble.”
“A single demon can be tough enough,” Rebecca continued, “but if we have to face groups of them…” She paused to shake her head. “You saw what they did to our backup. Pete and Mason were lucky they survived without infection.”
“But others didn’t survive at all,” Nicole added with a grimace. “Too many died…”
“Agreed,” Rebecca said. “The only reason we survived is because we’re faster, immune to the demon strain, and can heal from our injuries. Our backup won’t stand a chance against this kind of thing and even we won’t be able to last long. We’re already being pushed to our limits and everyone who helps us faces increasing risks of death and infection.”
“So we’re all up shit creek,” Dani spat out bitterly.
“According to Hannah, the politicians are getting more serious about lifting the ban,” Rebecca told us with a weak smile.
“Yeah,” Dani added with a snort. “Now that their countries are in danger from demons too…”
“But even if they lift the ban today,” Rebecca explained, “It will be too little too late. It would still take years to find any kind of vaccine and the demons would only continue to increase during that time.“
“Shit,” Dani spat out.
Nicole scowled and gave Rebecca a thoughtful look. “You wouldn’t bring us out here just to tell us that.”
“You’re right,” Rebecca admitted with a sigh. “I never thought I’d say this, but if the demon situation gets any worse, we might need to consider…” She paused at that, looking guilty before quietly finishing, “Creating new angels.”
“WHAT?” Nicole and Dani blurted out at once.
Rebecca’s suggestion was enough to make me suddenly grow angry at her. Though I now cared for my sisters a great deal and was coming to appreciate my new body, there was no way I could accept forcing this on someone else. To intentionally take away some else’s identity was just wrong.
“So,” Dani asked in a deceptively calm voice. “You want to turn everyone in the unit into angels?”
“Hell no,” Rebecca blurted out, looking as though she was the one who’d been offended. “What I meant is that things might get bad enough that we have no choice but to create new angels. IF it comes to that…” She put emphasis on the ‘IF’. “If it comes to that, I refuse to let some bureaucrats or generals be the ones deciding on who gets to be our sisters. If it comes to that point, we need to be the ones in control of this. We need to make sure that the only people who join us are ones we trust.”
We were all silent for a moment before Nicole quietly said, “That makes sense. I just hope it doesn’t come to that.”
“Me too,” Rebecca agreed. “But with the demon situation getting worse, I thought we needed to at least talk about this. We need to make contingency plans for the future…just in case.”
The four of us stood there for a minute, looking back and forth at each other before we each nodded agreement. Even though we had done nothing more than agree to discuss the possibility, we each knew that we were going into dangerous territory. Intentionally infecting anyone with the angel strain would be a game changer, and one that could have very dangerous consequences. However, we also realized that the game was already changing and this might be the only way to survive it.
By
Morpheus
Gene held me tight in his arms, letting me feel his bare and muscular chest pressed against me. My entire body was responding to his presence, getting extremely turned on. Then Gene finally bent over to give me a kiss.
Suddenly, a familiar voice said, “He’s cute…”
“What?” I gasped in confusion, looking around and abruptly realizing that this was a dream. I’d never kissed Gene in real life so that was the only explanation.
“Much better than another nightmare,” my sister’s voice added, even as the dream blurred and changed around me.
I gasped at the realization that Gene was gone, and in his place there was a man I didn’t know. He was lean and muscular, but he was also a complete stranger so I pulled myself away from him.
“Not funny,” I called out in annoyance and frustration.
The dream continued to blur and change, and a moment later, I found myself standing in darkened room with music playing. There was a lit stage almost immediately in front of me with a nearly naked Mike dancing on it. Dani stood right off stage, cheering him on and throwing dollar bills at him.
“Figures it’s her dream,” I muttered, willing myself to wake up.
I sat upright in bed, gasping for breath and feeling very…frisky. Sharing nightmares with my sisters had been weird enough, but sharing wet dreams was just going too far. I shook my head in annoyance, feeling frustrated at having my dream interrupted. I was still all hot and bothered from it too.
For a moment, I just sat there, realizing that I had two choices. I could either go for a cold shower, or I could do something about this myself. I blushed a little then went to work using my own hands to finish what I’d started in my dream, though it didn’t take long before I began wondering if I should invest in some special toys.
Two hours later, I was in the chow hall, eating breakfast with my sisters. Dani hadn’t said anything about our shared dream, though she did give me a few odd looks to let me know that she remembered it. Every time she looked at me like that, I merely blushed and looked away. Even if we were sisters, there were some things that we just shouldn’t share.
Julie was eating with us as she often did, though this time she was cheerful and almost bubbling over with excitement. “I can’t believe it,” Julie exclaimed. “It’s Friday and I actually have a date tonight…”
“I told you it was a good idea to ask Rich out,” Nicole told her smugly. “I’m glad you finally did it.”
“I know,” Julie blurted out, blushing brightly. “But I was so afraid of what he’d say…”
I nodded at that and added, “Fear of rejection keeps a lot of guys from asking out girls they’re interested in.” I knew that very well, having dealt with that problem myself on more than a few occasions. Now that I was sitting on the other side of the gender fence, I could see that this fear of rejection was universal and not just something that guys dealt with.
“I never would have guessed that he was as nervous as I was,” Julie told me with a broad grin.
“I’ve got a date tonight too,” Nicole said with a grin.
I nodded at that, knowing that this was Nicole’s second date with Pete. After Pete had covered our backs during that last mission, the two of them had gotten to talking and seemed to hit it off. I was happy for Nicole, but of course, if Pete ever hurt her, I was going to have to have a little talk with him…as would Dani and Rebecca.
“I’m going out tonight too,” Dani added with a faint smirk.
“Did you let Mike beat you again?” I asked her with a chuckle.
Dani just shook her head and responded, “No, I beat him in a few games of pool…after we bet a nice dinner on it.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Rebecca asked with a roll of her eyes.
Julie gave Dani an odd look before asking, “Why don’t you two just date like a normal couple?”
“Where’s the fun in that?” Dani asked with a grin. Then Dani smirked and looked at me. “You have a date tonight too…don’t you Monica?”
I blushed brightly at that and then gave a self-conscious nod. “Um…yeah. Gene asked me out to dinner.”
“Congratulations,” Nicole exclaimed, throwing her arms around me in a hug. Then she quietly told me, “I just hope this works out a little better for you than your last time did.”
That made me suddenly blush even more, as well as give her an odd look. I didn’t want to remember that I’d had sex with Nicole. Sure, I’d been a guy at the time, but now she was my sister and that made the whole thing kind of weird.
“Make sure you bring some condoms,” Dani told me.
“We’re not going that far,” I protested, wanting to crawl under the table and hide.
“You should,” Dani said, giving me a steady look. “Trust me, not only does it feel great but it will help cement who you are now.”
“Oh God,” I groaned.
Rebecca gave me a sympathetic look and took pity on me, asking, “Am I the only one here who doesn’t have a date for tonight?” Then she looked around the table and let out an exaggerated sigh. “Now I feel like a loser.”
After this, Dani and Nicole focused on Rebecca, offering suggestions of who she should ask out. They both even offered to set her up on dates, though Rebecca didn’t seem enthused by the idea. I just watched in silence, keeping my mouth shut so they’d forget about me and my date. Rebecca gave me a look that seemed to say, “You owe me one.”
When we got back to Heaven, the phone on the wall began to ring almost immediately. Nicole answered the phone, then let out a sigh as she hung up a few seconds later.
“That was Hannah,” Nicole announced with a shake of her head. “She says we have an important briefing in half an hour…and that there are going to be a couple VIPs.”
“Well, there goes my plans for the morning,” Dani said with a roll of her eyes.
A short time later, we were sitting in the briefing room along with all the usual suspects. I glanced around the room, spotting Hannah and Colonel Roberts sitting off to the side. Captain Brooks stood in the back as he normally did. And of course, I noticed Mike, Pete, and Gene, though they sat halfway across the room from Angel Squad.
Then I noticed the newcomers, people who I’d never seen here before. Among them was a general who took a seat beside Colonel Roberts while another was a man in his late fifties who was wearing an expensive suit. The man in the suit took a seat beside the general and slowly looked around with a sour look on his face. These were obviously the VIPs we’d been warned about.
After a few seconds, I realized that Rebecca was actually glaring at them with a dark expression. Nicole grabbed Rebecca’s hand and held it in her own while giving similar dark looks in that direction. I looked to Dani and saw that she tense but that unlike Rebecca and Nicole, clearly avoided looking at the VIPs.
Before I could ask what was going on, Dr. Merrit went to the podium at the front of the room and began the briefing. “This briefing is in regards to the demon eggs that have recently been discovered.” Then he calmly listed off some long numbers, the case numbers for the missions. That was a detail that no one here cared about, but that didn’t prevent Dr. Merrit from providing that information anyway.
I scowled and looked to Rebecca, seeing that she was now watching the images on the screen in front of us with a grim expression. When Rebecca had arranged our secret meeting the other day to discuss the possibility of creating new angels, one of the reasons for her doing so had been the demon eggs. The demons were increasing in number too much as it was and the existence of the eggs only meant that they would be able to do so more quickly.
“Yesterday, the Third Demon Suppression Unit was deployed on a mission,” Colonel Roberts announced as he moved to the front of the briefing room. “During this mission, the third DSU encountered three demons who were working as a pack unit.”
“Oh shit,” Dani muttered, verbalizing what we were all thinking.
“I hate being right,” Rebecca whispered.
“Five good men were killed,” the colonel continued grimly. “Once the demons were lured into an open area, aerial support was able to get a lock on them and eliminate them from a distance. Afterwards, two of these demons were found to be carrying eggs.”
The screen changed to show pictures of two more demon eggs, both of them looking like slimy green footballs…just like the previous eggs. There were numerous mutterings around the room, though whether it was the demon pack or the eggs that was most alarming to everyone else I didn’t know.
Dr. Merrit took over the briefing again and stated, “The newly recovered eggs appear identical to the previously discovered ones. Due to the mutagenic and highly individualized nature of demons, this similarity in appearance is highly suspicious. This resulted in further investigation and comparison to the eggs. After careful analysis, our conclusion is that each of these eggs originated from the same demon.”
Everyone in the room went silent at that news, though only for a second. Then Dani exclaimed, “How the fuck is that possible? Those eggs were found hundreds of miles apart.”
“Angel subject three,” Dr. Merrit said with a note of contempt in his voice. “That is a subject I was about to discuss…”
Dani snarled but Nicole put a hand on her, whispering, “Don’t give him the satisfaction.”
Colonel Roberts gestured for Dr. Merrit to back off then said, “Dani is correct. The eggs were found hundreds of miles apart and we have no clear answers to why, only conjecture.”
Dr. Merrit scowled at that but was then allowed to continue the briefing. “As each of the demons found to be carrying an egg was male, it is possible that these are the fathers. However, we have not yet been able to confirm this. As Colonel Roberts stated, most of what we know about the source of these eggs is conjecture. What we do know is that a demon is creating these eggs while other demons disperse them away from the mother, perhaps in an instinctive attempt to preserve and spread their species.”
“Even demons know not to put all their eggs in one basket,” someone joked.
“At the moment, our best theory is that the presence of a fertile female may have triggered an adaptive response within other demons,” Dr. Merrit continued as though he hadn’t been interrupted. “She may have taken a role akin to the queen of an insect colony, producing eggs while other demons have adapted to…or have been somehow coopted to serve the good of the group.”
I scowled as I considered what this meant, and just how dangerous it would be for not only us but the entire world. Of course, it made sense that demons breeding and cooperating would be tied together. This was an indication that they were adapting, changing from infection victims into a species of their own. Unfortunately, this would be a species that could not possibly coexist peacefully with humans.
Dr. Merrit continued his briefing but it was soon clear that he had little new information to provide. Eventually, Colonel Roberts stood up front and announced, “The existence of this demon queen, if that is what she is, is one of our greatest threats. We are putting a lot of resources into locating her, and on back tracking the demons who were found with the eggs. Needless to say, this is one of our top priorities.”
When the briefing was over, I noticed that the sour faced man in the suit went to talk to Dr. Merrit. Rebecca watched them with a deep scowl, glaring at them with a hatred that I’d never seen from her before. Obviously, it was the man in the suit whom she’d been glaring at earlier, not the general.
“Who is that?” I asked.
“Senator Jeffrey Dolenz,” Rebecca said in a bitter tone, nearly spitting out the name.
“He’s the guy who put Merrit here,” Dani added grimly.
I watched Rebecca’s expression and carefully said, “I take it you know him.”
“I’ve met him once,” Rebecca answered in a cold voice, staring at me with a dark expression. “He came to my mom’s lab to see her progress on their super soldier virus. He was the one who decided that it didn’t have enough cost benefit. He was the one who insisted that they make a more versatile and powerful version of the virus.”
I turned and stared at Senator Dolenz, now understanding Rebecca’s reaction to him. This was one of the people most responsible for the existence of demons…and for the death of her mother.
By
Morpheus
“I feel ridiculous,” I blurted out. “What if he doesn’t like it?”
“You look great,” Nicole assured me, seemingly amused by the entire situation.
I scowled, feeling nervous and excited at the same time as I got ready for my date with Gene. Of course, this wasn’t the date that we’d originally had planned for a couple days ago. A demon outbreak had cancelled those plans, as well as the plans that Nicole, Dani, and Julie had for dates that night as well. They’d all managed to reschedule for the next night, and now it was my turn.
I thought back on that mission with some annoyance, though at least it had been an easy one. There hadn’t been any demon eggs or packs of demons, only a single demon who had been causing trouble. However, that demon had interfered with not only my date but those my sisters had planned as well. That demon never stood a chance.
Now that I was finally able to reschedule my date with Gene, my sisters had decided to help me get ready, whether I wanted their help or not. In fact, they each seemed to take it as their sisterly duty to ensure that my first date as a girl was a good one.
Dani had brought out a slinky and sexy dark green dress, exclaiming, “Trust me, this will look good on you.”
I eyed the dress nervously, then the grin on Dani’s face. Her ‘trust me’ reminded me of when she’d made a batch of hot wings last week, using ghost pepper chilies so that she could get it hot enough for her satisfaction. She’d used the same ‘trust me’ when she said we’d all love the wings. Unfortunately, the wings were so spicy that they pushed past my heightened tolerance for spicy foods and were nearly as inedible to me as her chili had been before my change. At least Nicole and Rebecca had shared my views on them being too hot or I would have felt like a wimp.
Before long, I was wearing the dress and matching high heels. Rebecca worked on my hair while Nicole applied my makeup. “Now hold still,” Nicole said as she put on my mascara. “Gene is going to love this…”
“Hold your fingers out,” Dani instructed me as she began putting on nail polish.
Once my sisters were finished, I complained, “I feel silly…”
The makeup on my face felt odd and I couldn’t help but thinking that I must look like a clown with all that stuff on me. I felt odd wearing the dress as well, not to mention the high heels. This was actually my first time wearing shoes like this.
“Well, do you think you look silly?” Rebecca asked when she held up a mirror so I could see myself.
My eyes widened slightly at the reflection, which I could barely believe was me. “No,” I answered after a moment.
“Back when you were still a guy,” Nicole said with a faint smile. “If your date showed up looking like this, would you think she looked silly?”
“No,” I admitted with a smile. “I’d think she looked hot.”
Rebecca nodded at that, then told me, “Just remember, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.” She barely managed to keep a straight face at that while Dani smirked and Nicole giggled.
“And the fact that we look alike has nothing to do with your compliment,” I responded flatly, resulting in all three of my sisters laughing.
A short time later, the doorbell began ringing so I started to rush to the pearly gates to answer it, though my sisters held me back. “You’re supposed to make your date wait,” Nicole told me. “It’s in the rules.”
“I’ll go tell him you’ll be a little longer,” Rebecca said before she rushed downstairs.
“But I’m ready now,” I protested, remembering how annoying it had always been when I’d show up for a date on time but would then have to wait. Still, from my past experiences, I had to admit that it did seem like that was part of the dating rules. “At least this time I’m on the other side of it.”
After waiting for five minutes, Nicole finally let me go down to meet my date. Gene was standing just inside the pearly gates, dressed nicely and looking just a little nervous. Of course, that was understandable since he was not only inside the doors of Heaven but also had my three sisters to deal with.
Gene stared at me with a very appreciative look before saying, “You’re gorgeous…”
I blushed at that while Rebecca commented, “Thank you.”
“You clean up nice too,” Dani added with a faint smirk.
“You two have fun,” Nicole said with a wide grin. “And remember, make sure you don’t bring her back until after midnight.”
“I’ll see you guys later,” I told my sisters, eager to get out the door with my date before they did something else to embarrass me.
I had nearly made it when Dani stopped me and said, “Don’t forget your purse.” She handed me a purse, and when I glanced inside, it was enough to make me gulp and then glare at her. The purse was half stuffed full of condoms. However, I couldn’t say anything about that with Gene standing right there, which was obviously what Dani intended as she just smirked and said, “Have fun.”
Once we were out the door, Gene and I let out simultaneous sighs of relief. “The other angels are…something,” Gene commented.
“You have no idea,” I responded, glancing to my purse and blushing again. “No idea.”
“I meant what I said in there,” Gene told me with a smile. “You do look gorgeous.”
“Thank you,” I responded, feeling oddly pleased by the compliment, or at least more than I would have expected.
We got into Gene’s car and drove off base, to a very nice looking restaurant. I couldn’t help but being impressed since I’d never taken any of my dates to a place this nice. I felt just a little guilty for that, wondering if I’d been a bad date as a guy. It wasn’t like I’d have the opportunity to ask my old girlfriend Cindy and compare notes though.
“I didn’t think soldiers got paid well enough for this,” I told Gene as we sat down.
“Hostile fire pay helps,” Gene joked. “And it’s not like I have anything else I’d rather spend the money on than a beautiful lady.”
“Oh boy, you’re really going for the brownie points,” I teased him. “Wait until I tell my sisters.”
We both chuckled at that, then Gene said, “You angels keep referring to each other as sisters, but I know you’re not really related.”
“But we are related,” I pointed out with a faint smile. “We have the exact same DNA. It’s like we’re quadruplets who didn’t meet each other until we were grown.”
Gene nodded at that, then told me, “I can’t imagine what it would be like…suddenly changing like that and then having new siblings.”
“It is hard to explain,” I admitted, though I smiled as I did so. “But we really are sisters, just as much as if we’d been born from the same mother. Sure, a couple months ago they were complete and total strangers to me, but when I became an angel, I was reborn as someone new. When I was reborn as an angel, I had sisters who immediately welcomed me to the family.” Then I shrugged and added, “It really is hard to put into words.”
After this, we ate our dinner and continued talking, though we avoided the topics of my past life and of demons. However, Gene did comment on how impressed he was by what I’d done for Marcus and Reese.
“It’s nice to know that someone has our backs out there,” he told me with a serious look, “even when we’ve been written off as a lost cause.”
“Some causes are only lost because people give up too early,” I told him quietly, thinking of several people I’d hauled into the emergency room, only to have them saved from ‘certain death’ on the operating table.
Once we were finished with dinner, we went to the movies and caught the latest Hollywood blockbuster action flick. I was thankful to discover that I still loved watching movies that were short on plot but big on action, special effects, and especially explosions. Of course, I was way overdressed for a movie, but that somehow made the experience even more fun.
When the movie ended and our date was coming to a close, Gene and I left the theater hand in hand. I felt excited to be holding his hand, almost like a little boy who was holding hands with his first crush. Or in my case, more like a little girl.
“I had a great time,” I told him honestly.
“Me too,” Gene said.
The two of us stood there staring at each other for a moment before we slowly moved in for a kiss. His lips felt good against mine and a tingle of excitement shot down my spine, hitting my nipples and my groin. I moaned in delight, definitely wanting more.
“I’d invite you back to my place for a drink,” I said, feeling daring and blushing as I did so. “But I don’t think it would go well with my sisters there.”
Gene laughed at that. “I’d imagine that would be awkward.”
We drove back to base where Gene dropped me off at Heaven. We kissed again and agreed that we’d have to do this again. I could barely wait, already deciding that next time we’d have to go further than just a kiss.
“Until next time,” Gene told me, giving me one final kiss before leaving.
Once he was gone, I giggled and then spun in a circle, feeling absolutely delighted and almost like I could dance on air. That had definitely been fun, even more fun than any date I’d ever had as a guy.
I went inside and then upstairs where I found my sisters all waiting. They all had grim expressions that caught me by surprise. I paused, feeling confused and then glancing at the clock.
“If this is because I got home before midnight,” I started to joke.
“It’s the second DSU,” Rebecca stated with a dark look. “They’ve just been wiped out.”
By
Morpheus
The briefing room was packed to near capacity as even more people than normal filled the limited space. Everyone present had grim expressions as well, which was to be expected considering the news that I’d been given when I got home from my date last night.
Colonel Roberts stood at the front of the room, stating, “Most of you have already heard the rumors about the second DSU.” There were nods and murmurs from around the room, which he let go for several seconds before adding, “The rumors are true.”
“Damn,” Dani whispered.
“Three days ago,” Colonel Roberts announced, “there was an outbreak with five people who were infected with the demon strain. The symptoms were recognized in time and these people were placed in quarantine before any of them went demon. There had been no demon sightings in the area before this so the second DSU went in and found that the cause of these infections was a baby demon that had recently hatched.”
There were more whispers and murmurs from around the room. Rebecca scowled, muttering, “Not good.”
“Investigations found that the demon egg had arrived there destination in the back of a shipping truck,” Colonel Roberts continued. “They determined the trucks route and identified where the truck must have picked up the egg.”
The screen behind Colonel Roberts showed pictures of the now dead baby demon, which had only been a little bigger than a cat. Then it showed pictures of the truck, including the shell of a hatched demon egg that had been found in the back.
“The investigators backtracked the egg as far as they could,” Colonel Roberts told us with a grim expression. “And then cross referenced that with the paths that the previous eggs had taken.” He paused for a moment before announcing, “They determined where these eggs were coming from.”
At that, the screen behind the colonel changed and showed a map that traced where the demon packs and eggs were known to have traveled. As I saw the paths on the map, I could tell that they appeared to have started out in the same area and were spreading out from there. One part of the map had a red circle drawn around it.
“Hell Town,” Rebecca blurted out with a look of horror.
“Hell Town?” I asked in confusion.
“Fuck,” Dani spat out with an expression that was identical to the one Rebecca possessed. Nicole nodded agreement, looking shaken as well.
Colonel Roberts looked at me for a moment and then looked around the room. It was obvious that several people knew what this map meant, but just as clear that I wasn’t the only one without a clue.
“Eight years ago,” Colonel Roberts stated, “the first ever demon outbreak occurred in the Harkon Research Facility. After the outbreak was over, the survivors were taken to the nearby town of Deacon Falls for medical attention. At the time, no one knew about the demon strain or understood that it was contagious.”
“Oh shit,” I gasped in sudden understanding.
Colonel Roberts continued his briefing, though I could already see where it was going. “Mere days after the outbreak at the Harkon Facility, the second outbreak occurred. Within days, the entire town was either dead or infected.”
Then Colonel Roberts looked straight at me and my sisters, his expression dark. I looked at Rebecca and knew that there was more to the story than he’d told so far. After all, my sisters had also been survivors from the outbreak at that facility.
“At this time,” Colonel Roberts added, “four civilians had been put in quarantine just outside of Deacon Falls. One was known to carry an alternate version of the harkon virus while the other three had been infected with it.” He paused to look at me and my sisters again and then said, “When my strike force arrived on the scene, we found the angels already engaged with fighting a demon.”
“You never said anything,” I whispered to my sisters.
“I didn’t want to remember it,” Rebecca whispered back. “None of us did.”
“In the end,” Colonel Roberts stated, “we dropped a bomb on the town and made sure there wasn’t anything left alive. Afterwards, the area was renamed Hell Town and kept quiet from the media.”
“And this is where the eggs are coming from?” Rebecca asked in a cold tone.
“The second DSU believed this to be the case,” Colonel Roberts agreed. “They wanted to be the ones to neutralize the demon queen so went in full force yesterday afternoon. They were met by a large number of demons who wiped out their ground forces.”
It was Captain Brooks who said, “Sir… You said Hell Town had been cleaned of demons…”
“We’ve been going over that since finding out the second was destroyed,” Colonel Roberts answered, sounding tired. “Obviously at least one demon or infected person survived our cleansing. Perhaps they were hiding in a basement or had left the town itself. What we do know is that there are now an unknown number of demons in that area, enough to take down two dozen heavily armed soldiers in a very short time.”
“And what are we to do?” Rebecca asked with a deep scowl. “It wouldn’t be smart to just walk right into this.”
“The Air Force is going to bomb the area,” Colonel Roberts explained. “Afterwards, we’ll go in to clean up any leftovers and verify the queen demon is dead.”
After this, there was little new information, just details on the plan to wipe out Hell Town and then invade. I listened intently, though I also dreaded the idea of going to the place where so much death had already occurred.
When the briefing had ended, Rebecca muttered, “Roberts didn’t say anything about the ban…”
“What do you mean?” Nicole asked.
“After finding out about the second last night,” Rebecca explained, “I checked some news sites online. No one came right out and said anything, but there are enough hints for me to read between the lines.”
“Spit it out already,” Dani snapped in annoyance.
Rebecca was silent for a moment, then said, “Almost immediately after the second was destroyed, the president had an emergency meeting with his cabinet and some influential political leaders. A short time after this, there were meetings with the ambassadors of multiple other countries.” She paused for a moment before adding, “I’m confident that they’re on the verge of creating an exception to the ban so we’ll be able to start searching for a vaccine.”
“About time,” I muttered.
“That should make Merrit happy,” Nicole said with a weak chuckle.
“Us to,” Dani added. “I mean, if they allow research for a cure, then that asshole will probably be reassigned to some research facility and we can get a new doctor.”
I nodded at that, knowing that a change in the law would definitely be a good thing, not to mention well overdue. But as Rebecca had previously pointed out, it would probably be several years before we really benefitted from it.
“What about Hell Town?” I asked, looking to my sisters. “What exactly happened there?”
“It was pretty much what Roberts said,” Nicole told me with a scowl. “Just…worse.”
“After the…incident,” Rebecca said carefully, “I insisted that we be quarantined…” She gestured to Nicole and Dani, giving a wry smile. “I knew that I was contagious and they’d been exposed…”
“It was…difficult,” Dani said carefully.
I stared at Dani for a moment and nodded in full understanding. I knew that she would have been changing without even really knowing what was going on or what to expect. I could only imagine how much more traumatic my change would have been if my sisters hadn’t been there to ease it.
“We’d barely finished changing when demons started attacking,” Nicole added. “We were…terrified, but we didn’t have any choice but to fight or die…”
“It was the first time we ever fought demons,” Rebecca told me with a grimace. “And we learned that we were pretty good at it. When Roberts showed up with a bunch of soldiers to try controlling things, we helped them out. Afterwards, we realized just how dangerous these demon infections were and agreed to help fight them.”
Dani shook her head, then quietly added, “It was horrible. The whole town was wiped out. There were kids…” She paused at that, looking pained and even haunted. “I still have nightmares about that shit.”
“We all do,” Rebecca responded with a grimace.
I looked at each of my sisters and gulped. “And that’s where we’re going?”
“I never thought I’d go back there again,” Rebecca answered with a nod. “And it’s one of the last places I ever wanted to see again.”
“Beside the facility,” Nicole added, to which Dani and Rebecca nodded agreement.
“I guess we should get ready,” Dani said with a sigh. “We’re going to hell.”
By
Morpheus
“We’re approaching our destination,” Julie called back from the front of the helicopter. “Please put your seats and tray tables in an upright position as we will begin our descent in just a few minutes.”
I stared out the helicopter and the smoke coming from the smoldering ruins of what had once been the town of Deacon Falls. Of course, the town had since been overrun by demons, bombed by the military, was overrun by demons again, and now had been bombed for a second time.
Aerial reconnaissance had confirmed that several demons could be seen from the air, so the Air Force had dropped some kind Fuel-Air Bomb which would not only kill the demons but create enough heat to sterilize the environment afterwards. There was very little left of the town which had once been known as Deacon Falls but which still held the name of Hell Town. That would make our mission both easier and more difficult.
The one downside of destroying all the demons with a massive bomb was that there wouldn’t be enough left for us locate the demon queen and confirm she’d been destroyed. Still, our mission was to do just that, along with making sure that all the demons really were dead this time.
“I do NOT want to EVER have to come here again,” Colonel Roberts had told us before sending us on our way.
I looked at my sisters who were even more grim than usual. “Are you guys okay?” I asked cautiously.
Rebecca nodded and told me, “I just never thought I’d be coming back here.”
“This is where the old Dan died,” Dani said with a serious expression. “Even if I didn’t realize it at the time.”
Our helicopter came in and landed in a cleared area and we all began climbing out of the chopper. Our backup team was with us as usual, but this time all four of them were wearing biohazard gear similar to what our cleanup crew normally wore. This would protect them from infection, but it would also make them slower and more awkward in a fight.
“Let’s get this done and over with,” Nicole said.
“Agreed,” Rebecca responded.
“I’ll see you guys in a bit,” Julie called out to us.
Suddenly, there was a rumbling from the ground that felt like a small earthquake. I looked around but didn’t see any sign of what could have been causing it. My sisters and our backup soldiers were looking everywhere for signs of a demon. So far, the only sign of anything strange was the ground shaking.
“I don’t like this,” Dani muttered.
A moment later, the ground seemed to erupt and a huge figure began pulling itself up from the ground. Dirt and stone fell aside as the enormous demon came to the surface.
“Oh shit,” I blurted out as I stared at the monster.
The demon looked something like a giant mole, though it was at least twice the size of an elephant. It had no hair and its skin was armored, resembling an armadillo shell a little.
Without hesitation, everyone began opening fire on the creature, though it merely roared and slashed out with its clawed front paw. One of our backup soldiers was hit and sent flying…in two pieces. Then the demon got up on its hind legs, making it stand even higher from the ground.
“Holy fucking Christ,” Dani exclaimed, firing shot after shot at its chest and only making it mad.
“They’re still here,” Rebecca called out over the radio. “We’ve run into a monster of a demon here…”
With a loud roar, the demon lunged forward and smashed into the back of the helicopter, tearing off the tail. It roared and then leapt at us again, though my sisters and I dove to get out of the way.
“I’ll get Julie,” Nicole yelled, rushing for the front of the helicopter where our friend was still located.
“You guys back up,” I ordered our backup soldiers, who tried doing just that. However, they were slowed down by their bulky biohazard gear.
One of the backup fell down and the demon actually stepped on him with a sickening crunch. I grimaced and continued shooting the demon, hoping that I could distract it from our two remaining backup soldiers.
“Aim for its mouth,” Rebecca yelled.
We all ran back, taking cover behind rubble while simultaneously trying to target the demon. It snarled and smashed through the ruins of the helicopter, making me thankful that Nicole had gotten Julie out of there already.
“Look at the size of that bastard,” Dani spat out angrily. “I bet he’s been here ever since the last time we blew this place up.”
“He certainly isn’t a newbie,” Rebecca agreed with a scowl.
“I can’t believe this,” Julie exclaimed from where she was crouched down behind a burned out car with Nicole. “I’m supposed to be safe up in the air…”
“Welcome to our world,” Nicole told her with a forced grin.
Nicole jumped out from behind her cover and shot at the demon’s head even as she ran, keeping it from Julie. Rebecca and I jumped out to help while the two remaining backup soldiers covered us from a distance.
The demon roared and lunged at Nicole, though my sister jumped out of the way. At the same time, Julie ran to one of the dead soldiers and picked up his weapon, then began shooting at the demon as well.
“You destroyed my ride,” Julie yelled angrily. “You’re going down for that Molezilla.”
“Keep back,” Rebecca snapped at Julie. “We don’t want you getting hurt…”
“Or worse,” Dani added, rushing forward to grab Julie and pull her further back. “Infected.”
I watched the demon for a moment, cursing at the fact that its armor really did seem impenetrable. It was even tougher than that stone skinned demon that had been part of that big pack. I was pretty sure that Rebecca was right and that its mouth was its most vulnerable spot, but unfortunately, it was hard to actually do anything about it.
Rebecca stood back and took careful aim, getting a shot right in the demon’s mouth. It screamed in pain, then smashed the ground, sending shards of stone everywhere. We all had to jump out of the way to avoid getting hit. The demon smashed the ground and began flinging debris everywhere.
“Look out,” I called out to Rebecca as the demon made another lunge towards her.
Rebecca managed to avoid the attack, but then the demon flung more debris at her. She was hit with what was almost a shotgun blast of rubble, being caught in several places. Dani and I both jumped forward and opened fire at the demon’s head, though it jumped towards Dani, sending her flying back at least a dozen feet.
“Oh no you don’t,” Julie exclaimed, shooting at the demon as it approached Dani, obviously trying to protect my sister.
Then as the demon stood back up on his hind legs again and let out a loud roar, I suddenly had an idea. It was a bad idea. A VERY bad idea. However, it was the only thing I could think of.
“I need some grenades,” I yelled to Dani, remembering that she’d slipped a couple onto her belt before leaving.
Dani started getting back to her feet then dropped back to her knees with a loud curse. “I’m hurt,” she told me with a snarl.
My first impulse was to grab Dani and drag her back out of the fight so I could patch her up, but I knew that would be pointless as long as this demon was still here. We couldn’t afford to pull both of us out of this fight yet.
I rushed to Dani’s side and told her, “I need your grenades…”
She gave me a curious look but handed them over without question. I took a deep breath, then made my move towards the demon’s back side.
“Keep him distracted,” I called out, hoping that Nicole could do that without being hurt herself.
The demon crouched down and I saw that as the perfect opportunity. I jumped up onto his tail and then onto his back, grabbing hold of the ridges in his armor to stay on. Then I quickly made my way up towards his head, pulling the pins on the grenades and letting out a silent prayer.
From the demon’s head, I waited until it let out another roar, then I bent forward and threw both grenades into his mouth. With another prayer to whatever god or saint looked over the insane, I jumped as far as I could.
“Holy shit,” Dani exclaimed as the grenades exploded in the demon’s mouth.
“Are you insane?” Rebecca called out.
Looked back at the demon, who collapsed to the ground, no longer moving. I stared at it for a moment and said, “It was the only thing I could think of.”
“Good thinking,” Rebecca told me. “But you really had me worried…”
“Yeah,” I responded, looking at Rebecca who was bleeding in several placed. “You have me worried to. Now sit down so I can get you and Dani patched up.”
“Yes ma’am,” Rebecca responded with a chuckle. “I’m certainly not about to argue with someone who can bring down a demon like that.”
“That was incredible,” Julie said, staring at me and then the now dead monstrosity.
“That isn’t good,” Nicole commented with a grimace.
Dani snorted at that and said, “As far as I’m concerned, a dead demon is always a good thing.”
“What I mean,” Nicole explained as she looked around with a worried expression. “If one demon survived the bombing…others may have too.”
By
Morpheus
The fight with the giant demon had been difficult and had left serious consequences for our group. The creature had utterly destroyed our helicopter, which not only removed our way of getting out of here for the moment, it had also left Julie trapped on the ground with us. Two of our backup soldiers had been brutally slaughtered, and two of my sisters had been injured.
Dani had a broken leg, though it wasn’t a very bad break and would likely heal fine within just a day or two. For now, I’d put a splint on her leg to keep it stable so that her injury wouldn’t get any worse.
Rebecca had been hit with a spray of nasty stone and shredded metal shrapnel, though her armor had protected her from the worst of it. But even so, two sharp projectiles had managed to hit weak spots, leaving her with a hole through her upper thigh and side, both of which I’d already patched up. She had a few nasty bruises as well, but there was nothing to do with those but let them heal on their own.
“I just got off the radio,” Rebecca told us. “They’re not sending another helicopter to pick us up just yet. Brooks said to just head over to where one of the other choppers landed and catch a ride with them.”
“That isn’t going to be practical,” Julie said thoughtfully. “Each chopper was already carrying a load of eight people, not including flight crew. That means they’ll only have space on board for two of us…three if we really cram in.”
“And since there are seven of us here,” I commented, looking at my sisters, Julie, and then the two remaining backup soldiers.
“We’ll have to split up among multiple choppers,” Julie agreed.
“We can worry about that later,” Dani said with a scowl. “For now, let’s just focus on completing our mission and getting to the collection point.”
Nicole gave Julie an apologetic look and said, “Sorry you’re stuck down here with us until then.”
“Not your fault,” Julie responded with a wry smile. “Besides, I always wondered what it was like being down here with you guys.”
“Sorry you have to satisfy your curiosity this way,” Rebecca told her with a faint smile. “Now we’d better get moving before more demons show up.”
We were on the outskirts of what had once been Deacon Falls, far enough from where the bombs hit that there were still bits and pieces of buildings intact, though mostly it was just parts of the foundations. As we walked through these ruins and around the scorched remains of cars, we kept a close watch for any signs of more demons. Sure, the bombs had probably killed most of them, but as we’d already seen first-hand, we couldn’t count on all of the demons being gone.
After we’d searched for an hour, Rebecca asked the backup soldiers to check our perimeter. Once they were gone, she stared at Julie for a moment and then quickly looked to Dani, Nicole, and myself. I immediately understood what she was saying, as did Dani and Nicole. We looked back and forth for a moment, each of us nodding agreement.
“The demon problem keeps getting worse and worse,” Rebecca commented, slowly looking around at the charred ruins that surrounded us. “We’re doing everything we can, but there just aren’t enough of us.”
“But we don’t just want anyone to be an angel,” Nicole said carefully, looking directly at Julie. “We only want people we really like and trust. The only people we want to become angels are ones we want as our sister.”
“What?” Julie asked, looking at Nicole and then Rebecca with a look of confusion.
Rebecca gave Julie a smile and told her, “What Nicole is saying is that if we were actively looking to recruit a new sister…we’d ask you to join us.”
“Of course we can’t do that,” Dani added with a smirk. “That would be completely against the rules.”
Now it was my turn to grin and comment, “Of course, accidents do happen out in the field…” I was more aware of that fact than most.
Julie blinked at that and then looked back and forth between us. “You’re serious,” she blurted out in surprise. “You want me to become one of you?”
My sisters and I all nodded at that. “We like you. We trust you. You’re already a good friend and we want you to be more. We want you to be our sister.”
With that, Rebecca held out her hand, which was covered with her own blood. She’d been holding her hand against the wound on her side, and even though I’d already patched it up, enough blood had already come out to soak her uniform and armor.
For a moment, Julie just stood back, staring at Rebecca’s hand. She looked back and forth between us, gulping visibly. Then she muttered, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” And with that, she stepped forward and grabbed Rebecca’s hand, giving it a good shake.
I grinned at that, watching as Julie pulled her own hand back and stared at the angel blood on her palm. Every one of us knew that unless she’d already been infected by the giant demon, she’d now have the angel strain seeping into her blood stream. In just a few days, she’d begin changing and before long, she’d be one of us.
“Don’t let the backup guys see that,” Nicole said quietly as she went and put a hand on Julie’s shoulder. She gave Julie a grin and added, “Welcome to the family.”
“Wait a minute,” Julie said with a look of sudden realization. She stared down at her hand and asked, “Does this mean I won’t be able to fly anymore?”
“I don’t see why not,” Rebecca answered with a faint smile.
The backup soldiers returned a minute later and we all continued on without mentioning what had happened. Though we hadn’t talked about it, I assumed that we’d feign surprise when we got back to base and ‘discovered’ that Julie had somehow come in contact with Rebecca’s blood. After her encounter with the giant demon, everyone would be relieved that she’d become infected with the angel strain rather than the demon.
“Heads up,” Rebecca called out to us. “I just heard from Captain Brooks. Another group ran into a demon and took it down with an RPG. It looks like our guy wasn’t the only one to survive the bombing.”
“We need to start carrying an RPG too,” Dani muttered. “These demons keep getting bigger and nastier.”
Less than a minute later, almost as if it had been waiting on Rebecca’s comments, a demon let out a roar from a short distance away. Almost as one, we all turned and hurried towards it. Dani was still using Nicole for support while Rebecca managed to move on her own, in spite of her injured leg. We quickly saw the source of the roar, a disgusting looking demon that vaguely resembled a 5 foot tall toad with sickly purple skin.
“Ugly bastard,” Nicole commented.
One of the backup soldiers told Julie, “Stay back… Whatever you do, don’t let it touch you.”
“I wouldn’t let that thing touch me even if it wasn’t contagious,” Julie commented, though she did back up.
The demon leapt right towards one of the backup soldiers, though Dani and Rebecca were already trying to shoot it while it was still in the air. I dove for the soldier, pulling him out of the way before the demon landed.
“Be careful,” I told the soldier, turning to shoot at the demon, though it had obviously already been hit. It was bleeding a nasty black blood from several large wounds.
After letting out a gurgling hiss, which sounded more like it had come from a sick lizard than a toad, the demon opened its mouth. I half expected a giant tongue to come shooting out, but instead, it sprayed some kind of liquid. I was already jumping to the side, pulling the soldier with me so that neither of us was hit. I didn’t know what that spray was, but I had a feeling that I’d be happier not knowing.
A moment later, the demon leapt away, getting shot one more time in the process. It hit the ground and continued try to escape, though we chased after it. After several more shots, the demon finally stopped moving.
“At least that was easier than the last one,” Dani commented with a scowl. She walked towards the demon’s body, limping badly as she did so. “And almost as ugly.”
“How the hell did this one survive the bombing?” one of the soldiers asked. “I can understand that big one. It was armored like a tank. But this thing…”
“Good point,” Rebecca responded with a scowl.
Seconds later, the other soldier called out, “Over here…”
He’d gone a short distance ahead, following the path where the demon had been trying to go. We all went to where he was standing and looked to where he was pointing. One of the building foundations went down pretty deep, revealing that it must have had a pretty large basement. But more than that, there was another hole in the bottom of the basement, one which had obviously not been man made.
“A tunnel,” Rebecca said grimly. “Some of the demons must have been hiding underground.”
“Next time, we need to drop bunker busters on their asses,” Dani stated. “A lot of them.”
“No shit,” one of the soldiers responded.
Nicole scowled and asked, “Why do I have a bad feeling about what comes next?”
“Because you’re not an idiot,” I responded, having the very same bad feeling as I looked towards the tunnel at the bottom of the basement. That was where the demon was trying to escape to, which meant we would have to check it out.
“It would probably be best if you stayed out here,” one of the soldiers told Julie. He patted the biohazard outfit he was wearing and added, “We’ve got protection and I’m still terrified of getting infected down there.”
“If that’s where the demons have been holding up,” Rebecca said, “then anyone who went down there without some kind of protection would probably get infected.”
I looked at Julie, wondering if the angel strain had gotten enough of a hold to prevent an infection of the demon strain. Whether it had or not, it wasn’t a risk worth taking and my sisters seemed to agree.
“I’ll stay up here with Julie,” Dani said, rubbing her leg and wincing. “I can’t move as well as I need to.” Rebecca nodded at that but didn’t point out that her leg had been injured as well.
“Our gear will protect us,” one of the soldiers pointed out, though he still sounded more than a little nervous.
We started down into the tunnel, and I desperately wished that I’d stayed back with Dani and Julie. I definitely didn’t like the idea of going into a dark demon tunnel, even if we did all have lights on us. That made the tunnel easier to see in, though did little to reduce the scary factor.
“Keep on your toes,” Rebecca whispered to us. “We don’t know if more demons might be down here.”
I nodded at that while simultaneously grimacing at the horrible smell. “I just wish we brought nose plugs.”
“At least I have that,” one of the backup soldiers joked from inside his biohazard gear.
The tunnel split into two a short distance in, which made me worry a little at the implications. A single demon tunnel was a problem but if there were actually a network of tunnels… I tried not to think of that or of the claustrophobia I was starting to feel. Instead, I focused trying to stay calm as we continued down the larger tunnel.
“I think this part used to be a mine,” Rebecca quietly announced, shining her light on some thick wooden supports that were holding up the ceiling. “It makes sense… If there were mines around the town, they’d be the perfect place for the demons to survive.”
“I’m amazed any of the mines survived the bombing,” Nicole commented. “I mean, they sure don’t build things to last like that anymore…”
Now that I knew what to look for, it was obvious that this part of the tunnel had been made by people. The walls and ceiling were mostly flat and there were various supports holding things together. That made me feel relieved yet nervous at the same time.
We continued following the tunnel a little longer and I was sure we were moving away from the town. Then we came to a wide open cavern that actually had a faint green glow from within. I slowly looked over the cavern, sweeping my light to the source of the green glow.
“Oh shit,” I whispered, seeing a dozen slimy green footballs.
“There’s more over here,” Nicole whispered, her voice sounding just as nervous as I felt.
“And over there,” Rebecca added quietly. “And over there…”
“Those damn things are all over,” one of the soldiers said.
Just then, the hairs on the back of my neck all stood on end and I looked across the cavern, feeling something moving. Almost as one, the five of us all aimed our lights in that direction, revealing the source of the movement…and the eggs.
The demon was enormous, but not in quite the same way as the monster that had destroyed the helicopter. From the waist up, she resembled a human woman…but bigger. If she had proportionate human legs, she would have stood at over fifteen feet tall. As it was, her top part was shaped like a very busty woman, though she had scaly green skin and four arms. Her face still looked largely human, though she had yellow eyes and waves of dark green hair. From her waist down, she was a massive snake, covered with green and gray scales. She wasn’t as bulky as the other demon, but from head to tail she was definitely longer.
“Oh shit,” I whispered, half sure I was about to piss myself.
I stared at the demon in terror, relieved that she hadn’t attacked us quite yet. She stared at us with a malevolent glare, but for the moment, she seemed content to watch us. I didn’t think that would last for very long though, especially since her coils seemed to be tensing.
“So this is the demon queen,” Rebecca said with a gulp, slowly raising her rifle so as not to startled the demon and make it attack any sooner.
Suddenly, a new voice said, “Queen…” It was a woman’s voice, but raspy and odd sounding. But even more surprising than that was the source. It had come from the demon.
“What the hell?” Nicole blurted in disbelief.
I stared up at the demon in stunned confusion, sure that I must have heard wrong. Everyone knew that demons were nothing more than rabid monsters, that they completely lost their minds when they changed.
“Yesss,” the demon announced as she stared down at us with a predatory grin. “Thisss I am… I am queen…”
By
Morpheus
I stared up at the demon queen in confusion, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that she could actually talk. This was much like finding out that the neighbor’s dog can talk, something which goes against everything I knew about the species.
“Humansss,” the demon queen said, moving around and staring at us intently. The expression on her face made me think of a cat who was playing with a mouse…or in this case, a snake who was playing with mice.
“You…you can talk,” Nicole blurted out.
“Yesss,” the demon queen responded. “But none talked back…until now. Until you humansss.”
I looked to Rebecca and Nicole, seeing that they were both as confused about this situation as I was. We were supposed to hunt down demons and kill them, not talk to them. The fact that this one was talking instead of attacking left us all uncertain of the situation.
Then the demon queen lowered her human part towards us and sniffed the air. She looked at the two soldiers in biohazard gear, then she looked at me and my sisters. The demon scowled and pulled back a little.
“You sssmell the sssame,” the demon said, sounding surprised. “I know you…” She let out a strange hiss before stating, “Rebecca…”
“What?” Rebecca gasped in shock. Then she quickly demanded, “How do you know who I am?”
“I wasss human once,” the demon queen answered, turning her full attention to Rebecca. “I wasss…long ago.”
“You…you remember being human?” I asked in surprise, though I was beginning to wonder when I’d stop being surprised. I should just assume that none of the normal rules apply to this demon.
The demon queen let out her odd hiss again before stating, “Humansss are sssoft… Humansss are weak… Humansss are…tasty.” Her tone had been filled with contempt and hostility, and now she was looking at us with a hungry expression.
“But you used to be one,” Rebecca reminded her suspiciously. “Who are you? Who WERE you?”
For a moment, the demon just swayed back and forth with a look of concentration on her face, as though she was having to work hard to find the answer. Then she finally hissed, “I wasss called Yavich…”
“Martin Yavich?” Rebecca demanded with an expression of both shock and anger. “You were Martin Yavich?”
“Yesss,” the demon queen responded, seeming pleased, perhaps because she’d actually been able remember that much.
I just stared at the demon queen, feeling a knot in my stomach. This wasn’t just a demon…she was the very first demon. This was the very person who had created the demon strain in the first place. And when I saw the expression of hatred on Rebecca’s face, I also remembered that this was also the same demon who’d killed her mother.
Without warning, the demon queen suddenly lashed out with her tail, sweeping it across the cavern floor and right into us. Rebecca and I jumped over the tail, but Nicole and the soldiers were caught and flung against the wall. However, Nicole was immediately on her feet again, though she had to run and dodge as the tail came at her again.
“Kill her,” Rebecca screamed out, opening fire though massive coils came up and acted as a shield to keep her from being able to hit the demon’s more human parts.
The demon queen shot out towards one of the soldiers, then struck with her clawed hands. But to my surprise, she didn’t tear his throat out but merely slashed his leg and then pulled back. A second later, she launched herself at the other soldier, similarly slashing at his arm and then backing off.
“Holy shit,” I blurted out, realizing that she wasn’t trying to kill the soldiers. She’d intentionally infected them instead. I’d never heard of a demon doing something like that, but then again, she was unlike any demon I’d ever heard of.
“Do not fight humansss,” the queen announced. “You are sssmall and weak…”
“You were an asshole as a man,” Rebecca yelled at her. “Now you’re just a bigger pain in the ass.”
I ran to the injured soldiers, asking, “Are you all right?” But of course, I knew that they weren’t. The demon had punctured their protective suits and injured them at the same time. It was an absolute certainty that they were infected.
“Right as rain,” the one with the injured leg responded, though his voice was shaking badly.
A quick glance revealed that their injuries wouldn’t be life threatening, though they’d definitely need treatment. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to patch them up at the moment and wouldn’t be able to until we dealt with the demon queen.
“Keep pressure on your wounds,” I told them. “I’ll get you fixed up as soon as we deal with that bitch.”
“I don’t think there’s much you can do about this,” the other soldier said quietly.
I turned my attention back to the demon queen, was still using her scaled coils to protect her humanoid parts. Her scales were armored and very tough, but they weren’t impenetrable as she had several bleeding holes.
“I need a bigger gun,” Nicole called out in frustration. “The demons keep getting bigger and tougher but our weapons have been staying the same.”
“We’ll deal with that when we get back to base,” Rebecca responded grimly. “For now, just kill that damn thing…”
“You don’t need to tell me twice,” Nicole told her with a snarl. “You’re not the only one with a score to settle against this one.”
The demon queen let out a strange hissing roar, then lashed out with her tail again, catching Rebecca and Nicole and pressing them back against the cavern wall. Several coils were pushed towards them, creating a virtual wall of armored snake flesh.
A moment later, two more demons entered the cavern from an opening on the other side, probably called by the queen’s roar. Fortunately, they were both much smaller and looked more like the kind of demons we dealt with normally. One of them was tall and humanoid but covered with thick hair so that he resembled a sasquatch or wookie. The other one was somewhat humanoid in shape, but with a body that was covered with chitinous armor so that he looked almost like an insect.
The two new demons started coming towards me and the soldiers, but the demon queen hissed at them. “No… Thessse are mine.” She reached down to one of the piles of eggs, grabbing one of the eggs with each of her hands and handing them to the two demons. “Ssspread my childrensss. Keep them sssafe…”
For a moment, I just stood there, feeling stunned again by this demon and how she was able to control the other demons. Then I snarled and took aim, shooting the hairy demon in the shoulder and knocking him back. He dropped both the eggs he’d been holding and they hit the ground with a splat. The queen shrieked at that, obviously furious that I’d destroyed her eggs. So with a grin, I opened fire on the nearest pile of eggs.
“My eggsss,” she hissed furiously, letting out another shriek and then diving for me.
I dove to the side and ran across the cavern, alternately shooting the demon queen and her eggs. Rebecca and Nicole were no longer trapped in the corner by the queen and followed my lead. Even the two injured soldiers opened fire, though they were focusing on the two smaller demons. In seconds, the smaller demons were both dead, but the queen was still very much alive and completely pissed off.
“Let’s get out of here,” Rebecca called out. “I don’t want to be in here if this place collapses from our fighting…”
“It didn’t collapse when Hell Town was blown up,” Nicole responded wryly. “I think it can stand up to a little fighting.”
In spite of that, we began leaving the cavern. I grabbed the soldier with the injured leg and offered him support as we went back down the tunnel we’d come here through. Nicole took point in case more demons arrive from that direction while Rebecca trailed behind, shooting back towards the demon queen to keep her from catching us from behind. Still, I could hear her coming after us down the tunnel, making me wish that I’d grabbed another grenade or two from Dani.
When we reached the entrance we’d come through, Rebecca yelled out to Dani, “We’ve got incoming… We found the demon queen and she’s on our tail.”
“Are you guys okay?” Julie asked, looking at the injured soldiers.
“Just peachy,” one of the soldiers spat out bitterly.
“Get this,” Nicole exclaimed. “The demon queen is Doctor Yavich.”
Dani gave her a look of disbelief. “You’re shitting me…”
Nicole grinned in response and added, “It looks like you and Monica aren’t the only ones the harkon virus gave a sex change to.”
“We have located the demon queen and are in engagement,” Rebecca called out over the radio. “And for advisement, she’s also patient zero for the demon strain.”
A moment later, there was hissing sound from the hole, right before the demon queen burst out of it. All I could think of for a brief moment was that it must have been a tight fit. Then I caught myself and opened fire, as did everyone else including Julie.
“My childrensss,” the queen shrieked. “You will die humansss.”
“Did she just talk?” Dani blurted out in surprise.
“Shut up and shoot,” Rebecca ordered.
The demon threw her human part forward and slashed at Rebecca with her clawed hands. My sister dove to the side, though she wasn’t fast enough to avoid the attack completely. Claws tore along her armor but didn’t get through. At the same time, the massive tail swung around, hitting Nicole and sending her flying back with a scream.
At this point, the demon queen was lashing out and fighting more like a rabid animal than an intelligent being. She was behaving much like any other demon, making me wonder how much her remaining human side was actually in control and how much was just demon instinct.
“My squad is on the way,” Mike’s voice came over the radio. “We’ll be there as soon as possible.”
“Well, hurry your ass up,” Dani responded.
I rushed to Nicole’s side, seeing that she was still conscious, though she was wincing in pain. “I think I cracked my ribs on that one,” she told me as she tried sitting up.
“Not much I can do for that at the moment,” I told her with a grimace. “Let me pull you back for now…”
“Just give my gun and I’ll be fine,” she responded with a wince, gesturing to where she’d dropped her weapon when she’d been hit.
The demon queen tried making a lunge towards Dani, but even with her broken leg she was able to jump to the side, shooting back at the demon queen. She hit the demon in her armored coil, making two large holes. Then one of her shots caught the demon in her human torso, creating a large hole there as well. The demon queen tried making one more lunch but instead fell face first into the ground. Her tail slapped around and caught one of the soldiers, sending him flying with a sickening crunch. Then the tail fell to the ground as well.
“She’s dead,” Julie exclaimed in amazement, having put several holes in the demon queen herself, though she had stood back as far as she could.
I nodded and rushed to the soldier who had already been injured in the arm and infected. But as I bent down to check his vitals, I shook my head and sadly announced, “So is he.”
The reinforcements arrived less than a minute later and Mike immediately stopped to stare at the now dead demon queen. Gene, who was part of that that squad and who was currently wearing one of the bulky biohazard outfits came towards me.
“Are you okay?” Gene asked me, looking worried.
“I’m fine,” I told him quietly. “Him…not so much.” I gestured to the dead soldier.
“Damn,” Gene gasped as he looked at the dead soldier. “Nick…”
I winced at that, suddenly feeling guilty that I hadn’t even bothered to learn the man’s name. I’d seen too many people die since I started fighting demons, and I hadn’t even been on this job all that long. I looked to my sisters, realizing how many more they must have watched die over the years.
Captain Brooks arrived a few minutes later, also wearing one of the biohazard suits, which protected from infection but made it more difficult to fight. “So this is the demon queen,” he said as he looked over the body. “Are you certain?”
“Positive,” Rebecca answered. “We found about a hundred eggs down in her nest.”
“And you’re sure this is patient zero?” Captain Brooks asked.
“Yeah, this is…was Martin Yavich,” Rebecca agreed, glaring at the dead demon. “She told me so herself.”
Captain Brooks just gave her a look that indicated that he thought she was joking. Then he shook his head and began to slowly walk away.
Just then, our surviving backup soldier yelled, “She’s moving…”
I looked back at the demon queen and saw she was indeed moving, though it was no more than a slight movement of her arm and the very end of her tail. Still, it was enough to confirm that in spite of her severe injuries, she was still very much alive. Dani and Rebecca both immediately took aim to rectify that situation.
“STOP,” Captain Brooks ordered.
“We need to kill her before she recovers,” Dani responded coldly.
“We can’t do that,” Captain Brooks said with a look of distaste. “I just got orders from on high that they want us to bring in patient zero as intact as possible.”
I stared at Captain Brooks, knowing that keeping the demon queen alive was a VERY bad idea. From the grim look on his face, he agreed with me completely, but he had been given his orders.
“We are SO going to regret this,” Julie muttered from a short distance away while I nodded in full agreement.
By
Morpheus
I watched with a grim expression as they hooked the demon queen up to a Chinook helicopter so she could be hauled away. She was near dead, had been dosed with enough tranquilizers to kill an elephant, had been chained up and then sealed in tight plastic wrappings, but I was still extremely nervous.
“I guess I’ll see you back at base,” Gene told me, giving me an awkward hug. It was difficult to do better than that though when he was still wearing that biohazard gear.
“Later,” I told him before he rushed off to join his squad in their helicopter.
Then I went to my sisters, all three of whom were injured. I’d escaped the fight with nothing more than a couple bruises and felt just a little guilty about getting off so easy. Of course, they would heal from their injuries while others had died…or been infected with the demon strain. That soldier would probably be better off if he had died, though I’d done my best to patch him up anyway.
Nicole shook her head and muttered, “How was she controlling those other demons…” She looked to Rebecca, “You saw her giving them orders…and they just acted like her pets or something.”
“Maybe they instinctively recognize her as the mother of their species,” Rebecca answered with a shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe she actually is their mother and they hatched from her eggs.”
I thought about it for a moment and said, “I’m guessing pheromones.”
“What?” Nicole asked, giving me a curious look.
“Demons are like hyper-aggressive wild animals,” I explained. “Most of them seem to be driven on pure animal instinct. I’m guessing our demon queen has some kind of pheromone that works on their primitive instincts. Maybe it triggers their instincts to recognize her as their mother or pack leader.”
“Makes sense to me,” Rebecca said, giving me a thoughtful look. “Maybe if we can figure out how she does it, we can figure out how to control the demons.”
“Yeah,” Dani added with a chuckle. “It will be a lot easier of we can just make them stand still and let us kill them.”
“Or make cans of demon repellent,” Nicole added.
I nodded at that, then realized that we didn’t have much time. “I guess I’ll see you girls back at Heaven,” I told my sisters, giving Nicole a hug but being very gentle because of her ribs.
“Too bad there isn’t enough room for you to ride with us,” Rebecca said, glancing at the infected soldier who was riding with them as if wishing he’d leave to make room for me.
I just gave a weak chuckle at that. “Well, we lost our chopper and have to make do with where they can fit us in.” I looked to Julie, who was riding with my sisters. I gave my soon to be sister a reassuring grin and told her, “You take care of them.”
“Will do,” Julie responded.
“Go,” Dani said, pointing to the helicopter I’d been assigned to ride in. Then in a bad Austrian accent, she exclaimed, “Get to the choppa…”
I laughed at that, then gave Dani and Rebecca each a quick hug. “I’ll see you guys back home,” I said, turning and running to my helicopter.
I was eager to get out of Hell Town, as was everyone else. After all, not only could there still be a few demons hiding in the tunnels, but there were some planes coming to bomb the town flat...AGAIN. This time, they were going to covering a wider area and use some bunker busters to make sure nothing could survive by hiding in the tunnels and mines. I’d even overheard Captain Brooks muttering something about how he wished they’d just use a tactical nuke and get it over with.
One by one, the helicopters began to lift off and depart. When the Chinook that was carrying the demon queen began to rise, the queen somehow awoke enough to let out a loud shriek. I winced at that, cursing the fact that we hadn’t used even more tranquilizer on her. But on a second consideration, I cursed the fact that we hadn’t finished putting her down, orders from on high or not.
My helicopter was the last one to take off, but as we were doing so I heard someone calling out over the radio, “Holy shit… We’ve got demons coming out of the woodworks down there. That snake bitch must be calling them.”
I looked out the window and saw that demons were emerging from the outer edges of the devastation, probably having hidden in the tunnels and mines. There were probably about a dozen of the demons total, though I wasn’t concerned. We were already in the air and the bombs would take care of them soon enough. This time there would be no escape for the monsters.
“Oh shit,” the pilot of my helicopter blurted out. “I think we’ve got a flyer…”
“Oh shit,” I repeated, frantically looking out the window until I saw it, a flying demon that looked something like a humanoid pterodactyl. And it was flying right towards us, probably because we were the closest helicopter
“Hold on tight,” the pilot called back to me and the soldiers I was riding with. “This may get rough…”
The pilot tried maneuvering the helicopter, but the demon was able to change direction too. I was sure that a helicopter would be able to easily outmaneuver a demon, but a moment later there was an impact that shook the entire helicopter. My heart jumped in my chest and I struggled to get another look out the window so I could see what was going on. But then, we suddenly began to fall.
“It hit the rotor,” the pilot called out as the helicopter tumbled out of control, once again captured by the power of gravity.
There were voices coming over the radio, but the only one I could clearly make out was the voice of one of my sisters screaming, “MONICA!”
Seconds later, everything exploded into pain and chaos. The helicopter hit the ground and rolled several times while everything that hadn’t been strapped down was thrown around at random, smashing into me and everyone else inside. Somehow, I remained conscious through the entire ordeal, though I wasn’t sure how.
I had no idea how long I remained where I was, feeling dazed and in agony. Once my head cleared enough, I undid my seat belt and began pulling myself out. I winced with each motion, sure that I’d busted my ribs and leg. My shoulder hurt like hell too, and then there was the fact that I had a ringing headache and could only see out of one eye. My body armor had probably protected me from being hurt even worse than I was, though I now wished that I’d still been wearing my helmet as well.
“Guys,” I gasped, trying to look at the other people in there with me.
The helicopter was filled with blood and broken bodies. Only one of them was moving at all and he was moaning. From the look of him, he’d been injured nearly as badly as I was.
I groaned, caught between the desire to help him and the need to help myself. But after taking a closer look at him, I wasn’t sure that I could safely remove him from his seat without doing more damage. I couldn’t safely move myself either so that meant we’d have to wait for a rescue.
When I tried calling out on my radio, it was completely dead. I winced at that, wondering if one of the other radios was still working. It wasn’t likely that all of them had gotten busted in the crash.
“At least we weren’t too high up,” I muttered, knowing that this could have been worse if the demon hadn’t hit us so quickly after takeoff.
For a moment, I attempted to search for a working radio, but I hurt too much and gave up. Instead, I just remained where I was, waiting for the rescue.
A short time later, I heard a growling noise from outside the helicopter. It sent a cold chill down my spine and I immediately tried grabbing one of the weapons that had been flung about in the crash. Fortunately, there was one right next to me.
Suddenly, thick claws tore through the helicopter door and tore it open, revealing the demon on the other side. It looked much like a giant wolf, though it had thick boney spines on its back. It snarled and lunged at me, tearing its way further inside the helicopter.
I screamed like a little girl and then pulled the trigger, firing several shots right into its head. The demon died in a splatter of blood and gore. I closed my eyes, thanking fate that it wasn’t armored like some of those other demons.
“Oh God,” I groaned, wondering where my rescue was. Then I winced and turned to the other survivor, “Where are they…” I grimaced in pain, adding, “Maybe I can signal them…”
I grimaced and fought against the pain as I pulled myself out of the helicopter. From the trees around me, it was clear that I hadn’t landed in Hell Town but in the woods outside of it.
After a few more minutes, I noticed something in the sky, an aircraft. I squinted my good eye and tried to focus on it, though it wasn’t easy. It was a plane…not a helicopter. That meant it wouldn’t be able to land here. Then I saw something fall from it…several somethings.
“Oh shit,” I whispered, realizing that they’d just dropped the bombs.
Though I wasn’t directly in Hell Town, I was still far too close for my comfort. I scrambled to get return to the helicopter again but didn’t quite reach it when the first bomb went off.
The ground shook and rumbled, then I saw a massive wave of smoke and fire coming towards me. In desperation, I scrambled to find cover before it hit and barely managed to cower down beside the helicopter. I had barely found cover when it hit, smashing me with force and fire all at once. I screamed as I hunkered down, though several more bombs went off in short succession. I blacked out before the last one.
When I came to again, every inch of my body was in agony. The shockwave had thrown me a short distance from where I’d been crouched down and had broken more of my bones. My leg was at an odd angle and I could see a piece of bone sticking out from my forearm. My skin was blackened and blistered while blood seeped from various lacerations.
But as much as my body hurt, what hurt even more was the sense of betrayal and abandonment. They hadn’t come… No one had come to rescue me, not even my sisters.
I struggled to move, to at least try giving myself what medical attention I could. However, all my medical supplies had been left in the helicopter and there was no way I could get to them at the moment. Still I braced against the pain and tried pulling myself back there anyway, though I passed out before I could reach the opening.
After waking from long and twisted nightmares, I was back in a reality that was every bit as bad. My body was responding even less than it had before, so I was in utter agony and unable to do anything about it.
As I lay there, helpless for any demon who may have survived, unable to even defend myself against a squirrel, I tried to focus my thoughts by cataloguing my injuries. Since I couldn’t examine myself properly, some of them I had to guess from my pains and some were filled in by my imagination.
I had no idea how many times I cycled through horrific nightmares and an even worse reality. All I had was agony and terror as I grew even weaker and weaker. The only thing that had kept me alive this long was my augmented biology, but even that had reached its limits. I was at my end and knew it.
Then something shook me from one of my nightmares and I felt a presence. I slowly opened my good eye and saw a blurry figure bent over me. After several seconds, it became more clear and I saw it was a human, all dressed in some sort of gray suit. He had a hood and mask over his entire face, perhaps to help protect against infection.
At first, I thought I was dreaming, though he touched me and seemed to be checking my wounds. Something stirred in my memory and I whispered, “Don’t…touch…my…blood…”
The gray clad figure paused at that and then and then said, “That isn’t a concern.”
With that, the gray clad figure pulled off his hood and mask, revealing that it was not a man like I’d thought but a woman. But when she looked down at me, I saw the very same face that met me every morning in the mirror.
“It’s okay sister,” she gently told me in my own voice. “I’m Lisa and I’m here to help.”
By
Morpheus
I awoke to pain, though it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been. Instead of a searing agony, there was now a dull ache through my entire body. And as I lay there, I was aware that I could move again, at least a little.
Once I could bring myself to face more, I opened my eyes…or at least my eye. One of my eyes still wasn’t working, but with the one that was I could see that I was in bed and in what almost looked like a hospital room. There was an IV stuck into my arm and I was connected to a heart rate monitor as well.
“Hello,” I whispered hoarsely, though there was no one in the room to hear me.
About an hour later, a young woman came into the room and said, “You’re awake…”
Her voice was very familiar, as was her face. She was an angel, with shoulder length hair that was pulled back into a pony tail. She wore a pair of glasses, which confused me for a moment since my sisters and I all had perfect vision.
“You’re Lisa,” I whispered, vaguely remembering her finding me before I’d passed out again. “How…? I thought you were dead…”
“The rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated,” she told me with a faint smile. Then she leaned over me and said, “It’s nice to finally meet you face to face. I just wish it was under better circumstances.”
“Face to face?” I asked, still feeing dazed and confused.
“We’ve run into each other a couple times in our dreams,” she answered with a chuckle. Then she gave me a sympathetic look and said, “That’s actually how I knew you were still alive. You were having nightmares and I shared one.”
I stared at Lisa, trying to make sense of this. I’d crashed and had been left for dead, and the only person who’d come for me was someone else who was supposed to be dead. If it wasn’t for the fact that I hurt so much, I would have assumed that I was dead and she was my escort into the afterlife.
“Monica,” Lisa said gently.
“How…?” I asked weakly. “How do you know my name?”
“I know a lot of things,” Lisa told me with a faint smile. “My sources told me of your crash…and that you were presumed dead. When I connected with your nightmare, I knew you were alive and came as quickly as I could.”
With that, Lisa reached to a small table beside me, one that I hadn’t even noticed until then. There was a carafe of water which she used to fill a glass. But instead of handing it to me, she brought to the glass to my lips. I tried reaching for the glass but couldn’t do so.
“Don’t try to move,” she instructed. “Just drink. I’m sure you’re thirsty.”
I took a drink, thankful for the cool water and how it eased my scratchy throat. I hadn’t even realized how thirsty I was until then. Once the glass was empty, Lisa put the glass back down, then pulled out a chair and sat down beside me.
“You were severely injured,” Lisa explained, her voice going calm and clinical. “Seventeen fractures, several of which were quiet severe. There were multiple lacerations as well as severe contusions over much of your body. Your eye was severely damaged, you had second degree burns on your exposed skin and half the hair on your head had been burned off.”
There was nothing I could say to that, especially since it wasn’t news to me. I hadn’t known the exact number of broken bones I’d received, though honestly, I’d actually expected there to be more.
“I barely reached you in time,” Lisa continued, giving me a worried look. “I had to bring you to the nearest facility where I could treat you.” She paused at that before quietly adding, “The Harkon Research Facility…or at least what’s left of it.”
I gasped at that, feeling a surge of fear. “No…”
“There aren’t any demons here,” she quickly assured me. “The whole compound had been locked up and nearly forgotten. The part we’re in is on the opposite end from where the outbreak occurred.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking about how my entire body ached and this setup. “How long?” I finally asked. “How long have I been here?”
Lisa hesitated for a moment before answering, “Almost a week. I’ve had you under heavy sedation for the pain.”
For a moment, all I could do was stare at Lisa in shock. I could hardly believe that I’d been out that long. “My sisters,” I whispered, tears coming to my eye. They had to be worried. No, they’d abandoned me.
“OUR sisters,” Lisa corrected me. She seemed to guess my thoughts because she quickly told me, “They wouldn’t abandon you. They insisted on going down to personally check on you after your crash, but they weren’t allowed to. And then… Well, we’ll talk about that later…after you get some more rest. But I can promise you this, Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole would never just abandon you.”
“But they didn’t come,” I protested weakly.
“Only because they couldn’t,” Lisa insisted, giving me a sad smile. “So I came instead.” She stood up and put a gentle hand on my forehead. “Even though we had never met in person, you are still my sister and I couldn’t abandon you any more than they could. Now rest and get some more sleep. You still have a lot of healing to do.” And with that, she turned and left the room.
By
Morpheus
It was two days since I’d woken up under Lisa’s care, and in that time I’d healed a great deal though I still had further to go. As an angel, I could heal from injuries much faster than any normal person, yet I had pushed those healing abilities to their very limits.
I had healed enough that I was no longer stuck in my bed, though I was currently sitting in a wheelchair instead. One of my legs was still wrapped up and supported with a splint, while my arm hung in a sling. Both of those limbs had suffered multiple fractures, including compound fractures, and were among the slowest to recover. Even so, it would probably be safe to remove the bandages and start walking again in the next day or two.
“What color do you see?” Lisa asked me as she moved a blue stick back and forth in front of me.
“Blue,” I answered, having a hand over my good eye as I watched it. “Everything is still a little blurry, but at least I can see out of that eye again.”
“The blurriness should go away by tonight,” she assured me with a grin. Then she handed me a glass and said, “Time for another snack.”
I cautiously sniffed the contents of the glass before letting out a sigh and then drinking it. It was basically the same thing that Rebecca had been making me drink when I’d been going through my changes, a protein shake with lots of extra vitamins and supplements mixed in. It didn’t taste all that pleasant, but at least it helped provide the raw materials for my body needed to repair itself.
“Would you be interested in another game of chess?” Lisa asked me hopefully.
“Why not,” I responded with a sigh, though I didn’t have a lot of hope of winning.
Over the last two days, Lisa had been teaching me how to play the game, though it was obvious that I didn’t stand a chance against her. In fact, playing chess against her was nearly as bad as playing ping-pong against Dani before I’d finished changing.
“You’ll get better with practice,” Lisa assured me as she paused to take a sip from her cup of tea.
While we played, Lisa didn’t talk much beyond commenting on my moves and offering advice. I’d already noticed that she was a bit more introverted than the other angels, though she did respond well to questions. Unfortunately, she refused to answer any questions about how she was still alive or why she hadn’t contacted the others.
Still, in spite of Lisa’s reluctance to answer some of my questions, I was almost certain I could trust her. I’d only met her a couple days ago, but our first meeting had been with her saving my life. I didn’t know her well, yet I still felt as though I did. A lot of that could be due to the stories the others had told me about her, but I suspected it was more than that. Regardless of all the questions I still had, she was my sister.
I continued prodding Lisa with questions, finding that she would happily talk about our sisters. After pushing her a little, she’d told me about their training and their first official fight as Angel Squad. The others didn’t talk about it too much, but Lisa was happy to spill the beans.
“And then this ridiculously fat demon actually sat on Nicole,” Lisa told me with a giggle. “We were all trying to push him and pull him off but he wouldn’t budge. All he’d do was snarl and belch while trying to bite us. None of us had been fighters before our change so we didn’t think to just shoot him…at least not at first. Afterwards, we were all so embarrassed about it, especially Nicole…”
“I’d imagine,” I responded with a shudder.
“We’re just lucky he was relatively harmless as far as demons go,” Lisa added. “I mean, he actually took a bite out of Dani’s arm, but he was pretty slow moving and clumsy. Just…big.”
I nodded at that and sighed, “If you want to see big, you should have seen the demon queen…”
“I…I heard a little about her,” Lisa said carefully, surprising me since I hadn’t told her anything about that fight. Then again, she always seemed to know more than she should, though she refused to answer my questions about this. “I always suspected that Yavich had escaped the quarantine measures, but I never would have guessed he’d evolve into something like that. I’d always kind of thought he’d just be one of those random demons we got called in to kill and that we’d never even realize it was him.”
We were both silent for a moment, making several moves on the chess board before I said, “About Hell Town…” My voice choked at that as I remembered what had happened there, and the pain of the aftermath. “So many demons…”
“They’re gone now,” Lisa responded, giving me a weak smile. After making another move and taking my knight, she admitted, “I’ve used binoculars to look the ruins over a couple times. I didn’t see a single sign of a demon.” Then she paused again before adding, “I didn’t want to get any closer though. They’ve actually got drones flying overhead, just in case more demons did survive.”
“I doubt it,” I muttered. “Not unless they were well away from that town.”
“Always a possibility,” she reluctantly admitted.
Just then, I suddenly heard the Star Wars theme music playing from the other side of the room. Lisa jumped up and ran to the corner where she picked up a satellite phone. She stepped out of the room before talking, then came back just a minute later with a grim look on her face.
I watched Lisa for a moment, scowling as I did so. My eyes went to the phone in her hands before I asked, “Can I borrow that to call Rebecca and let her know I’m alive?”
“You can’t call them,” Lisa responded quietly.
“Why not?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice calm. “You’ve obviously been able to call out the entire time.”
Lisa grimaced, then blurted out, “Because they can’t answer.”
“What?” I asked in surprise. “Why not?”
“I was waiting to tell you this until you finished healing,” she answered quietly. “You already have enough to worry about…”
“Now you’re just making me worry more,” I insisted. “What the hell is going on?”
Lisa was silent for a moment, then said, “While you were on your last mission, they…modified the ban on retrovirus research.”
“About time,” I started, but Lisa shook her head.
“It isn’t good news,” she stated. “The helicopters were diverted to another base. When they landed, they were met with the third DSU who took them into custody. Angel Squad was locked up in quarantine.”
“WHAT?” I demanded, feeling both stunned and angry.
“Senator Dolenz and General Lawrence ordered every angel to be quarantined,” Lisa spat out bitterly. The she gave me a sad smile and continued, “That includes our new sister Julie…”
I blinked at that, asking, “But why…?” But I already suspected the answer. It was something that Rebecca and the others had been afraid might happen.
“The official reason is so that they can study the angel strain and look for a cure to the harkon virus,” Lisa answered with a snort. She adjusted her glasses and let out a sigh. “Of course, the real reason is that they’re planning on researching a new super soldier strain at the same time.”
“But Colonel Roberts would never allow that,” I protested, already realizing that he wouldn’t have a choice.
“None of the first would have cooperated,” Lisa told me sadly. “Which is why they sent the third.” Then she spat out, “They’re being drugged too so they can’t resist or escape. They’re being treated like they’re demons.”
“We have to get them out,” I blurted out.
I expected Lisa to argue, but instead she responded, “Once you’re healed up.” Then she shook her head and spat out, “Damn Dolenz…” Lisa turned to me and held her thumb and pointer finger about an inch apart. “Do you know I was about this close to putting a drop of demon blood on his door handle?”
“What?” I gasped in surprise.
“Him and those other jerks,” Lisa continued, her voice lowering in volume. “They ignored Doctor Vaughn’s warnings and insisted on a more powerful harkon strain. And then when things exploded, every one of them escaped responsibility. Instead, they blamed the whole thing on scientists who ignored safety protocols…when of course none of those scientists were around to defend themselves.” Then she shook her head again and gave me a wry smile. “I really wanted to infect them with the demon strain…especially Dolenz and Lawrence. But I couldn’t bring myself to do it. No one deserves that…not even them.” She paused again, then admitted, “But mostly, I couldn’t risk any innocents getting infected or killed because of me.”
“Is that why you left?” I asked, trying to understand. “To try getting revenge on them?”
Lisa sat down, suddenly looking deflated and sad. “I didn’t plan it,” she said quietly. “We were fighting some demons and I got separated from the others. I got hurt…badly. I lost my arm.” She held up her arm and wiggled her fingers, all of which seemed perfectly normal. “There were demons and that fire... I ran and jumped into a river to escape the demons. I floated down the river a bit before coming to shore and passing out. When I came to, I discovered that they’d found my arm and thought I was dead. I wanted to come back and tell them I was alive, but then I realized this was an opportunity…”
“So you just let them think you were dead?” I demanded, knowing how much my other sisters missed her. Her death had really hurt them, so to find out that she’d intentionally let them think she was dead…
“Leaving them like that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Lisa tried explaining as tears ran down her cheeks. “It was even harder than telling the woman I loved that I wasn’t attracted to her anymore. But I couldn’t let them know… If Rebecca, Nicole, and Dani knew, they’d leave with me and that would give everything away. I had something I needed to do and that was the price I had to pay to do it.”
I tried standing up at that, though I couldn’t quite make it so settled back into my seat. “And what did you have to do so much that you’d hurt them like that?”
Lisa stared at me for a moment, then quietly asked, “You want to know why I left? Why I let them think I was dead?” She let out a sigh and said, “Follow me…”
Lisa led me out the door and down the hall to another room. The room had obviously once been a break room as it had a vending machine sitting in the corner, though I wouldn’t dare touch anything that had been left there for eight years. A microwave had been pulled out and the full counter and table were covered with equipment that must have come from a lab. There were microscopes, bottles of weird liquid, and a few small machines I couldn’t quite identify.
Lisa handed me a glass cylinder that was about the size of a coffee thermos and which had a biohazard symbol clearly visible on the side. “This is why I left,” she stated.
“What is this?” I asked, having a bad feeling about it. Then I saw a that there was a label on the cylinder which said ‘HARKON VIRUS: OMEGA STRAIN’. My eyes widened in horror and I blurted out, “What the hell?”
“Everyone knows that all the scientists working on the virus were killed during the outbreak,” Lisa said with a scowl. “But everyone seems to have forgotten that I was one of those scientists.” She paused to give me a faint smile before adding, “Of course, I was just a lab assistant, but I was helping with the project.”
“And what does that have to do with THIS?” I demanded, holding up the cylinder.
“Do you know how I felt?” Lisa demanded of me. “Knowing that I had a hand in creating that plague? Do you know how infuriating it was to know that the politicians and bureaucrats wouldn’t even let anyone look for a cure? I fought demons for years, knowing we were fighting a losing battle. So when I saw an opportunity to get out from under their eyes and do something about it, I took it.”
Lisa paused for a moment and took several deep breaths. She removed her glasses and wiped at the tears, then put her glasses back on.
“I started with a sample of my own virus,” Lisa continued quietly, “and reverse engineered it. I stripped Rebecca’s DNA as well as the parts that alter DNA and biological processes. Then I took a lesson from the demon strain and made it more contagious…a lot more contagious. Once it infects someone, it causes mild cold symptoms and then latches to their DNA and receptors, permanently blocking any viral alterations.”
“Holy shit,” I blurted out, staring at the sample of the omega strain in my hand. “You created a vaccine.”
By
Morpheus
I was on the floor, stretching out and testing my newly regained flexibility. All the bandages were off and I was once again able to move about normally, though admittedly, I did still have a few aches. Still, those would fade soon enough.
Lisa sat back and watched me while sipping on a cup of tea. She didn’t say a word as I stretched out to touch my toes and then did the splits, however, I could see her smile. She was just as eager for me to get back to top shape as I was.
“I think you’re about ready,” Lisa finally said.
I nodded at that and muttered, “It took long enough.”
Of course, it may have felt like it took me a long time to get healed up, but it hadn’t really been much more than a week. The fact was, if I hadn’t been an angel, my injuries would probably have killed me, and if they hadn’t, I never would have been able to make a full recovery.
Even my hair had recovered…sort of. My hair had all grown back, but it had grown back the same way it had been after I’d first changed. I’d have to trim it and have the tips frosted again to return to my trademarked style.
Then I sat up straight and watched Lisa for a moment, marveling at just how at home she seemed to be. This was the Harkon Research Facility, or at least what was left of it, and it was the one place I would have thought she’d never be able to relax. But as I’d learned, this was one of the main places where she’d been hiding out over the last couple years. It made sense in an odd way. After all, the place had been locked down and abandoned with no one wanting to come near the facility, so she had all the privacy she needed. And of course, the main labs had all been completely destroyed, but there was still a store room full of lab equipment for her to use for her research.
It did seem a little odd that Lisa had been to this place multiple times over the last couple years and hadn’t known anything about the demons in Hell Town, just a couple miles away. When I’d asked her about it, she’d told me that it had been hard enough facing the memories in this facility and that she hadn’t been able to bring herself to face the ones there as well so had completely avoided the area.
Lisa set down her cup of tea and just stared at the opposite wall with a worried look. I knew that she was concerned about our sisters and the situation they were currently in, just as I was.
“I should have done something about Senator Dolenz,” she said quietly. “I had contingency plans, but I’d never used them.”
“And don’t forget General Lawrence,” I reminded her. “He’s the one in charge of the three demon suppression units.”
“I haven’t forgotten about him,” Lisa told me with a grim look. “Or any of the others. But the truth is, Lawrence is little more than a puppet. Dolenz is the one who makes most of the decisions.”
“You’ve got a vaccine,” I said, still a little stunned by the fact that my supposedly dead sister had been working on a way to stop the demon threat for good in defiance of the international ban. “If you went public with that, they wouldn’t have an excuse to hold the others…”
“It wouldn’t do any good,” Lisa responded. “They’d just find another excuse, perhaps claiming that this merely means they don’t need the angels to fight the demons anymore. Lawrence has been drooling over the idea of having an army augmented soldiers since…well, since before the Harkon Project.”
“And Dolenz?” I asked curiously.
Lisa gave me a wry smile before answering, “I’m sure he wants an army of super soldiers too, but personally, I’ve always believed that his real goals are a little more…personal.” At my questioning look, she explained, “I think he was pushing us to unleash the full potential of the virus because he didn’t just want augmented humans…he wanted virtual gods. Specifically, I suspect he intended to use this on himself once perfected. Who wouldn’t want youth, their ideal body, an extended lifespan, and all the abilities the virus can give?”
“But instead of gods, we get demons,” I said with a shake of my head.
“I thought I’d finally created the means to get rid of the demons for good,” Lisa told me grimly. “But if demons are starting to breed without having to infect humans…” She shook her head and admitted, “If other demons are doing this too and not just the queen…”
“Worry about that later,” I told her firmly. “For now, we need to focus on how we can help our sisters.”
“Of course,” Lisa agreed, adjusting her glasses and giving me a thoughtful look. “I’ve been considering our options since I found out. Fortunately, I know where they’re being held.”
Lisa didn’t say any more about that, but that wasn’t surprising. She may have revealed some of her secrets but she was still keeping some things to herself. I supposed that after faking her own death, hiding from even those she cared about for two years, and completely ignoring international laws, she was used to being paranoid and playing things close to the vest.
After this, Lisa began cleaning up and removing signs that we’d been here. She put away the lab equipment and packed up the meager things that she’d actually brought with her. I didn’t have any packing to do since I didn’t have a single thing I owned with me. Even the clothes I was currently wearing had been provided by Lisa.
While we were getting ready to leave, I got Lisa to talk about our sisters again. “After we first changed,” she told me with a chuckle, “we were kind of freaking out. I mean, Nicole, Dani, and I all kind of blamed Rebecca and she felt really guilty about it. Of course, we finally accepted that it wasn’t her fault and that the only one we could blame was that demon, but we all had a hard time adjusting.”
“I’d imagine,” I responded, knowing that I’d been having a hard enough time with it and I actually had three understanding sisters to help me adjust.
“It was weird,” Lisa told me with a self-conscious smile. “I actually became taller, prettier and…” She cupped her breasts at that and grinned. “As soon as I had a chance, I snuck away to show my girlfriend. She liked the way I looked, but to my surprise, she didn’t do anything for me anymore. Nothing. And then I found myself drooling over some guys on TV and I realized that I’d turned straight. It was quite disconcerting.”
I nodded at that, blushing as I did so and muttering, “I think I know how you felt.”
“I’d imagine you do,” Lisa responded, giving me a sympathetic look.
“Of course, Dani had it the hardest of us,” Lisa continued. “She was in complete denial and kept talking about how it was only a matter of time before it wore off or before someone found a cure.” She paused at that, shaking her head before quietly saying, “I think…I think she was really considering suicide for a little while.”
My eyes widened at that since it didn’t fit with the confident Dani that I knew. “What happened?”
“We were just starting to get really close at that time and we could see how miserable she was,” Lisa told me. “We tried comforting her and it helped, though it took a bit longer before she fully accepted it.” Then Lisa paused and giggled. At my odd look, she said, “Then one night, she literally said the hell with it, downed a whole bottle of tequila, then went out and got laid. After that, everything was different.”
I nodded at that, appreciating this new perspective on my sisters. “I’d imagine Nicole probably adjusted the easiest then…”
Lisa snorted at that, then told me, “She was freaking out because none of her old clothes would fit her anymore. And her shoe collection…” She rolled her eyes at that and then added in an almost conspiratorial tone, “Nicole was a bit of a ditz before she changed. Thankfully she grew out of it.”
“And what about you?” I asked. “What were you like before you changed?”
Lisa paused at that, suddenly looking self-conscious. “Well,” she responded after a few seconds. “I was pretty plain looking, shy, and a bit nerdy. I’m a lot more confident than I used to be, but I guess fighting demons for a living will do that for you.”
“I’d imagine so,” I responded wryly.
I looked over the items that Lisa was packing and picked up the bundled up gray outfit that I’d seen her wearing when she first found me. “Combination body armor and biohazard suit,” she explained. “I originally started developing it for the soldiers in our unit, but left before finishing it.” She gave me a faint smile and added, “I didn’t know what I’d find out there when I went looking for you so I came prepared.”
“This might help keep more of them alive and uninfected,” I commented, feeling sad as I thought about all those who’d died while trying to back the angels up. Not only did we need better weapons, they needed better protection.
“That was the intention,” she agreed. Then Lisa pulled out a very familiar looking case containing a syringe and some vials of liquid. She gave herself a shot and then handed it to me. “Since we’re going out in public, we’ll need to be up on our shots.”
“Joy,” I muttered sarcastically. “I so missed my daily shots.”
“This is the new and improved version,” she told me with a grin. “You only need a shot every other day.” Then she paused before abruptly saying, “There’s one more thing I have to get. Stay here.”
With that, Lisa hurried down the hall, towards the other side of the building, the side that we’d both avoided completely since I first woke up here. That was the side of the building where first demon outbreak had occurred and all those people had died. It was the side of the building that contained a lot of bad memories for Lisa, so I couldn’t imagine what would make her go back there.
When Lisa came back a short time later, she had a grim look on her face but wouldn’t tell me what this was about. All she said was, “Let’s get going.”
Lisa and I packed what few belongings we were taking with us into the back of an old SUV that she had parked out behind the building. Then we took off, driving down some old security road that went in the opposite direction off Hell Town. I let out a sigh of relief as I realized that I wouldn’t have to see those burnt out ruins again. The very thought of them and what had happened there was enough to send chills down my spine.
“We’ll get to a small airport in about an hour,” Lisa finally told me. “I have a private plane there that can take us where we need to go.”
“A private plane?” I asked in surprise, giving Lisa another look and wondering just how much money she had.
Lisa gave me a wry grin and said, “I wish it was what you thought. It’s actually a small Cessna I’ve been using to move around. Unfortunately, I might know where our sisters are being held, but we couldn’t get past the security. That means going through a more indirect route.”
“So where are we going then?” I asked her, watching her expression carefully.
There was a long pause before Lisa finally answered. “We’re going home.”
By
Morpheus
I stood in front of the door to Heaven, feeling extremely nervous about being back here like this, especially knowing what had happened to my sisters. At the moment, I wasn’t staring at the pearly gates, but the rusty gates instead.
The last two days had been very busy as Lisa and I had made our way back here, taking much longer than it had for me to get to Hell Town in the first place. We’d spend most of the previous day in the air and had landed at a distant airfield late in the evening. The airfield was about an hour from the base, so first thing in the morning we’d continued our journey via city busses, eventually arriving at base and easily hopping the security fence. From there, all we had to do was sneak into the fenced area behind Heaven where we wouldn’t be seen.
“It feels weird sneaking in through the back door like this,” I told Lisa.
“Imagine how I feel,” she told me quietly. “I’ve wanted to come back here for a long time, but not like this.”
I unlocked the door with the access code and then went inside, with Lisa following right behind me. I didn’t bother asking Lisa why we’d come back to Heaven when our sisters were somewhere else entirely. She’d given me enough of the plan on the trip here to answer some of my questions, just not all of them.
Once we were inside, Lisa immediately began wandering from room to room, peaking her head in and nodding to herself. “Not much has changed,” she said before going upstairs to the main living area. Once up there, she took one look around the main common area and stated, “The furniture got moved around.”
Then Lisa raced down the hall to the bedroom that I’d been told had once been hers. I didn’t bother following and merely waited. After several minutes, she came back with a strange look on her face.
“Most of my stuff is still there,” she told me quietly. “Everything but my good shoes and clothes.”
I smiled faintly as I watched her, imagining what it would have to be like for her. “I know this is a homecoming for you,” I told her carefully. “But it isn’t much of a home without the others.”
“True,” Lisa agreed with a scowl.
A few minutes after this, we went back downstairs and to one of the storage rooms. There were boxes of random objects stored there, some of which made no sense at all. There was sports gear, a large toolbox containing enough tools to satisfy a mechanic, bicycles, and even inflatable plastic pool toys. However, hidden among these random distractions were some items that had been stored there for specific purposes.
Rebecca had always believed that the angels situation might not be stable, that someone might try to capture or eliminate us because of the angel strain in our systems or what it allowed us to do. However, she’d also believed that we were the best chance of fighting the demon threat and had been determined to do so as long as she could. So while we fought demons as Angel Squad, she’d set some contingency plans in case our situation changed. Unfortunately, she’d expected a little more warning than what we’d received.
Every storage room in Heaven had a few items that might be useful, though we also had a storage rental off base which contained lot more. That storage rental contained a nice collection of weapons, though that wasn’t really what Lisa and I needed quite yet. For now, what we needed most was on base, which was why we’d come to Heaven instead.
I pulled some uniforms out of storage and handed them over to Lisa. These weren’t the normal Angel Squad uniforms but those of an ordinary enlisted Army soldier. It would be easier to move around base in those uniforms since almost no one would pay attention to a couple of privates. I retrieved a few more items from where they were hidden, then Lisa and I went back upstairs to change.
It didn’t take long for Lisa and I to get dressed in the uniforms. In fact, it took me about the same amount of time just to get my hair up and into a bun so that it would look professional and appropriate for the uniform rules. Since Lisa and I were both in uniform, with our hair done up like this as well as being covered by our caps, the only way anyone would be able to tell us apart was the fact that she was still wearing her glasses.
“I don’t like that we need these,” Lisa said as she held up the two Army issue 9mm pistols and handed one to me. “But considering the circumstances, its better safe than sorry.”
“Agreed,” I responded, wishing that I didn’t have to agree with her. I put my gun into the holster on the back of my belt, knowing it would be covered and hidden by my uniform as long as I was careful.
Lisa and I left Heaven and started towards the administration building. Since two identical women who were walking side by side were bound to draw attention and that was the last thing we wanted at the moment, I went first and she followed about twenty yards behind me.
I was nearly to the administration building when I saw a very familiar and angry looking soldier come out the doors. I immediately looked down, using my hat brim to hide my face as he came towards me, but it didn’t work.
“What?” Gene exclaimed, pausing to stare at me. “You’re an angel…”
“Please Gene,” I started, not wanting him to give me away.
“Monica?” he gasped, his eyes going wide. Then he suddenly threw his arms around me in a hug, “I thought you were dead…”
“I’m still alive,” I admitted, relieved to see him again but worried that he was going to give me away.
Gene stared at me for a moment, obviously relived but also confused. “Why are you dressed like that?” Then he paused, his expression going grim. “Of course. That ridiculous quarantine thing…”
“Are you going to turn me in?” I asked quietly.
Gene looked offended for a moment and responded, “Of course not.”
I let out a sigh of relief at that and told him, “Thanks. I’m just trying to stay under the radar until I can figure out how to get my sisters out.”
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” he said, looking completely sincere in his offer. “What happened to Angel Squad just isn’t right.”
I nodded at that, then looked around nervously. “I can’t stay out here in the open like this,” I told him. “And don’t have time to talk at the moment.”
“I understand,” he told me, bending over and giving me a kiss. “Be careful.”
After Gene was gone, Lisa came up to me and said, “He’s cute.” She grinned as she said it and added, “I seem to remember seeing him somewhere before…”
I blushed at that, suddenly remembering the wet dream that I’d shared with Dani. It seemed that Dani wasn’t the only one I’d been sharing that dream with.
“How come the others didn’t realize you were still alive from the dreams?” I asked her, trying to change the subject.
“I’ve been hiding from them in my dreams too,” Lisa admitted. “And when they did see me, they just thought I was part of their dreams.” She let out a sigh and said, “I was planning on contacting them once I was finished with the omega strain, but I couldn’t think of how to do it…”
“In other words,” I pointed out wryly. “You were afraid of facing them after what you did.” Lisa didn’t bother to deny it.
A few seconds later, I went into the administration building while Lisa hung back a little. I already knew where I was going and went straight to Hannah’s office.
“Just a moment,” Hannah said, staring at her computer and not looking up at me.
“Excuse me,” I said, trying to stay calm though I felt angry. “What paperwork do I need to fill out after I’ve been in a helicopter crash, had to fight off a demon, then had a bomb dropped on my head?”
Hannah looked up and stared at me with a look of shock, blurting out, “Monica?” When I nodded, she exclaimed, “Oh my God,” and nearly jumped over the desk to give me a hug.
I was still angry, but Hannah’s relief at seeing me alive was obviously sincere. “What happened?” I asked her grimly.
“General Lawrence contacted the pilots directly and ordered them to change course without delay,” Hannah said, looking as angry as I felt. “And then…” She paused to shake her head. “He ordered Angel Squad locked up in quarantine so they could be studied.”
“I heard about that,” I said coldly.
“The colonel is furious,” Hannah quickly added. “He’s been trying to get Angel Squad released, but…”
“But General Lawrence is his superior,” I stated bitterly. I liked Colonel Roberts, but he was a military man and wouldn’t disobey orders from his direct superior.
“The colonel didn’t know the general was going to do that,” Hannah insisted. “He would have fought it if he could, and now he’s doing everything he can.”
I scowled at that, wanting to take my anger out on Hannah, but I couldn’t do that. She’d been a good friend to my sisters and I and this wasn’t her fault. Just because she was an officer, that didn’t mean there was anything she could have done.
“There’s more,” Hannah told me grimly. “Doctor Merrit was put in charge of the experiments.”
“Of course he was,” I spat out bitterly.
I suddenly realized that Dr. Merrit knew this was coming. He knew that sooner or later we’d be his guinea pigs and he’d be able to use us for his viral research. That was why he was so cold and distant to us. In his mind, we were already his guinea pigs.
“I need to talk to the colonel,” I told her.
Hannah stared at me for a moment before responding, “Of course.” She went down the hall with me right behind her, stopping at the colonel’s office and saying, “Sir, there’s someone here to see you.”
I stepped into the office and stared at Colonel Roberts who sat on the other side of his desk. He had looked grim and angry, but when he saw me, his eyes went wide in stunned disbelief.
“It’s Monica,” Hannah told him excitedly. “She’s alive…”
“I see,” Colonel Roberts said, standing up and staring at me for a moment. “You have no idea how glad I am that you’re alive,” he told me. “Close the door. We have a lot to talk about.”
Just then, Lisa stepped into the doorway and said, “I think that’s my cue.”
Hannah and Colonel Roberts both jumped at that. Hannah blurted out, “Another angel…” She paused, looking confused. “But all the angels are accounted for.”
“Hello Carl,” Lisa greeted the colonel, closing the door behind her. “It’s been a long time.”
“Lisa?” Colonel Roberts asked in stunned disbelief.
“In the flesh,” she responded with a wry smile.
Colonel Roberts hesitantly reached out to touch her, gasping, “You’re alive…”
Lisa nodded at that, then took a deep breath. “We need your help. We need you to help save our sisters.”
“I’ll do everything I can,” Colonel Roberts told us with a shake of his head. “Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can do.”
“Then it’s a good thing I come bearing gifts,” Lisa responded with a smirk.
Colonel Roberts scowled for a moment then cautiously asked, “Okay Lisa…what kind of gifts?”
Lisa just grinned at that and answered, “Leverage.”
By
Morpheus
I was extremely nervous as I looked out the helicopter window and watched the ground move past us. I couldn’t help but thinking about the last time I’d ridden in one of these helicopters and just how disastrous that had been. Without conscious thought, I tightened my grip on the seat.
Lisa was sitting beside me and was nervous as well, though for an entirely different reason. She was trying to hide it, though she kept adjusting her glasses, something that I’d noticed was a nervous habit of hers.
The two of us were wearing Angel Squad uniforms, though I wasn’t sure that this was a good idea considering the order to quarantine all angels. Lisa hadn’t worn the uniform in several years and seemed to be happy to have it on again, though she also shared my concerns. However, Colonel Roberts wanted us in these uniforms to show that we were proud to be angels. I might have suspected that he was planning on turning us over for quarantine if it hadn’t been for Lisa’s presents to him.
Colonel Roberts and Hannah were riding with us as well, which I found quite odd. Neither of them ever deployed with the unit to hunt down demons so this was definitely a new experience for them, or at least for Hannah. She was obviously excited by being able to travel by helicopter, though she was trying hard to avoid showing it.
I watched Hannah for a moment, then glanced to Lisa, smiling faintly as I did so. I couldn’t help but thinking about our surprise meeting with the colonel yesterday, or more specifically, about what had happened after the meeting was over.
When we’d come out of our meeting with Colonel Roberts, I’d been surprised to find Gene waiting for me, and he wasn’t alone. Mike, Pete, Mason, and a couple other guys had been gathered around to offer me their support. However, they were all caught by surprise too when Lisa came out behind me.
“This is my sister Lisa,” I’d introduced her to Gene and the others.
A moment later, I had been surprised to discover that both Pete and Mike already knew Lisa, having served with her before she’d left. Of course, they were both completely shocked that she was actually still alive, even more so than they’d been at the discover that I was.
Pete had even blurted out, “But we found your arm…”
“And it took me a month to grow it back,” Lisa had responded, earning some gasps of disbelief.
Unfortunately, there had been too much preparation to do for us to spend much time socializing and catching up on lost time. Still, it had been nice to know that we had friends who were willing to support us, regardless of the orders that had been passed down by General Lawrence.
I shook my head of the memories from yesterday and thought instead about what was happening now, and about what was going to happen. Even Colonel Roberts looked a little nervous, though he was hiding it quite well. Still, there were indications.
“We’re running late,” Colonel Roberts said, giving Lisa a meaningful look. “I hope your pit stop was worth it.”
“It’s worth it, Carl,” Lisa told him. “It may or may not be useful for today, but the stop was definitely worth it.”
Hannah gave me a curious look, probably over the way Lisa kept calling the colonel by his first name. I just shrugged, not really sure what their relationship was, only that Lisa had worked with the colonel for six years before she’d left. I did know that none of my other sisters called him by first name, which suggested their relationship may have been more than just professional.
“We should be arriving at our destination soon,” Hannah said.
I nodded at that, wishing that I was wearing my body armor right then. However, we weren’t going to be fighting demons at the moment. We were going to be fighting something much more dangerous.
A few minutes later, I could see our destination from the window. It was a small military base in the middle of the Nevada desert. As I’d recently learned, Fort Clancy, or as it was more commonly known…the Pit, was the place where people who were infected with the demon strain were taken for quarantine.
Ever since I’d joined Angel Squad, I’d wondered what happened to those poor people who’d been infected with the demon strain and had been taken into quarantine. Yesterday, I was given the answer, though it was not one that sat well with me. The infected were brought to the Pit for quarantine and given the choice of euthanasia before they changed. If they turned it down or the change was too far along, once they turned demon they would be eliminated and their bodies destroyed in a controlled fashion. Or at least that was what was supposed to happen.
According to Lisa and Colonel Roberts, this was also where my sisters were being held. When Senator Dolenz and General Lawrence had decided to reopen research on the harkon virus, they’d decided that this was the perfect place to do it. The base had already been set up to handle those who were infected with the harkon virus and there were numerous samples of the demon strain readily available.
Hannah stared at the large concrete building below and whispered, “They have the demon queen in there too…”
I scowled at that, desperately wishing we’d ignored orders and had finished her off when we’d had the chance. I’d known at the time that leaving her alive had been a bad idea and I’d only grown even more so since then. However, we didn’t come to the Pit for the demon queen. We came for the angels.
When we landed, Colonel Roberts and Hannah climbed out of the helicopter first, followed by Pete and Mason who were acting as escorts. Then Lisa and I stepped off and followed behind them as the colonel walked towards General Lawrence, who stood just beyond the helicopter pad with a few soldiers of his own.
“What the hell is so important that you had to fly here yourself?” General Lawrence started, then noticed Lisa and myself. He gestured to his soldiers, “Take those angels into custody.”
The soldiers started towards us but Colonel Roberts exclaimed, “I think not.” Both Pete and Mason reached for the 9mm pistols that hung on their hips.
“What is the meaning of this?” General Lawrence demanded angrily.
“Sir,” Colonel Roberts said, somehow making that word of respect sound like one of contempt instead. He held up a stack of paperwork and announced, “General Lawrence, by the order of the Secretary of Defense, you have been removed from command pending an investigation into your part in the Harkon incident.”
General Lawrence and the soldiers all turned to stare at Colonel Roberts in surprise and confusion. “Listen here Roberts,” the general started.
However, Colonel Roberts calmly interrupted him and explained, “Video evidence has recently been recovered, showing you and Senator Dolenz ordering Doctor Yavhich and the Harkon Project researchers to ignore safety protocols and make the virus more powerful by any means necessary.”
“Impossible,” General Lawrence snapped.
“I am aware that the security footage of the Harkon facility was found mysteriously deleted after the incident,” Colonel Roberts continued wryly. “However, an enterprising woman has managed to recover those security files from the backup server, and in addition, she also found that Doctor Yavhich had been recording all of those conversations and was able to record his footage as well.”
“And don’t forget,” Lisa added with a smirk, “There is also a witness to some of these same conversations who will be willing to testify under oath.”
General Lawrence’s expression shifted from shock to rage. Then he demanded, “What the hell is this Roberts?”
The colonel merely looked his commanding officer in the eyes and answered, “Leverage. You took people under my command to use for your experiments, so I thought the higher ups needed a reminder of what happened the last time you tried these experiments. You are to be taken into custody and Senator Dolenz has a warrant out for his arrest as well.”
I bit back a smirk as I watched General Lawrence, then looked to Lisa who wasn’t bothering to hide the smug look on her face. After all, she was the one who collected all the evidence against Lawrence and Dolenz, then made sure it got to the right people.
“Since I couldn’t go after those assholes directly,” Lisa whispered to me, “I made sure that I could hit them where it hurt the worst. Their careers. The hardest part was holding onto this until the right time…”
I nodded at that, knowing that the senator and general were both in deep trouble now that everything was coming to light. They…and some of their friends, were not only facing the consequences for their parts in the Harkon disaster, but also for covering up their involvement afterwards. Lisa and Colonel Roberts had given the higher ups all this information and Lisa had made sure it was also going to be released to several news outlets. Their careers were over.
“I’ve also come to take back my angels,” Colonel Roberts stated firmly.
Suddenly, a new voice called out, “What is going on out here?”
I looked to the source and saw Senator Dolenz was here, which caught me by surprise. I’d been told that he was spending a lot of time overseeing the experiments while they were being set up, but I didn’t know he was at the Pit right now. Right beside him was a slender man with hard features. This was Colonel Hastings, the third DSU’s commander. I didn’t know much about him, though I had heard Colonel Roberts say he was good at what he did.
“Insubordination and attempted mutiny,” General Lawrence responded, snatching the paperwork right out of Colonel Roberts’ hands. “Lock them up,” he ordered his soldiers with, “And take the angels to the labs.”
The third DSU soldiers had their weapons aimed at all of us and they looked ready to shoot. Colonel Roberts looked to Colonel Hastings and said, “General Lawrence has been removed from command and was ordered to be taken into custody by the Secretary of Defense for crimes relating to the Harkon disaster. Senator Dolenz has a warrant for his arrest for his part in the same crimes.”
Colonel Hastings grimaced, then told his men, “Do as the general ordered.”
Pete and Mason looked like they were willing to fight in order to guard us, but we were vastly outgunned. Colonel Roberts gestured for them to stand down so they removed their hands from their weapons.
“General Lawrence no longer has authority to give that order,” Colonel Roberts told Colonel Hastings with a calm but grim expression. “If you do this, the third will be a rouge unit.”
“This is obviously nonsense,” Senator Dolenz said in an arrogant tone. “Take these traitors away. If they resist, feel free to shoot them.”
Lisa glared at Senator Dolenz an expression of hate, and I half expected her to attack him, though she made no move to actually do so. Colonel Roberts gave Colonel Hastings a look of disappointment, though he didn’t seem too surprised.
Of course, Hastings was going to obey the orders of a general and senator. He was professional military man and wasn’t going to ignore his commanding officer unless he got a lot more than this. If he actually read the orders that Colonel Roberts brought, that might be enough, but the general certainly wasn’t going to allow that.
“You can’t do this,” Hannah protested, though it did no good.
Colonel Roberts, Hannah, Pete, and Mason were all taken into custody and led away in one direction while the soldiers took Lisa and myself in another. The two of us shared glances with each other as we went towards the large concrete building, though we held off talking until we were well away from the general and senator.
“I had a feeling that wasn’t going to work,” Lisa told me.
“Shut up,” one of the soldiers snapped.
I merely nodded agreement with Lisa, remembering the long planning session we’d had with Colonel Roberts. She’d wanted to unleash all that information to the media and then sneak in to rescue our sisters while the general and senator were distracted. However, Colonel Roberts felt that he had a responsibility to do things the proper way, which meant going up the chain of command. We ended up compromising a bit, which was actually what Lisa had expected.
“Carl is a good man,” Lisa told me with a faint smile. “But if he thought Lawrence was going to cooperate just because…”
“I said no talking,” the soldier snapped, shoving the gun into Lisa’s back.
I grimaced at that, growing increasingly angry. We worked with the Army, fighting demons for a living and saving countless lives. Yet these soldiers from the third DSU were treating us like criminals just because the general ordered it. They’d even been there to hear what Colonel Roberts had said. Didn’t these guys have any intelligence? I’ve worked with the guys in the first DSU long enough to know that most of those guys were pretty bright, so how come the ones in the third seemed to be idiots?
We went into the concrete building and past several guards. “We have a couple more of these so called angels,” one of the soldiers escorting us told a guard inside.
The other guard nodded, giving me and Lisa curious looks before saying, “The other angels were taken out of their cells and brought to the lab. Doctor Merrit is doing some kind of experiments on them.”
“Then I guess we’ll see where the doctor wants them,” the angry soldier responded.
Lisa and I were led through a sealed door and into a room that sent chills through my spine. There were several tables set up in the middle of the room that looked like operating tables, but they had bindings on them to strap someone into place so that they couldn’t escape. A table was set up just a few feet away, covered with surgical instruments and things that looked like they could have been torture devices. And then, I saw the other side of the lab.
Rebecca, Dani, Nicole, and Julie were each standing in a separate cage, each of them with their hands and feet chained to the floor. I stared at each of them in shock, horror, and anger. Of course, Julie didn’t look anything like she had since she was now an angel, but I could easily tell her apart from the others since she had the same hair style that I had after I’d first changed. In spite of these horrible circumstances, I was suddenly thankful that I’d taken the time to get my hair trimmed and frosted again last night.
“Monica,” Rebecca blurted out. “You’re alive.” Then she stared at Lisa, her eyes going wide in disbelief.
“You do know that my sister and I are both contagious?” Lisa suddenly asked the guards beside us, right before she spat in face of the one who’d been obnoxious. Of course, our daily shots meant that we couldn’t infect someone like that, but he didn’t know.
The soldier screamed like a little girl and jumped back, but Lisa and I were already in motion. She disarmed that soldier and hit him several times before he’d even realized it while I did the same thing to the other soldier who’d brought us here. In moments, both of our escorts were on the ground.
“Hey guys,” Lisa said self-consciously as she looked to our chained sisters. She gave a nervous smile and said, “I’m baaaack.”
Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole were all staring at Lisa with their mouths open, too stunned to speak. Julie looked back and forth between them and Lisa, obviously confused.
“Who…who is that?” Julie blurted out.
Suddenly, a new voice answered from the doorway. “Angel subject number one.”
I snapped around, seeing Dr. Merrit standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand. I gulped, “Damn…”
Dr. Merrit fired two shots from his gun…at the soldiers Lisa and I had just taken down. It took me a moment to notice the darts that were now sticking out of their shoulders.
“It’s good to see you again, Lisa,” Dr. Merrit said to my sister, actually sounding friendly. “But I was expecting you two hours ago.”
“Sorry, I got delayed,” Lisa responded, shocking me by giving Dr. Merrit a hug. Then she turned around and announced, “Everyone, I’d like to introduce you to my Uncle Gavin.”
By
Morpheus
I stared at Lisa in stunned disbelief, then at Dr. Merrit…the complete asshole whom I’d thought was only a step or two away from the next Dr. Mengele.
“YOUR UNCLE?” I blurted out shock.
“Not biologically,” Lisa admitted with a shrug. “But he is an old friend of the family.”
For a moment, I continued to stare at Lisa, then everything snapped into place. “He’s your mysterious contact,” I blurted out, remembering how her ‘source’ kept giving her information about our sisters and where they were being held. Then my eyes widened and I stared at Dr. Merrit, exclaiming, “You’re the one who told Lisa about my crash…”
“I’m glad she reached you in time,” Dr. Merrit responded. Then he actually sounded apologetic as he added, “She told me about your condition when she found you…”
Then Dr. Merrit went to the nearest cage, the one containing Rebecca. She glared at him suspiciously as he unlocked the cage and then the shackles that bound her hands and feet.
“Rebecca,” he said her name, using that instead of Angel Subject Prime for the first time with her. She gaped in surprise while he went to unlock Julie next.
Rebecca gave Dr. Merrit another suspicious look, then grabbed me in a hug. “You’re alive,” she blurted out. “When your helicopter went down…”
“I’m fine,” I assured her, trying not to think of how messed up I’d been and how close I’d come to dying. “Thanks to Lisa.”
Rebecca turned her attention to Lisa and then stood there, staring at her as though she still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She hesitantly reached out and touched Lisa while Lisa stood there, looking guilty.
“You’re alive,” Rebecca said quietly. Then she grew angry and demanded, “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I wanted to,” Lisa responded, staring at Rebecca and then the others who’d been released. “You have no idea how much I wanted to…”
“We would have come with you,” Dani exclaimed, giving her an angry glare.
“And that’s why I couldn’t,” Lisa responded defiantly. “If you would have left too, it would have given everything away. I couldn’t take a chance of anyone finding out what I was doing. It was too important.”
Nicole came forward and grabbed Lisa in a hug, gasping, “You really are here…” She stood back with tears running down her cheeks. “But why? What was so important that you have to make us think you were dead?”
When Lisa didn’t answer, I did. “She was working on a vaccine. A vaccine for the harkon virus.”
All my sisters gasped in surprise, though it was Nicole who blurted out, “That would have been a death sentence if you were caught…”
“Hence faking her death,” Dani said with a look of realization.
“How close?” Rebecca asked grimly. “How close are you?”
Lisa smirked and responded, “I finished it almost two months ago. We have a working vaccine.”
The other all gasped at that, getting excited. They spent the next minute congratulating Lisa, almost seeming to forget about her faked death…or at least deciding to hold off on further discussion until later.
I gave each of my sisters a hug, then while the others were focused on Lisa, I looked Julie over. “Looking good,” I told her with a grin.
“I feel kind of weird,” Julie admitted self-consciously.
“Welcome to the family,” I said with a chuckle, giving her a hug. Then I teased, “Now I’m not the rookie angel anymore.”
Julie gave me another hug and said, “I’m just glad you’re alive… After that crash…”
“Don’t forget being attacked by a demon and then having a bomb dropped on her head too,” Lisa added, suddenly making the rest of my sisters stare at me in surprise.
That just reminded me of how Lisa was able to find me in the first place so I looked back at Dr. Merrit, then asked Lisa. “Okay, please explain what is going on with him.”
“Like I said,” Lisa explained, “He’s my Uncle Gavin, the guy who got me interested in science in the first place.” Then she grinned and added, “He’s been working as my inside man. When Dolenz wanted someone to keep an eye on us angels until they could reopen the experiments, they asked Uncle Gavin since he’s a top virologist. Of course, they didn’t know that he’s family. He accepted the job to help us out…so he could keep an eye on Dolenz for us.”
Dr. Merrit nodded at that, then said, “I owe you all an apology for my behavior over the last few years.” He actually looked sincere as he said this. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t allow anyone to suspect that I was sympathetic to your situation.”
“Well you certainly had me fooled,” Dani said, still looking suspicious.
He looked at Lisa and let out a sigh. “I’ve done everything I could since they arrived to delay the experiments, and if you hadn’t come when you did, it wouldn’t have been long before Dolenz and Lawrence became suspicious. As it was, I was taking a risk by ceasing their sedation and getting everyone gathered here in one place.”
“So you want to know how the rescue plan is going,” Lisa responded with a grin. “Well, I’ve made it so some pretty powerful people are pretty mad at Dolenz and Lawrence. The public at large will be on them soon enough too so they weren’t exactly thinking clearly.”
“They locked Roberts up,” I pointed out grimly.
“Yeah, but we knew that was probably going to happen,” Lisa responded. “This way we got them to escort us straight to our sisters.” Then she paused to muse, “Of course, it would have been a lot easier if Lawrence had just accepted those orders, but doing what he did and taking the third DSU rogue opens up some new options.”
“We should probably get going soon,” I reminded Lisa. “We need to get in place.”
“Agreed,” Lisa said with a nod.
Suddenly, there was a faint shrieking sound from somewhere down the hall. Every one of us froze at that, though Dr. Merrit just scowled with a worried look.
“What the hell was that?” Lisa asked, though I already knew.
“The demon queen,” Dr. Merrit answered grimly.
“She’s been doing that for the last couple days,” Julie added with a worried look.
Lisa stared at him in surprise, then demanded, “Why aren’t you keeping her sedated?”
“Because she’s already built up a tolerance for everything we’ve given her,” he answered with a shake of his head.
“I’m the only one here who hasn’t seen that thing,” Lisa commented, “and even I know it’s a bad idea keeping her around.”
“Just one more thing that Dolenz and Lawrence have to answer for,” Rebecca said.
Dr. Merrit stood there with an odd look on his face before asking, “Were you aware that the demon queen has somehow integrated angel DNA into her own?”
“What?” Lisa demanded, giving Merrit a look of surprise.
“She appears to have encountered angel DNA somewhere,” Dr. Merrit continued with a scowl. “I believe the angel DNA is responsible for her gender change as well as her intelligence and ability to speak.”
“Oh shit,” Rebecca exclaimed, holding her stomach. She had a dark look on her face as she continued, “During the incident, the demon clawed me pretty badly… Yavich got my blood on him…”
“Now we know where that bitch got our DNA,” Dani said impatiently. “Can we get out of here now?”
Rebecca and Dani picked up with weapons that our soldier guards had on them, then we started down the hallway. I really hoped that we wouldn’t have to hurt anyone to get out of here, but I wasn’t counting on it. Killing demons was one thing, killing a human was another…no matter how much of an idiot he might be.
Just then an alarm began going off and I blurted “Oh shit… They know we’re escaping…”
“That’s not the alarm for an angel escape,” Dr. Merrit said with a look of fear on his face. “That’s the alarm for a demon breakout.”
“Oh shit,” Dani exclaimed.”
“We’re not exactly armed or equipped to fight demons right now,” Nicole pointed out.
I looked to Lisa, who definitely didn’t look happy about this either. “This wasn’t part of the plan,” she said, sounding uncertain.
I let out a sigh, then said, “Then we should get back to our plan and let these third guys deal with the demon.”
No one argued so we hurried down the hall again, though we quickly encountered two more soldiers from the third. They immediately took aim at us, but Nicole and I quickly snatched the guns from their hands and knocked them down.
Dr. Merrit was about to shoot them with his tranquilizer darts when Rebecca stopped him. “With a demon running around loose, I don’t want to leave anyone helpless to at least run away.”
“You’re traitors,” one of the soldiers spat at us.
“How do come up with that?” Rebecca asked him with an annoyed look.
“The general said…,” he started, though Lisa interrupted him.
“General Lawrence is a wanted criminal,” Lisa stated firmly. “He was removed from command and ordered under arrest for kidnapping,” she gestured to our sisters, “illegal experiments, and his part in causing the demon outbreak in the first place.” She paused to give the soldier a glare while she added, “General Lawrence has gone rogue and has taken the third with him. The third DSU is no longer operating under the authority of the US government.”
“Now who’s the traitor?” Dani asked him with a sneer.
The soldier looked like he was going to argue, then stammered, “I was just following orders…”
“Like that excuse worked in Nuremberg,” Rebecca added. Then she looked to the rest of us, “We don’t have time to waste talking…”
We grabbed the radios from the soldiers, but as we were about to continue, someone came over the radio in a panic. “The demon escapee is releasing the other demons,” the voice blurted out. “Now it’s at the demon queen’s cell… Oh God, the demon queen is loose. I repeat, the demon queen is on the loose.”
Every one of us froze at that, including the soldiers we’d just taken down. Julie and Dani simultaneously blurted out what all of us was thinking. “Oh shit.”
By
Morpheus
“The demon queen,” Dani spat out. “We need to take down that bitch for good this time.”
“We’re not armed or equipped enough for that,” Rebecca said with a grimace. “We’ll have to let the third deal with her for now.”
“The problem is, where do we go?” Nicole asked.
Lisa just grinned and said, “Don’t worry. That much is taken care of. Come on.”
We raced out of the concrete building, running into several more soldiers who were either standing guard or trying to head towards the demon breakout. We were much faster than they were and were able to quickly disarm them before they’d even absorbed the fact that we were there. I felt a little guilty for disarming them when demons were nearby, but we had a legitimate fear that they were just as likely to shoot us as the demons.
As soon as we’d exited the building, Rebecca pointed out the two helicopters who were coming in for a landing. Lisa and I grinned at the sight, then raced to the flight line as fast as we could, or at least as fast as we could without leaving Dr. Merrit behind.
The helicopters landed right before we reached the helicopter pads and a half dozen soldiers jumped out of the first helicopter. They were each wearing lightweight gray armor that was similar to what we angels used, and their outfits included hoods and masks that would protect them from harkon infection. These were the outfits Lisa had designed to protect our soldiers, and they were one of the presents she’d given to Colonel Roberts upon her return. She’d only had six of them made up so far and we’d had to stop off at a small airfield to collect them from her Cessna, but when it came to offering protection, they were worth their weight in gold.
“Good to see you guys again,” Mike said, though I couldn’t see his face through the mask.
“Monica,” Gene greeted me, though I couldn’t see his face either.
A moment later, the soldiers in the other helicopter came out as well, wearing battle gear but not the gray suits that Lisa had provided. Still, even if they weren’t as well protected as the others, I had no doubt that they’d continue to do their jobs just as they always did.
“I was expecting more of a greeting,” Captain Brooks stated, pointing out the lack of hostile soldiers.
“Well, we all knew the demon queen was going to be trouble again,” Rebecca said grimly. “Unfortunately, her timing stinks…”
“I don’t know,” Nicole pointed out, gesturing to the soldiers who had been part of our rescue plan. “She broke out when we actually have people available to take her down. It sounds like good timing to me.”
Captain Brooks stared at Dr. Merrit with a nasty glare, then he looked at the rest of us and demanded, “Okay, explain exactly what is going on here…”
Once we’d explained, Captain Brooks cursed. “This was supposed to be a rescue operation, not a demon hunt…”
“Then it’s a good thing Lisa brought us these presents,” Mike commented, patting his suit.
Captain Brooks nodded at that, then gave Lisa a curious look. “And I thought you were being paranoid to bring this gear…”
“Is it paranoia if people are really out to get you?” she asked calmly.
“I’ve been listening in over the radio,” Rebecca said. “The demon queen has been releasing the rest of the demons. The third is trying to engage but are overwhelmed and outnumbered.”
“Exactly how many demons are there?” Captain Brooks asked.
Dr. Merrit immediately answered, “Twenty-two demons were contained here, including the demon queen.”
Captain Brooks scowled at that and muttered, “And I thought all the demons were supposed to be destroyed here.”
No one said anything to that since we all knew that this was due to Lawrence and Dolenz. After everything else they’d been up to, I didn’t think that anyone was surprised that they’d keep demons in a zoo in order to further their projects.
“And we can’t even bug out with our people still here,” Mike commented with a snort.
“Team one,” Captain Brooks announced, gesturing to those who didn’t have Lisa’s extra gear. “We’re going to recover the colonel and our other people. Team two,” he gestured to those who were wearing the extra gear. “You’ll focus on containing the demons.”
Lisa and I rushed to the helicopter we’d arrived in, bringing out sisters with us. Once we were there, Lisa began pulling out the bundles that contained our combat armor and passing them around. Julie gave a look of surprise when we handed one of them to her.
“You’re not trained yet,” Rebecca told Julie, obviously impressed by the fact that Lisa and I had come prepared. “But you’re stronger, faster, and better able to survive the demons than any of those soldiers…” She gestured to the ones who were already starting towards the concrete building. “Just stay close and follow my lead.”
“Gotcha,” Julie responded, obviously nervous but excited at the same time.
Lisa had left her own suit of gray biohazard armor behind and was wearing standard angel armor just like the rest of us. It was a strange sight to see so many sisters around me at one time. I could imagine that it was even stranger for Rebecca, Dani and Nicole, since Angel Squad had gone from three members to six in a two month time.
“It feels strange to be wearing this again,” Lisa commented as she finished putting on her armor.
“It still looks good on you,” Nicole told her with a grin. “But we’re still going to have a talk about where you’ve been once this is all over…”
“Of course,” Lisa responded, then giving Nicole a mock glare. “And we can also talk about what happened to all my shoes.”
Once we were all armored up, Lisa handed out weapons. Julie kept looking down at herself as though surprised by what she saw.
“You’ll do fine,” I assured Julie, giving her a grin. “I mean, I was just an EMT but you’re already in the Army and have training.”
“Good point,” Julie responded with a grin of her own. “If you can do this, I shouldn’t have any problems at all.”
Once we were all armed and armored, our newly grown Angel Squad started back to the containment building that we’d just escaped from. Of course, this time we were ready to fight, and so help any third DSU soldier who tried getting in our way.
Almost as soon as we entered the containment building, I heard the high pitch shrieking from the demon queen coming from somewhere down the hall. I wondered if that shrieking had something to do with how she controlled the demons. Maybe it was a way of communicating to them and giving them direction. However, I didn’t have time to worry about that as several demons were coming towards us from one of the side halls.
One of the demons was over seven feet tall, massively overweight, and had slimy green skin. Another of them was so skinny he was almost gaunt, though his skin was the same gray color as the concrete floors. The last demon had red skin, black claws on his hands, and a pair of horn growing from his forehead. Out of every demon I’d seen, that one looked the most like the classic devil stereotype.
For some reason, I took another look at the red skinned demon, having the strange feeling that I knew him. Then it suddenly struck me. There was enough of his human form left for me to make out who he used to be. This was the soldier who’d helped us fight against the demon queen and who’d been infected because of it.
“Jason,” Nicole blurted out, obviously recognizing him as well. Her voice was filled with horror as she exclaimed, “That’s Jason…”
“Oh fuck,” Dani snarled. “The poor bastard deserves better than this…”
Rebecca just fired a single shot through the demon’s head, and when he fell over, she quietly said, “Rest in peace soldier.”
The rest of us opened fire on the remaining two demons, both of which went down quickly. Then we began going down the main hallway so we could catch up with the rest of our unit.
A minute later, we followed the sound of gunfire into a large courtyard where I found our soldiers crouched down along with several third DSU soldiers, firing at a mass of demons on the other side of the courtyard. The demons were going down from the sheer amount of gunfire, but more of them kept coming into the courtyard.
“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit,” one of the third DSU soldiers was repeating, nearly panicking.
I gave the soldier a sympathetic look, knowing that he was not only terrified of the demons but of getting infected as well. With this many demons running around, the chance for getting infected was very high. And though the other third DSU soldiers had the face mask and gloves to help reduce the chances of infection, this one seemed to lack them. Then my sympathy faded as I recognized him as the guard who kept telling Lisa to shut up.
“I guess Marrit’s tranquilizers don’t last long,” I muttered.
One of the demons was bigger and nastier than the others, with thick scaled hide that seemed to protect against gunfire. Without discussing it, my sisters and I spread out and began attacking from multiple sides. I’d dealt with enough bulletproof demons by now that I immediately aimed at his face and mouth. In moments, that demon was dead and the remaining cluster in this courtyard were either dead or retreating back into the building.
“Thanks for the help,” Mike told us.
Gene gave me a thumbs up and said, “You do make that look good.”
“This is team leader one,” a voice called out over the radio. “We have recovered our people and are returning to the evacuation point.”
“Did the locals give you any trouble?” Captain Brooks asked.
“Negative,” team leader one responded. “They were more than happy to cooperate once they realized which way the wind is blowing.”
Rebecca looked at the rest of us and then our backup soldiers. “There’s twelve of us plus the stragglers from the third. Normally I’d suggest we split into three groups, but with the number of demons running around I think we’re good with two groups.”
“Sounds good to me,” Mike responded. “But as dangerous as all these demons are, I think our primary focus should be the demon queen.”
“Agreed,” Rebecca told him. “But I think Angel Squad will focus on the queen. You guys focus on taking care of the loose demons.”
Just then, Captain Brooks came over the radio, exclaiming, “The demon queen has just exited the containment compound with a small force and is coming in our direction. We need backup here now.”
“On our way,” Mike and Rebecca answered at once. Without bothering to stop and talk about it, all of us turned and began running back the direction we’d just come from.
By
Morpheus
There was a foul smell in the air, a thick musk that made me want to wretch. Demons often had their own individual scents, but the fact demons didn’t understand the concept of hygiene invariably meant those scents were horrible. And with as many demons around as there were, the stench hit me almost like a physical blow.
The demon queen and nearly a dozen demons had broken out of the containment facility through a hole that they’d somehow made in the wall. Instead of scattering, they remained together and started heading towards the flight line and the helicopters that were landed there. Perhaps the demon queen was drawn to the people gathered there, but since she was more intelligent than any other demon I’d ever encountered, her goal might very well be to cut off anyone from escaping.
Fortunately, the demons had been slowed by the soldiers who’d returned with Colonel Roberts. To my surprise, they had a group of third DSU soldiers fighting alongside them. I had to admit that whatever problems we had with the third, they were definitely willing to do their jobs. And since they were used to fighting demons without angels running point, they had to be good just to survive.
One demon shot out from the group, moving at ridiculous speeds as it raced towards the third DSU soldiers. It easily dodged their shorts, tearing into one and then leaping at another. Five soldiers went down in as many seconds and the rest would have continued to fall if Dani hadn’t gotten the lead on its movements and shot it. Once the demon fell to the ground with a large hole in its side, the remaining third soldiers quickly finished it off.
“We have to draw their attention towards us,” Rebecca exclaimed. “We can avoid them more easily than anyone else.”
“That sounds kind of dangerous,” Julie said in a clear understatement.
“Welcome to being an angel,” Nicole responded, pausing to fire several more shots. “We usually have big targets painted on our chests since we can survive the demons easier than any of the soldiers.”
“I forgot just how much I loved this,” Lisa muttered sarcastically.
“And I forgot all about your cheerful optimistic attitude,” Nicole teased her.
“Colonel,” Rebecca called out over the radio. “We’re glad you’re safe, but maybe you and the non-combatants should start evacuating out of here…”
“We’re trying to get the non-combatants loaded up,” Colonel Roberts responded over the radio. “Unfortunately, most of the ones who really need to be evacuated are hunkered down, waiting for the threat to be dealt with.”
I scowled, remembering that the Pit was an operating base and that the third DSU weren’t normally stationed here. That meant all the normal support crew and guards for this base were still around, even though I hadn’t seen them yet. If we didn’t stop the demons, the demons would just spread out, find those people and either kill or infect them.
“I guess that means the tactical nuke is out,” Dani joked, though we were all aware that if we didn’t get this threat contained, someone might very well drop a nuke on us to keep this mass of demons from spreading, regardless of whether or not there were still people here.
“This was not in my escape plan,” Lisa exclaimed in frustration, firing several shots at the mass of demons. “We were supposed to come get you guys, the soldiers were supposed to retrieve Carl and the others, then we were supposed to get back to the helicopters and fly out of here. We weren’t supposed to be going into a demon zone.”
“Lisa always liked making plans,” Nicole told me with a giggle. “But she always gets so flustered when they don’t work out like she expected.”
I stared at the mass of demons, and at the demon queen who was in the middle of the group, being shielded by those who surrounded her. Then she let out several more of her shrieks and the demon mass suddenly broke up and scattered, with groups of demons heading towards the different groups of people who were fighting them.
One large and muscular demon leapt through the air, landing in the middle of a group of first DSU soldiers and swung his fists. Mike jumped back and opened fire but another soldier wasn’t fast enough and was hit with a solid blow that sent him flying back. Another demon charged straight in, slashing his claws right across Gene’s chest.
“GENE,” I called out, opening fire on the clawed demon who shot out to the side, slicing at one of the third DSU stragglers who’d come with us from inside the compound. The soldier went down while the demon continued to the next target…me.
I jumped back as the demon slashed through the air where I’d been a moment ago, then I opened fire at point blank range, putting multiple holes through his chest. The demon was bleeding black goo all over but was still continuing to try staggering forward, driven by pure rabid malevolence. I gave him one more shot between his eyes and he collapsed to the ground.
“Gene,” I called out, rushing to his side as he was getting up from the ground on his own.
“It…it didn’t get me,” Gene blurted out, running his hands over the gouges in his armor. “Thank God this new armor stopped it…”
I grinned in relief at that, then pointed out, “You might want to thank Lisa rather than God this time.”
After a moment, I joined with the others in shooting the muscular demon, who seemed to be nearly bulletproof. This one wasn’t opening his mouth to roar and scream so I couldn’t get a shot in there. Whether this was because he somehow realized it was a vulnerable spot or if he’d adapted to no longer use his vocal chords or something, I had no idea. But considering the intelligence of the average demon, I was betting it was more the latter than the former.
In spite of his toughness, it didn’t take much longer for that demon to go down. Having half a dozen people shooting at it simultaneously had been enough to get through his tough hide and finish him off.
As I looked around, I saw another group of third DSU soldiers, but they were heading to the helicopters rather than the fight. It took me several seconds to realize why, they were escorting Lawrence and Dolenz. I suddenly had a very bad feeling about that.
The demon queen had been standing back and letting the other demons do most of the fighting, but then she seemed to notice the movement towards the helicopters and let out a loud hiss. As she began moving towards the helicopters, I grabbed Dani’s arm and pointed.
“Oh shit,” Dani muttered, right before the two of us began running right for the demon queen. It took a moment to realize that Julie was following as well.
We opened fire on the demon queen, who stopped in order to face us. She let out a hiss and rose up, raising her coils to act as armor.
“Egg killersss,” the demon snarled angrily. “You killed my childrensss. Now I will kill you…”
The demon queen lunged as us but we dove to the side and avoided her attack. She followed that up with a swing of her tail that caught Julie by surprise. Julie let out a gasp as she was sent flying. I was worried about her, until I saw her slowly getting back to her feet.
“We need help with this bitch,” Dani called back to our other sisters.
Moments later, Rebecca, Nicole, and Lisa came running towards us, though Lisa paused to shoot at one of the other demons who was going after Mike. Then once that demon was down as well, she joined us in attacking the demon queen.
“Hard to believe this is Doctor Yavich,” Lisa commented with a look of disgust.
“Yavich,” the demon queen hissed in contempt while looking to Lisa. “Yavich wasss human. Yavich wasss sssmall and weak…”
“Yavich had an inflated ego and a hunger for recognition,” Lisa responded, firing several shots at the demon queen. “I can still see the resemblance.”
The demon queen snarled and lunged at Lisa, though she dove to the side and avoided the demon’s claws. However, her tail swung out and smashed into Dani who was sent flying back.
“Ssso many Rebeccasss,” the demon queen snarled before lunging at Nicole and clawing her across the front, knocking the gun from her hand. Then she slashed at Julie, who screamed and fell backwards as she scrambled to avoid being hit.
“You can’t get infected anymore,” Rebecca reminded our newest sister, who looked quite embarrassed.
“I don’t know how much in the way of brains you have left in that ugly head of yours,” Lisa called out to the demon queen. “But I’m Lisa… You remember…you once called me a flat-chested dyke…” Then she snarled and started shooting at the demon queen with a look of satisfaction. “I’ve been wanting to do that to you for YEARS.”
The demon queen snarled and let out a loud shriek. Suddenly, the remaining demons ceased attacking the individual soldiers and rushed back to her side. There only four of the demons left and two of them were in rough shape, but they made it much more difficult to fight the queen.
One of the demons was hunched over and running on four legs, built somewhat like a dog but with bony plates and spikes over its body. That one charged straight at me, and though I hit it in the head with my gun, it kept coming. I barely jumped out of the way fast enough to avoid being hit by the demon, though it continued running and slammed right into Nicole, who’d been distracted by the demon queen.
Nicole gasped loudly and dropped to the ground with a large spike sticking out of her stomach. The demon looked as though it was about to bite her neck when I shot it again, taking several more shots to make sure I had its attention. After letting out a roar, the creature came at me again.
From the corner of my eye, I saw the demon queen swinging her tail right at me again. I smiled faintly and jumped out of the way, just in time to let the other demon take the impact for me. There was a sickening crunch sound as the boney demon was sent flying. And as soon as it hit the ground again, Rebecca, Dani, and myself opened fire on it, hitting it with enough firepower to tear through the now badly cracked bony armor and kill it.
“Nicole,” I exclaimed, running to my sister’s side and looked at the wound where she had a spike sticking out of her.
“This hurts,” Nicole gasped, pulling the bony spike out before I could warn her not to do so.
“Damn it,” I exclaimed, grabbing her and trying to put pressure on her wound to keep her from bleeding out.
Nicole gave me a weak chuckle and said, “Deja-vu…”
“Yeah,” I agreed with a forced smile. “Haven’t we already done this?”
I silently cursed the fact that I hadn’t brought my bag of medical supplies with me and that the nearest equipment was in the helicopter. But while I was considering the option of running to the helicopter, Rebecca yelled, “Watch out.”
I looked up and saw what Rebecca was warning about. Some of the soldiers from the third were positioning themselves to attack the demon queen and the three remaining demons. My eyes went wide as I realized that one of the soldiers was carrying some kind of gatling gun while another had a grenade launcher. They opened fire on the demons without any concern that the angels were in the way.
“Damn,” I exclaimed, grabbing Nicole and carrying out of the firing zone.
The demons were being torn apart by the gatling gun but there was no accuracy as the bullets were covering the entire area. Lisa screamed as two of the bullets hit her, but Julie grabbed hold of her and half carried her out of the firing zone.
One of the demons made a run for it, moving at incredible speeds. However, Rebecca and Dani were able to get a lock on her and take her out before she could actually escape.
“Holy shit,” I muttered, looking over the demon queen and her followers. Between the gatling gun and the grenade launcher, they’d been torn to pieces.
“That is how you kill demons,” the third DSU soldier with the gatling gun called out smugly.
“Yeah, but try using that stuff where we normally hunt and there would be ridiculous collateral damage,” Nicole said with a grimace.
The demon queen wasn’t moving but Rebecca hurried towards her body anyway. “The job isn’t done yet.” When she reached the demon queen, she put the barrel of her gun right up to the demon’s head and pulled the trigger. The head exploded in a mass of ooze. “Now it’s done.”
“We should have done that the last time,” Dani said, while the rest of us nodded agreement.
I stared at the dead demon queen and let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she was done for good this time. Then I turned my attention to the helicopter pad, where Senator Dolenz and General Lawrence were waiting with a squad of armed soldiers. I suddenly realized that we may have taken out the demon queen, but that didn’t mean we were out of danger yet. In fact, our biggest threats were still very much alive.
By
Morpheus
The three helicopters that we’d brought as part of the rescue were still here, without a single one of them having taken off in order to evacuate the noncombatants which had been loaded into them. Considering the demon outbreak and the fact that not a single demon had made it this far yet, that would normally have been quite a surprise. However, the reason that none of the helicopters had left was clearly obvious.
Senator Dolenz and General Lawrence had arrived with Colonel Hastings and a squad of eight soldiers, all of whom were armed and aiming their weapons at Colonel Roberts and our own people. Of course, the first DSU soldiers who’d gone after the colonel were present as well, aiming their weapons back at the general, senator and other soldiers. It was a standoff.
I watched this with a growing sense of anger, realizing that because of this standoff, not a single one of those soldiers had been able to help fight the demon outbreak. The senator and general had turned their soldiers on my friends rather than the real threat.
“I’m giving you a direct order,” General Lawrence commanded Colonel Roberts and the first DSU soldiers. “Put your weapons down and surrender right this moment.”
“Ignore the former general,” Colonel Roberts told his soldiers. “He no longer has the authority to give that order.”
“You’re all going to spend the rest of your lives in Leavenworth,” General Lawrence snarled angrily. “If you’re lucky. I’m taking this helicopter…”
“I’ll be damned if I let you hijack military property,” Colonel Roberts snapped back. “Especially not when you’re just planning to abandon my men to the mess that YOU created.”
Senator Dolenz had been watching this exchange with an angry scowl, then he finally exclaimed, “Enough. I am a United States senator and we are taking this helicopter…”
“Actually,” Hannah said from beside Colonel Roberts. “I believe you’re a wanted criminal, nor would you have the authority to take this helicopter even if you weren’t.”
“Enough of this insubordination,” General Lawrence snarled. “Colonel,” he said, this time looking back to Colonel Hastings who was standing back with his men avoiding the argument. He didn’t look at all happy with the situation. “Have your men fire on Colonel Roberts at the count of three…”
“If you start counting,” Pete said grimly, “We open fire before you reach the count of two…”
My sisters and I had approached but held back. I wanted to get the medical gear from the helicopter so I could patch up Nicole and Lisa, but we didn’t want to get in the middle of that. As it was, both sides were extremely twitchy and I suspected that if we got closer, Lawrence would have his people open fire on general principal. If that happened, nearly everyone present would end up being killed by the exchange.
“Your careers are over,” Colonel Roberts said, looking to the general and senator. “What you’ve done has come to light. And when the public finds out what happened here…”
“When the public finds out that your people launched an armed attack against a US military base and a US senator,” Senator Dolenz responded with an arrogant smirk. “And that you released the demons in the process which cost numerous lives…”
“Actually,” Dr. Merrit stated from where he sat inside the helicopter. “I’ve already arranged for recordings of your orders to store the demons for experimentation to be provided to the media.”
Dolenz glared at Dr. Merrit, as though the man had personally betrayed him. Of course, from the senator’s perspective, that probably was what had happened. After all, he’d thought Merrit was his own personal agent, assigned to watch over the angels for him. The discovery that he was actually working with Lisa in order to spy on Dolenz instead must have been quite frustrating.
“If I might offer a better suggestion than everyone killing each other,” Rebecca started.
“Shut up you freak,” General Lawrence snapped. “You need to learn your place.”
“What place?” Rebecca asked in a dangerously calm tone. “Barefoot in the kitchen because I’m a woman? Or sitting silent in a dark room until you give me orders because I’m a weapon?”
Hannah was glaring at General Lawrence and asked, “How did someone like you ever make general?”
Without warning, General Lawrence backhanded Hannah, knocking her back. Suddenly, every gun from the first DSU was aimed at the general and Rebecca looked as though she was going to shoot him as well.
Colonel Roberts was angry and was about to say something when Hannah said, “No…” Then she punched General Lawrence in the face as hard as she could.
“Hitting a superior officer is a court martial offense,” Colonel Roberts told Hannah with a smirk. “But this time, I think it’s well justified.”
“You’re going down for that lieutenant,” General Lawrence exclaimed, wiping the blood from his lip. Then in a rapid movement, he pulled out a 9mm pistol and shot Hannah.
“Hannah,” Rebecca and Monica screamed at once while I was already rushing forward to help her. Damned with the stalemate.
“Stand down,” Colonel Hastings yelled at his own soldiers. He glared at General Lawrence and said, “General, you’ve gone too far. I’m taking you into custody for attempted murder on an unarmed woman.”
Up until now, Colonel Hastings may have suspected that what Colonel Roberts had said about the general was true, but he hadn’t seen enough evidence to act on it. But now that he’d seen the general shoot Hannah, that gave him enough cause to act. I was certain that those very actions had just prevented a gunfight.
I dropped own beside Hannah, seeing that she’d been injured in the shoulder. As long as I could keep her from bleeding out, this wouldn’t kill her. Of course, it would probably still hurt like hell.
“Are you okay?” I asked Hannah.
“It hurts,” she responded with a wince.
“Monica,” Dr. Merrit exclaimed, hurrying towards Hannah and me with my bag of medical supplies.
“Stop this nonsense at once,” Dolenz yelled, pulling a gun of his own out from his jacket and pointing it at Colonel Roberts. “Order your men to stand down at once. The general and I are taking this helicopter”
“That isn’t happening,” Colonel Roberts responded firmly. “If you don’t put your weapon down, you will be shot.” The tone in his voice made it very clear that he wasn’t bluffing. After Hannah had just been shot, he obviously wasn’t going to play around.
Dr. Merrit and I were checking Hannah’s wound and Rebecca kneeled down with us and gave Hannah’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Monica will have you patched up in no time,” she promised Hannah. Then almost as an afterthought, she added, “And the doctor too of course.”
Hannah just smiled at that, then gasped, “Rebecca… If we all get out of here, I was wondering if…”
“Yes?” Rebecca asked curiously.
“I was wondering if you might make me an angel,” Hannah blurted out, getting a look of surprise from Dr. Merrit.
Rebecca just smiled and leaned down, whispering, “I was wondering how I was going to ask you…”
Suddenly, Mason blurted out, “Holy shit…”
I looked to Mason and saw that he was pointing towards the demon queen’s remains. As I looked I was shocked to see that her body was moving again.
“Holy shit,” I echoed.
Everyone turned to stare at the demon queen’s body as it twitched, and then her skin began to split open all over. As I watched, I realized that the demon queen was shedding her skin, and as she climbed out of the old skin, she was actually healing and mutating further.
I was so stunned by what was happening with the demon queen that I didn’t even think of getting up and shooting at her. From the way everyone else was standing there with their mouths open, it was obvious that they were all having the same reactions I was.
A moment later, the demon queen emerged from her dried out and shredded old skin. She looked different, though most of it was subtle. The scales that covered her body were a brighter shade of green, she’d grown a third set of arms, and her head had completely regrown. However, her face now looked less human and was pushed out to increase her resemblance to a snake.
The demon queen raised her human part up and looked in our direction as and then began moving towards us. That was enough to get everyone to open fire on her.
“Why won’t this bitch stay dead?” Dani exclaimed.
“I’ll take care of the lieutenant,” Dr. Merrit told me.
“Be careful,” Hannah gasped, looking worried.
“Dolenzzz,” the demon queen exclaimed.
Senator Dolenz dropped his gun and I suddenly caught the scent of urine. He stood there frozen with a look of absolute terror on his face. If the circumstances had been different, I probably would have enjoyed that.
By
Morpheus
The demon queen snarled as everyone shot at her, but there was no sign that she was going down. She opened her mouth and spat out a spray of green mist, right towards the group of third DSU soldiers. Small droplets rained down on the soldiers and they all began screaming.
All of the soldiers hit by this green mist dropped their weapons and grabbed at their faces. Wherever the droplets hit, their uniforms and skin burned and melted. It was as though they’d been hit with a spray of acid that burned through everything it touched.
“Kill her,” Colonel Hastings gasped as he dropped to his knees along with his men. In moments, they all collapsed to the ground but continued to spasm.
General Lawrence had been hit only in his arm and screamed, but he retained enough strength to pick up one of the dropped rifle and shoot it at the demon queen.
“I know you,” the demon queen exclaimed, staring at General Lawrence. “Yesss, I remember you…”
With that, General Lawrence dropped his weapon and ran away from her as fast as he could. The demon queen used her whole body like a coil and actually sprang up into the air, landing just a short distance from the General. Then she lunged at him, grabbing each of his limbs with one of her hands and lifting him up into the air.
“Let me go,” General Lawrence screamed in panic.
Then with a hiss, the demon queen yanked the general’s arms and legs off, then casually tossed aside his limbless torso. What was left of the general hit the ground with a splat.
“How the fuck is she still alive?” Dani screamed. “We blew her fucking head off.”
“You splattered her brains good,” Pete agreed, his voice shaking with fear though he stood his ground.
“Ssstupid humansss,” the demon queen exclaimed as she slowly came towards us. “Who sssaid my brainsss are in my head?”
My sisters and I ran to the demon queen, shooting at her, though it did little good. Her resurrection and further mutation had obviously made her even tougher than before. This was definitely not good.
“I sssee Dolenzzz,” the demon queen stated, looking towards the senator with a particularly predatory look on her face. “Yesss. I remembersss.”
Senator Dolenz was little more than a blubbering ball of terror, cowering behind Colonel Roberts. The colonel gave him a look of disgust but didn’t seem ready to just throw him to the demon.
“Uncle Gavin,” Lisa exclaimed, hobbling over to Dr. Merrit in spite of the fact that she’d been injured by the earlier use of the gatling gun. “We need to move back…”
“Sorry about this,” Rebecca told Hannah as she picked her up and moved back from the area that the demon queen was becoming too interested in. Lisa made sure that Dr. Merrit retreated as well while I brought Nicole.
“At least your wound isn’t as bad as the first time I patched you up,” I told Nicole with a weak chuckle.
“You don’t have time to patch me up right now,” she pointed out. “You have to help stop that thing…”
I nodded at that, telling her, “Keep pressure on the wound…”
“I’ll look after her,” Dr. Merrit announced, getting surprised looks from all of us. He pulled out some gloves, ones that went up to his elbows rather than just covering his hands. “I am quite aware of how to avoid infection. Now Lisa, please sit so I can check your injuries as well…”
The demon queen lunged for the helicopter that everyone had been gathered near, though they all ran away. Her tail hit the helicopter and actually knocked it on its side.
“Dolenzzz,” she hissed, watching the senator who desperately trying to run.
“Oh no you don’t,” Rebecca exclaimed, shooting at the demon queen’s torso. “He might be an asshole, but I can’t let you just kill him.”
The demon queen lashed out with her tail and Rebecca dove aside. Then she opened her mouth and spat out another spray of green mist. However, this time there was much less of it, perhaps because she’d already used most of her supply. Rebecca and Julie both ran to the side before it hit.
“Talk about bad breath,” Dani exclaimed, taking several more shots, then pausing to run away from the queen.
A moment later, the demon queen shot forward and grabbed hold of Dolenz by both feet, then raised him up into the air. She held up upside down in front of her and watched him with a predatory grin.
“Hold your fire,” Rebecca warned us. “We might hit Dolenz.”
“Maybe we should,” Julie offered while I nodded agreement.
“I remember you Dolenzzz,” the demon queen told him. “Yesss, I remember your wordsss. No sssuccesss without risssk.”
Dolenz was absolutely pathetic as he hung upside down, pleading, “Please don’t kill me…”
“I’ll not kill you,” the demon queen said with an evil grin that was just too wide to be human. “I will thank you inssstead…”
With that, the queen set Dolenz back on the ground, almost being gentle with him. But then she poked one of her claws right through his thigh before pulling back.
Dolenz screamed, then stared at his leg and exclaimed, “You’ve infected me… I don’t want to be a demon…”
“Not demonsss,” the demon queen responded with an eerie sounding laugh. “Godsss.” Then she looked back down at Dolenz and announced, “You will become my ssservant and I will be your queen.”
“That thing just infected the senator,” Julie exclaimed in stunned disbelief.
“At least he won’t be a problem for much longer,” Rebecca said with a faint smile.
“Yeah,” I muttered in response. “But they’ll probably blame us somehow.”
Just then, I noticed that the two remaining helicopters were finally taking off with some noncombatants now that the standoff was over. It was a bit late for that since most of the demons were dead, but then again, after the way the demon queen had knocked that other helicopter on its side...
Four of the first DSU soldiers who’d been wearing Lisa’s armor arrived to continue fighting the demon queen. I knew that only one of them had been killed by a demon, which was actually pretty good considering the fact they all would have been wiped out or infected without the armor. And unfortunately, another had been taken out of action when hit by ‘friendly’ fire from the reckless use of the gatling gun.
“Give her everything you’ve got,” Mike called out loudly.
Other soldiers were rejoining the fight as well, including a couple from the third DSU which had been pretty much wiped out. The demon queen howled in rage as we kept shooting at her, but she didn’t go down.
“Too many ssstings,” she exclaimed in obvious annoyance. Then she noticed that one of the soldiers was trying to get Dolenz away and she snarled, “MINE,” then lunged at the soldier.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of the gatling gun again just as bullet holes began appearing over the demon queen’s tail. I glanced to Dani, who’d gone to retrieve the weapon and was now firing it with an almost manic grin.
The demon queen let out a shrieking roar and suddenly turned and began slither away from us as fast as she could. I grinned at that, glad that we’d finally begun getting to her again. However, she hadn’t gone too far when Dani ran out of ammunition for the gatling gun.
It didn’t take the demon queen long to realize that we’d lost our big gun and she turned around and used her body like a coil to launch herself into the air and at us. She spit out more the green spray before hitting, but there wasn’t enough to cover much area. However, there was enough for a few drops to hit Mason.
“It burns,” Mason screamed, grabbing his arm where he’d been hit. He hadn’t been hit nearly as bad as the third DSU soldiers, but he dropped to his knees and gasped, “It’s hard to move…”
“Poison,” I exclaimed, rushing to his side to try checking his wound.
But then the queen dove at Pete with her claws extended. There was no way that Pete could move fast enough to avoid her attack so I threw myself at him, using my body and armor to protect him from her sharp claws.
“Damn,” I exclaimed as I felt a sharp sting on my cheek.
“She almost got me,” Pete exclaimed as I climbed off him. “Thanks…”
“Oh shit,” Mike exclaimed, pointing to Pete. “She got you…”
I looked at Pete and saw that he had several drops of blood on his face. Pete reached up and wiped it with his fingers, then gasped, “This isn’t my blood…” Then he froze and stared at me with a look of horror. “Oh shit…”
I reached up and felt the deep gouge over my cheek, and when I pulled my hand back it was covered with my blood. I stared at Pete with my eyes going wide and gasped, “I’m sorry…”
“Not your fault,” he said, his voice shaking a bit as he tried wiping the blood off as quickly as he could.
“Look out,” Julie cried, bringing my attention back to the demon queen who was coming in for another attack.
I snapped around just as the demon queen was about to reach me and shot her right in the face before diving aside. The demon queen’s head was completely destroyed, but she flailed around, still swiping her claws through the air.
“She can’t see,” I called out, diving to the side again to avoid her claws.
The demon queen could no longer see, but she lunged at us when we spoke so she could obviously still hear us somehow. Maybe she could somehow feel the vibrations from sound. I could only guess how she was still sensing us, but her blindness could only benefit us.
“She’s lost her head AGAIN,” Dani exclaimed. “How the hell do we actually kill this thing?”
“Thermonuclear weapons?” Gene offered.
“Might be a bit overkill,” Rebecca responded. “Of course, if we don’t take her down, Uncle Sam might very well go that route.
The demon queen’s tail hit one of the third DSU soldiers who’d gotten too close and he was sent flying back. I ran to his side, seeing that he was barely alive. Blood was coming from his mouth and I was pretty sure that he wouldn’t live for very long unless he could get immediate medical attention, more than I could possibly provide.
“I’m sorry,” I said, talking not just to him but to everyone who was dying around me.
Then I noticed the grenade’s on his belt and I grabbed them. Grenades had worked against that tough as nails demon back in Hell Town, but then again, the demon queen no longer had a mouth to throw them into.
I pulled the pins from the grenades and tossed them in front of me. Then I called out, “Over here ugly…”
The demon queen lunged at me again, then the grenades exploded right when she was on top of them. She threw her body aside and if she still had a head, she would have been shrieking in pain. The two grenades had torn a nasty hole in her body.
“Concentrate your fire,” Rebecca called out and everyone began shooting at the hole.
At this point, the demon queen tried escaping, though she appeared to just be slithering away as fast as she could in a random direction. Everyone kept shooting, alternating between the remains of her human part and the huge hole in her snake body. After a minute, she collapsed to the ground and just twitched.
“Don’t let up,” Mike yelled, rushing forward and firing at her body at almost point blank range.
Everyone else rushed up as well and continued shooting into her body at close range. She’d already stopped moving, but as we’ve seen twice before, that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Only once everyone had completely run out of ammunition did we finally stop shooting and step back to look at the mess we’d created. The demon’s body was so torn up and full of holes that I didn’t think that there was any way she was coming back this time. Her brain might not be in her head, but we’d covered so much of her body that we’d probably taken it out anyway.
“We got her,” Julie exclaimed in amazement.
“Again,” I added wryly.
“So…what now?” Julie asked, looking at Rebecca.
Dani kicked the dead demon and said, “I vote we find the base armory and pick up a shitload of thermite and explosives. When it comes to this bitch, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
By
Morpheus
I silently stared at the flames and pillar of smoke which marked the demon queen’s body, or at least what little was left of it. We’d used explosives to blow it into smaller pieces and then we’d set the whole mess on fire. There had been absolutely no twitches or any other signs that the demon queen might revive again, so it appeared that this time she truly was gone for good.
After a few minutes, I slowly looked around me, taking in the rest of the mess. The Pit had been a small base, created to quarantine those who were infected with the harkon virus and their destruction once they actually turned demon. Of course, they’d recently expanded their mission to storing demons and studying the harkon virus, but that was what had resulted in this entire mess.
Twenty-two demons had escaped from captivity, including the demon queen, and they’d gone on a rampage that killed quite a few people. Half the base was now so thoroughly contaminated by the demons that it would take the cleanup crews quite a lot of time and effort to sterilize it. As it was, Colonel Roberts had already mentioned the possibility of just firebombing the place since it would be a quicker and more efficient way of sterilizing everything.
The Pit had a large furnace that they used to incinerate the bodies of the demons they executed here, and it was bound to be running nonstop for who knows how long. Of course, the demon queen herself was far too large for that furnace so we were destroying her body separately. Once we were done doing that, we’d probably run the ashes through the furnace again just to be on the safe side.
“Damn,” I muttered, thinking about all the unnecessary death and destruction. None of this would have happened if those demons had been killed rather than kept here like it was some kind of zoo.
Once the demon queen was gone, we’d searched the base for any other demons that might still be on the loose, finding only one more of them. Fortunately, that one had been quick and easy to destroy since we were all too sore and tired for another prolonged fight.
I turned and looked to the large tent that had been set up, containing the bodies of all the people who’d been killed here. General Lawrence was in there, along with a lot of third DSU soldiers, a few first DSU soldiers, and even Mason.
I felt guilty as I thought of Mason, who’d been killed by the demon queen’s poison before we’d even finished killing her. If I’d had all my medical gear on me, then maybe…just maybe I could have kept him alive.
Of course, those who were in that tent might have gotten off light compared to those in the next tent. That tent contained the people who’d been infected with the demon strain, or at least those who were being quarantined for it. I felt a faint stirring of satisfaction at the knowledge that Senator Dolenz was among them, though I couldn’t help but feeling sorry for everyone else.
“Let me out of here,” Dolenz yelled from the tent. “I am a senator…”
“You’re infected with the demon strain,” Lisa responded smugly. “That means you’re to be quarantined just like anyone else…”
I made my way to the tent and saw that Lisa was patching up those who’d been injured. I was doing that as well, at least before I took my break to get some fresh air. There was only so much of that obnoxious senator I could take.
“I think we’re done for now,” Lisa said, looking over everyone in the tent. “I’ll be back to check on you before long…”
With that, Lisa left the tent and nodded to the Mike and Gene who were acting as guards. They were still wearing her biohazard armor so didn’t have to worry about being infected themselves while preventing those people from leaving.
“This is a total mess,” I told her with a sigh.
“Definitely,” she agreed with a sigh of her own.
The two of us walked together to the next tent, the medical tent for those who weren’t being quarantined for demon strain infection. Dr. Merrit was here, overseeing those who were injured and needed medical attention.
There were a few soldiers present, including one who’d caught ‘friendly’ fire from the third DSU. Hannah was in a cot with Rebecca sitting beside her. In the back of the tent was Nicole, who was kept well away from everyone else to avoid infecting them. I was still amazed that they hadn’t put her in the tent with those who were infected by demons strain, but I suspected that they were taking mercy on her and didn’t want to subject her to the senator.
“Lisa,” Dr. Merrit said when he saw her, giving her a concerned look. “You should be sitting down and resting too…”
“It was just a couple bullets,” Lisa joked. “I barely feel them.”
In spite of the heightened resistance to pain that angels had and the fact that Lisa was joking about it, I knew that she was hurting. She was limping when she walked but wasn’t about to let that slow her down or stop her from helping people. I couldn’t help but respecting her just a little more because of that.
Lisa slowly went around and checked on the patients, wearing gloves and being very careful not to touch anyone. Since she’d been injured, the harkon virus in her system was in overdrive and was making her a bit more infectious than normal. I didn’t know if the gouge across my cheek had been enough to set off my virus that way, but I was still taking the same precautions just to be safe.
“How are you feeling?” I asked Hannah.
“Feeling fine,” Hannah responded with a goofy grin that was largely due to the pain killers she’d been given.
I glanced to Rebecca, who gave me a knowing look and a faint nod. There was no doubt that Hannah had ‘accidentally’ come in contact with Nicole’s blood while she was here. Of course, Rebecca had talked to her about this before the pain killer to make sure that she really did want to become an angel like she’d said earlier.
“How about you?” I asked Nicole as I went to check on her.
Nicole gave me a weak smile and said, “It doesn’t hurt quite as much as that last time…”
“That last time you nearly gut sliced in half,” I pointed out. “This time you were just impaled a little.”
“Impaled a little,” she responded with a weak chuckle. “Isn’t that sort of like being a little bit pregnant?”
I grinned at her and said, “You know good and well you’ll be back up and shopping for new shoes in no time…”
“True,” Nicole admitted. Then she gave me a worried look and asked, “About Pete…”
I was silent for a moment before admitting, “He was definitely exposed to the angel strain.” I absently touched my cheek and winced, feeling guilty even though I certainly hadn’t gotten my blood on him intentionally. “It wasn’t much, but I don’t know if it stuck or not.”
“It did,” Dr. Merrit said, shaking his head. “I’ve confirmed he has the angel strain in his system.”
“Damn,” Nicole said, then joked, “I lose more boyfriends that way…” However, I could tell that it was definitely bothering her.
After a minute, Dr. Merrit gave me an odd look and said, “I was wondering how you found Halward’s Pathogens…”
I blinked in surprise, then asked, “How’d you know what book I was reading?”
Dr. Merrit smiled faintly and answered, “It came from my private library. Since you’ve displayed a growing interest in medicine and virology, I’d instructed my nurse to lend some of my books to you…”
I stared at Dr. Merrit, feeling even more surprised and confused. Lisa just laughed, then put a hand on my shoulder. “He did the same thing to me after I changed.”
“Really?” I asked.
“I was already interested in medicine,” Lisa admitted. “But after I changed and started absorbing information more quickly, he began slipping me books on virology… That’s how I eventually learned enough to work on a vaccine.”
Dr. Merrit just looked pleased with himself as he added, “It never hurts to encourage interest in the sciences. Who knows when a future researcher may be inspired?”
When I left the tent a minute later, I told Lisa, “I feel like I was set up…”
Lisa just laughed at that, then said, “Yeah, a little. Uncle Gavin told me about how you’d become an angel, about how you saved Nicole. And he told me about what you were doing for Angel Squad, giving them better medical attention than he could at the time. I know he acted like a total asshole at the time, but he was impressed. And when you started trying to teach yourself more about medicine, he couldn’t resist helping.”
I shrugged at that, then pointed out, “Yeah, but now that you’re back, I’m not really needed.”
Lisa just snorted at that. “You’re a lot more than just an EMT,” she pointed out. “How many times have you patched up our sisters or looked after the backup soldiers? Besides, you played a critical role in taking down the demon queen. Don’t sell yourself short.”
Just then, Julie called out, “Hey Monica…”
“Yeah?” I asked, noticing that she was holding her arm as she came towards us. She grimaced and said, “I think I broke my arm when the demon queen hit me… Can you take a look at it?”
“Sure,” I responded.
“I still don’t trust Doctor Merrit,” she admitted, giving Lisa a slightly suspicious look. “No offense.”
“None taken, sister,” Lisa said.
Julie shook her head and muttered, “It’s going to take a bit getting used to that…to having new sisters.”
“Especially ones you’ve never met before today,” Lisa added for her, though she was grinning as she said it.
I looked over Julie’s arm and told her, “It looks like it probably is broken, but I can’t be certain without X-rays. Let me get a splint on it so you don’t move it around too much. It should be fine in just a couple days.”
Julie grinned at that and told me, “The last time I broke my arm, it was in a cast for weeks…”
“Just one of the benefits of being an angel,” Lisa said with a chuckle.
Julie nodded at that, though her expression did turn sad. “I can certainly appreciate it, but I’m not sure Pete can…” She gestured to where Pete was sitting down, staring off into space with a haunted look on his face. Dani was actually sitting next to him though she didn’t seem to be talking.
“I know how he feels,” I said with a sigh.
With that, I left Lisa with our new sister and went over to join Pete and Dani. Dani gave me a knowing look but didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to. Dani and I knew exactly what Pete was going to be going through.
“Doc Merrit confirmed it,” Pete said quietly. “I’m infected…”
“I know,” I responded just as quietly. “He told me a few minutes ago.” I took a deep breath and added, “I’m really sorry…”
“Not your fault,” Pete told me with a forced smile. “I mean, you were just saving me from something far worse…” He shuddered and said, “I mean, if you hadn’t kept that bitch from skewering me, I’d either be dead or like the senator.”
“And no one wants to be like that jackass,” Dani added with a faint smirk. Pete and I both chuckled at that.
I gestured to myself gave and Pete a wry smile. “I know you’re not exactly looking forward to looking like this. I was freaking out when I first started changing…”
“But it’s better than the alternative,” Pete stated. He stared at me for a moment and then at Dani. “I’ve worked with you angels long enough to see all the advantages of being like you, and I know you’re all good people. “ He looked back at me a gain and added, “I’ve seen you go through the whole thing and I know it’s not the end of the world. But it’s still gonna take a lot of adjusting. For now, I just want to wrap my head around this by myself.”
Dani and I nodded at that and then got up to leave. I put a hand on Pete’s shoulder to let him know that he wasn’t alone. There was no doubt in my mind that we’d be talking about this again, and that all my other sisters would be trying to help him as well. If nothing else, I wanted to ease him into being one of us a little more gently than what Dani had done with me. She meant well, but sometimes her methods needed work.
Though I felt sorry for Pete and what he was going to be going through very soon, I couldn’t help but also feeling a little bit pleased that he was the one who’d been infected. I knew from past experience that he had our backs and that we could trust him. As Rebecca would say, Pete was the kind of person that we’d be happy to have as a sister. I shuddered to think what would have happened if Dolenz had been infected by the angel strain instead of the demon. At least this way, we got a new sister out of it, not just another angel.
A few hours later, the CDC and cleanup crews arrived and took over the cleanup operations at the Pit. They would deal with the dead, destroy the demon’s bodies, and sterilize everything that had been contaminated…which was effectively half the base. I didn’t envy the job that they had ahead of them.
The CDC had also taken all those infected with the demon strain into custody, which included Senator Dolenz. With all the details of his behavior having been made public, he no longer had the political power to fight this and he was unceremoniously locked up in the containment facility just like everyone else who’d been infected. I felt sorry for the soldiers who’d been infected while performing their duty, but not him. As far as I was concerned, Dolenz was getting exactly what he deserved.
After this, the first DSU began gathering up to head home. Every single one of us who remained alive was eager to get away from the Pit and the nightmares it represented. I had a feeling that my sisters and I would be sharing quite a few nightmares about this day.
As Angel Squad was boarding the helicopter that had been assigned to us, I watched with some amusement as Julie called out, “Dibs on the pilot seat,” and then began to argue with the pilot over who was going to be flying us home.
“I can’t wait to sleep in my own bed again,” Rebecca said with an exaggerated sigh. “After a week of sleeping in that cell…”
“Amen,” Dani agreed.
“Tell me about it,” Lisa said quietly. “I haven’t slept in my own bed for two years…”
There was an awkward silence to that while Rebecca, Dani, and Nicole all stared at her. I could see all the questions in their eyes, though I knew that they were going to wait until we’d all rested for a bit before they demanded their answers. I had no doubt that it was going to be a very interesting and lively conversation.
“I was wondering,” I said to Lisa, choosing now to ask my question partly because it would distract everyone. “If you gave some of the omega strain to Pete and Dolenz, would that stop their infections?”
Lisa gave me a look of gratitude, then answered, “Theoretically it would…if you gave them a large enough dose quickly after their primary infections.”
“I sense a but in there,” Dani added.
“But it has already been too long,” Lisa agreed with a shake of her head. “I left the omega strain back at the base so Lawrence and Dolenz couldn’t confiscate it. I was afraid that if they got their hands on it, they’d claim it was the result of their experiments and use that as a rationale to continue experimenting on angels.”
“And we didn’t vaccinate any of the first before coming here,” I pointed out, thinking of Pete and how he might have avoided his infection if we’d done that.
“I didn’t think we’d be facing demons,” Lisa responded defensively. “If I did…” She shook her head again and muttered, “I wish I had…”
I put my hand on her shoulders and told her, “I don’t think anyone could have predicted a mass breakout while we were here.”
“She’s right,” Nicole said, giving a faint smile. “And you came for us… You both came back from the dead to come rescue us. Who can ask for more than that?”
“True,” Rebecca agreed, grinning at both me and Lisa. “Though it might be a good idea to get that vaccine out to the public as soon as possible.”
“I agree completely,” Lisa responded with a mischievious grin. “That’s why I’ve spent the last month seeding international airports across the country with the omega strain…”
By
Morpheus
The question of how many angels can fit in a shower stall sounds like the setup for a joke, but in Heaven, we knew that the answer was eight. All eight of us angels were in our shared showers, and though we fit quite well, there would be little extra room should we ever try adding another angel.
Of course, the shower wasn’t the only place where we were lacking in space for new angels. Should we ever get a new sister, we would have to start doubling up on bedrooms or convert some of the extra space in Heaven into new bedrooms. However, we all agreed that eight angels were enough and there were no plans on adding any new ones.
It had been a full month since the fight at the Pit, and in that time my new sisters have adjusted quite well to becoming angels and joining Angel Squad. For Hannah and Julie, this wasn’t too great an adjustment, but for Petra…the former Pete, it was an enormous change.
Petra had dealt with her changes more calmly than I had and surprised me with how easily she’d taken to being a woman. Perhaps it was because she’d worked with the angels and knew what to expect, perhaps some part of her had secretly longed to be female, or perhaps it was something else entirely. Personally, I liked to think that my being there to help her had something to do with that.
As I washed myself in the shower, I looked at my newest sisters, smiling faintly as I did so. Hannah, Julie, and Petra were all fitting in perfectly. Even Petra showed absolutely no signs of discomfort or embarrassment at showering with the rest of us. Of course, I still giggled when I thought about her reactions the first time we’d invited her to shower with us, though I imagined that Dani still laughed about the first time she’d walked in on me.
“Can you wash my back?” I asked Petra.
“Sure,” she responded, doing as I’d asked. After half a minute, she giggled and said, “It’s hard to believe, but at one time this would have been one of my greatest fantasies come true…”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed with a grin. “Funny how things change.”
“You’ve got that right,” Dani added.
A few minutes later, we all got out of the showers and began to dry off. If any outsider had seen us, they probably would have been stunned by the sight of eight nearly identical women standing around, drying themselves off and brushing their hair. The only significant physical difference between us was the way we chose to do our hair.
Hannah had bleached her hair blonde and cut it into the same style she used to wear before her change. Julie, had cut her hair shoulder length and had given it red highlights. And unlike Lisa, now that she no longer needed to wear glasses, she’d happily tossed hers out. Petra’s hair was still long enough to brush the bottom of her shoulder blades, though she usually kept it in some kind of braid. From what she’d said, this was a nod to a kid sister whose hair she used to braid for her when they were kids.
“I’m so excited,” Julie exclaimed. “This is the first time I’ve really got to show off since…” She gestured down at herself. “Since I got more curves.”
“I was the same way after I first changed,” Lisa told her with a grin. Then she let out an exaggerated sigh and admitted, “I went out of my way to show off for my girlfriend, only to realize that I wasn’t all that into her anymore. It was pretty disappointing.”
“Well, Rich still likes me,” Julie protested, sounding just a little defensive.
“Of course he does,” Nicole exclaimed, giving Julie a quick hug. “You were quite a catch even before you became one of us.”
I just smiled at that, remembering the drama that we’d had to deal with after Julie showed her new body off to her boyfriend. At first, she’d been afraid that he wouldn’t be attracted to her anymore, and after she found out that he was even more attracted to her, she went off about how he didn’t like her old look. Fortunately, Julie and Rich had worked it out because for a little while it had looked like she was going to dump him, and after all the trouble she’d gone through to date him in in the first place, that would have been a shame.
“Okay girls,” Dani called out. “We’re on a schedule here.”
With that, all eight of us scattered to our separate rooms and began to get ready for the party. After everything that had happened, Rebecca, Nicole, and Dani had announced that we were holding a party to celebrate Lisa’s return and the four new angels. I was excited by this, as was everyone else. Then again, any excuse for a party was more than welcome.
Once I was in my room, I looked over the slinky and sexy dress that I’d bought for this occasion, as well as the stiletto heeled shoes. Of course, I could have borrowed shoes and a dress from my sisters, but I felt that it was time for me to start building up my own wardrobe of such things.
Fortunately, Nicole and Dani had both been eager to take Petra and I out for a shopping trip, though everything Rebecca had said about Dani was true. She really did get into shopping and trying out new clothes.
“Not bad at all,” I said, admiring my dress and imagining what Gene would say about me wearing it. I couldn’t resist smirking at that, knowing exactly the kind of effect it would have had on me back when I’d been a guy.
As I got dressed, I thought about my life and how much had changed in just a couple months. I’d lost my friend Dom, my girlfriend Cindy, and my entire identity, but I’d gained so much more than I’d lost. I’d gained a whole new life, sisters to share it with, and even a purpose for that life.
It was sad to remember that this new life also came with things like the demon queen and the loss of people I’d come to know and like. I was still having nightmares about snake demons, bombs being dropped on me, and the swarm of demons from the Pitt.
I paused what I was doing and closed my eyes, reminding myself that the demon queen was indeed dead and gone. We’d dealt with a couple small groups of demons since her death and we’d even found another three demon eggs. However, the demon queen had sent these all out before her capture and there hadn’t been any signs of other demons reproducing.
Lisa’s omega strain had been scattered across the planet and was slowly being spread from one person to the next. Within a few years, half the population would be immune to the demon strain, which would drastically reduce the number of demons that came into being. We were slowly killing the demons off, and hopefully one day, there would no longer be a single demon left alive on the planet. But until then, Angel Squad was still very much needed.
“At least we don’t have to worry about Dolenz anymore,” I muttered, thinking about the senator who’d been infected and taken into quarantine. I hadn’t heard anything about him since then, but it was safe to assume that he’d turned demon and had then been executed like any other demon. Or at least I hope he had been.
I let out a sigh and shook my head to clear these unpleasant thoughts from it. Today was a day to party and celebrate with my sisters and I refused to ruin it with thoughts of Dolenz or the demon queen. Instead, I finished getting dressed, then went to work on my hair and eventually my makeup as well.
When I was finished, I looked myself over in the full length mirror that now hung from the back of my bedroom door. “Perfect,” I said, feeling quite pleased with myself. Then again I’d spent enough time practicing with makeup to make sure that I could do it right.
I left my room and found that everyone else had already finished getting dressed and ready, except for Petra. She didn’t have her makeup on yet and looked frustrated as she exclaimed, “I can’t get this right…”
“Don’t worry,” Nicole assured her. “I’ll show you how…”
“You always made it look so easy,” Petra muttered with a shake of her head. “I never realized how much you went through to get ready for our dates…”
“You were worth it,” Nicole told her with a gentle hug. “And now that you’re my sister, you deserve to look your best too.”
Nicole led Petra away and I noticed that Hannah was watching them with an amused look. “It’s still hard to believe who she used to be,” Hannah told me with a chuckle.
I just smiled at that and reminded her, “Yeah, but I think she’d appreciate it if you thought of her as who she is now, not who she used to be. I know Dani and I both prefer it that way.”
“Of course,” Hannah responded with a nod. “I didn’t mean anything…”
“I know,” I assured her, then said, “And did I say how great that dress looks on you?”
I chatted with Hannah for a few more minutes, then went to talk to Lisa. Ever since she’d come back, the two of us had become quite close. Not only were we sisters, but she’d taken a hand in teaching me about medicine and virology.
“How’s Doctor Merrit?” I asked her curiously.
Shortly after the incident at the Pit, Dr. Merrit had gone to work for the CDC and was now in charge of monitoring the spread of the omega strain through the population. He was also in charge of the program to give out more vaccinations with the stuff, making even more people immune to the harkon virus.
“He’s doing great,” Lisa told me with a grin. “Uncle Gavin is thrilled to be working in his specialty again, especially since he can play around with the harkon vaccine.”
“I imagine,” I responded with a chuckle. It was still difficult to think of that friendly doctor as being the same asshole who every angel avoided like the plague. Then I let out a sigh and said, “It’s great that you developed a vaccine, but it’s just too bad…”
“What is?” Lisa asked me with a curious look.
“I imagine Doctor Vaughn would have been disappointed,” I explained. “I mean, she was working on the harkon virus so she could cure Rebecca. Imagine all the other people it could have cured too if this hadn’t happened. Now, the only way to stop the demon strain is to make it so everyone is also immune to the one thing that could have cured them…”
“I know,” Lisa said quietly, turning and staring out the window. She was silent for a moment before a slight smile formed on her lips. It was the same smile she had when she’d announced that she’d already spread the omega strain through the airports.
“What?” I asked Lisa, suddenly getting suspicious.
“Well,” Lisa responded, rolling out the word. “Hypothetically speaking, what if the omega strain had a back door? What if…under the right conditions, a custom made, individually tailored virus could slip through the omega strain and affect physical changes. Of course, the omega strain would still block out any large scale changes or mutations, but it might allow the changes necessary to cure things like cancer or the genetic defect that Rebecca once suffered from.”
I stared at Lisa with my eyes going wide, then blurted out, “You’re shitting me…”
“It’s only hypothetical,” Lisa responded smugly. “But one day, once the demons aren’t a threat and the governments eyes aren’t on us, a very controlled use of this might be able to help out a lot of people.”
I wanted to ask Lisa more about this, but it was then that the doorbell began to ring. Petra, having just finished with her makeup, started for downstairs, but Nicole stopped her.
“You can’t go to the door immediately,” Nicole explained. “You have to make them wait for at least five minutes. It’s a rule.”
“That explains a few things,” Petra muttered.
“We don’t know who it’s for yet,” Hannah said with a sigh, shaking her head and going down to get the door. The rest of us sighed and followed after her.
Mike was the first date to arrive and he immediately gave Dani a deep kiss. Once they broke apart, he gave Petra an odd look…just like he did every time he saw her. He still had a hard time accepting the former Pete’s new life, though I wondered if he might also be wondering what it would be like to become an angel himself. Maybe then he’d actually be able to beat Dani in a race without her throwing it.
Mike and Dani left after a few minutes, though I knew that I’d seen them again before long. After all, we were all going to the same party, just by different vehicles.
A few minutes later, Lisa’s date arrived. Colonel Roberts was dressed in nice clothes, civilian clothes rather than his usual uniform.
“Colonel,” Petra greeted him, just a little self-consciously. She was always just a little self-conscious when around people who knew the old her, or at least around people who weren’t sisters.
“Not tonight,” Colonel Roberts stated. “Tonight, I’m just a man named Carl.”
Normally, that kind of fraternization wouldn’t be allowed, but then again the fraternization between Hannah and Petra wouldn’t be allowed either since Hannah was an officer and Petra was enlisted. But now that they were in Angel Squad, the normal rules were thrown out the window.
“Come on Carl,” Lisa said with a laugh. She gave the colonel a kiss and the two of them left.
Over the next few minutes, Rich arrived for Julie while the other dates began following before they’d even left. Petra’s date was a soldier who used to be one of Pete’s best friends while Nicole’s was Felix, the soldier who’d been my guard back when I’d first been brought to this base.
I’d only met Hannah’s date once before and he seemed like a pretty nice guy. He was actually a guy from off base whom she’d been dating off and on for the past year. Apparently, she broke a few rules when she’d told him about her changes, but Colonel Roberts was looking the other way.
Rebecca hadn’t been dating anyone for as long as I’d known her, and I couldn’t help but feeling a little for her. After all, she deserved to have a really good guy who’d appreciate her. But for now, Captain Brooks had offered to escort her.
While everyone else’s dates arrived and picked them up, I kept thinking about what Lisa had said about her ‘hypothetical’ modifications to the omega strain which would be able to cure diseases and help people. The idea of such a thing and what it could mean for the world really excited my interests.
Then Gene finally arrived, and before he could say a word, I grabbed him in a long and passionate kiss. My whole body tingled with excitement and I gave him a wink, letting him know that he could expect a bit more later on.
“Now let’s get to that party,” I told Gene with a smirk.
“Yes ma’am,” Gene responded with a goofy grin.
I paused to stare at him, thinking once again about Lisa’s ‘hypothetical’ cure. That was definitely something I wanted a part of and I’d be talking to Lisa about that tomorrow. But for tonight, I owed my full attention to the party, my sisters, and most of all…my date.
I gave Gene another kiss, longer and deeper than before. And when finally pulled apart, I promised, “There will be a lot more than that after the party.”
The End?