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Chapter 1: Angels

Even though I had wings, I still liked to use my legs. We had them for a reason right? They are meant to be used. I was used to my wings by that time; it took me a whole year to get used to them without using my legs at all, which killed me a million times. I missed running; I was born to be a runner. When I was in high school I was on the varsity track team with the best times for the hundred meter dash. Michael was the one who taught me how to get used to my wings. Every time I tried to walk, he would always say:

"Why aren't you flying?"

And in reply I would always groan and lift myself back up into the air with my glittering white wings. I would always plead with Michael that I had gotten used to them and he would always put his hand on my shoulder and sigh and say:

"If you had gotten used to them you would not be pleading with me to use your legs."

I would always then turn to Gabriel, brother of Michael and try to convince him that I was used to my wings. He would sigh. I would always bat my long dark lashes and smile sweetly, because I'm such a kiss ass sometimes.

"Listen, Michael, if she says she's used to them then maybe she is," Gabriel would say to his older brother. Michael would sigh and rub his face with his hand in frustration.

I eventually got used to them though, but I never really got used to being an archangel. I never thought I completely fit in with Michael and Gabriel and Raphael. I was the newbie. I had become an archangel ten years earlier rather than the beginning of time like the others. I felt left out somewhat when I was first announced as the Angel of Protection. But He had asked Michael and Gabriel to teach me the ropes of being an archangel and to help guide me. I was shy at first; I guess you could say I was still traumatized after everything that had happened to me. I wasn't quite used to the fact that I had died and gone to heaven. I was dead, but now I lived to serve My Lord. But I got over it. Michael and Gabriel actually turned out to be the best friends I had ever had.

I always felt so bad-ass wearing the cool armor the archangels got to wear. I personalized it to accentuate my personality and my eyes, which Gabriel always said were my best feature about my physical appearance. My armor was black, silver, and light blue. The way it fit my body made me feel like Xena with a white silk skirt with intricate black and light blue designs bordering the hem reaching half way to my knees. I preferred not to wear the white cape, though sometimes I wore it. My glittering wings had a light blue holy tint to them which brought out my ice blue eyes.

I enjoyed having the angelic language written on my body all over my arms. It was carved into my angelic weapon as well, a beautiful steel recurve bow with a never ending supply of arrows. I preferred the guns that I had in my life before I was an angel. They were much more efficient but I was lucky that I had decided to join the Archery Club at my college.

I was running on the field of clouds, my long, wavy black hair blowing past me. Gabriel said Michael had wanted to see me. There was something up with Gabriel and he wouldn't tell me. When I got to Michael's chamber I quietly slipped in, hoping maybe I could surprise him. He was leaning over a balcony, looking out over the Lord's domain. I tiptoed, trying to hold back a laugh. Right as I was about to pounce on his back he turned his head to look at me.

"Arg! Darn it!" I laughed, disappointedly. I sat on the balcony rail and smiled at him. He couldn't even bring himself to smile fully; I could only see a flicker at the ends of his lips. "You wanted to see me," I reminded him. He nodded solemnly.

Even though all of the archangels referred to each other as their brothers, I could never say the same. Michael and Gabriel and I weren't related at all. But they were more like friends to me, but they were also like brothers as well because of the way they always looked after me.

My smile faded. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Whatever happens, don't listen to anything Gabriel says. He is misguided," Michael told me. My smile was completely gone now.

"What?" I said. I hopped off of the balcony rail and he put his hands on my shoulders. He leveled his face with mine so he was looking at me straight in the eyes.

"God has lost faith in man," Michael told me, keeping voice low and quiet as if he didn't want anyone else to hear. "He has given orders to Gabriel and I to destroy mankind, and the next messiah."

"What?!" I almost screamed. He put a finger to my lips to motion me to keep my voice down.

"We cannot let this happen," Michael whispered. "We must not follow His or Gabriel's orders."

"What are you talking about? Not follow His orders? I don't understand, what do you mean 'lost faith in man'?" I said, rage firing in my cheeks.

"For so long, man has been wasting their gifts that God has granted them, he thinks they have abused their purpose on Earth, and he thinks that it is time for it all to come to an end," Michael explained.

"No..." My voice was barely above a whimper. "He can't just...give up on them. Their potential is not yet realized. What is he going to do?"

"He is going to exterminate them," Michael replied. "He will send down his angels to possess those that are weak." Michael's words were heavy with worry. I could see it in his eyes that he was dreading just the very thought of what His Lord was going to do. I took his hands in mine to comfort him, but he removed them and placed them on the sides of my face, holding it as he looked into my eyes. For the first time since I entered the room, I saw a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "But there is a child. A baby that has yet to be born can be the salvation of mankind. God wills this child to die. We cannot let this child die."

"But if we defy his orders, Michael, he could banish us! Or worse!" I exclaimed. He placed a hand over my mouth this time. I couldn't help it; I'm a naturally loud person. Always have been.

"They need to be guided. The baby needs to be protected, Evangeline. We need to protect it. We need to save mankind. There is still hope for them. Evangeline, are you on my side?" Michael said to me.

Hope for mankind. If God was going to exterminate mankind and try to kill the last hope for them, then everything I worked for on earth when I was alive, everything I fought for as an archangel was for nothing. I was the Angel of Protection; it was my job to protect those who needed to be protected on earth. I was made to protect mankind and I wouldn't be doing my job if I served Gabriel on his quest to destroy mankind.

"Who would I be to help destroy mankind if I was the Angel of Protection?" I said. The corners of his lips lifted in a small smile of gratitude.

"Gabriel is going to approach you to join him. He knows you are strong enough to destroy mankind. You must resist. You and I are the only ones who are going to do this. You need to get down to earth," Michael said to me. He turned his head to look at his chamber door. "He is coming."

The sun was beginning to set. Then suddenly the doors to Michael's chamber flew open and I saw Gabriel standing there.

"Evangeline, Michael, just the people I needed to see," Gabriel said. His face changed when he saw Michael and I, Michael's hands still cupping my face. He stepped out in front of me to block me from Gabriel.

"Go," Michael said to me. "Leave!"

"What about you?!" I exclaimed. He turned to me as Gabriel started to make his way across the floor to us.

"I will be behind you soon. I will deal with Gabriel for now. Find the child!" He said to me.

I pushed myself over the edge of the balcony and took off into the air. He told me to go down to earth, but I just didn't want to believe that God would enforce such orders. I flew instead to God, where I knew he would be.

I strode across the marble floors. "My Lord!" My strong voice echoed off the heavenly walls of where God sat on his throne of gold. "Why are you exterminating mankind?" I probably shouldn't have spoken to him like that, but I wanted an answer.

"There is no hope left for them," He answered.

"You're going to kill them off. And you're going to destroy a child, the next messiah! Give this child a chance. Give humanity a chance my Lord," I pleaded.

"They used every chance they had," He said.

"Then what was the point in creating me?! The Angel of Protection! You made me an archangel because of my devotion, my tendency to protect mankind! It was all a waste! I will have no purpose in your heavens once mankind is gone! I will not be doing my job if I just stand by and watch humanity fall away!" I shouted. It was quiet.

"You are following Michael's virtues now. You are defying my orders," He said.

"Yes, because I do not believe in them," I replied. He said nothing more. I knew what was happening. I knew then that I had to go down to earth before it was too late.

I left the Lord's palace, enraged and with haste. I found my way back to Michael's balcony but he was gone, nowhere to be found. I was about to jump when I heard something behind me. I turned around and saw Gabriel standing about five feet away from me.

"You are betraying Him," Gabriel said, low.

"I am doing the right thing," I replied. He stepped forward and I stepped back, stopped by the balcony.

"Why are you following him? He, as much as I, made you who you are today. I taught you just as much as he did and yet you follow him, the betrayer," Gabriel said.

"We will be the betrayers if we fail in our task," I say. He smirked.

"That's what he said before he fell to earth. And now you're willing to give up everything you have worked so hard for these past ten years to defy God and join the rebel," Gabriel spat at me.

"Yes," I said.

"Why do you join him when I have given you so much? You could easily just stay, join my army, kill the child, and stay with me. Keep your place in heaven as the Angel of Protection, as an archangel with me and Raphael," he said to me, stepping closer and closer.

I kept my place there on the edge of the balcony. "I would not be the Angel of Protection if I do not protect this child from dying."

"He has poisoned you against our Father! He has hypnotized you into betraying God with him! Stay in heaven with me and keep your place. It is better to stay the right hand of God rather than defy him whether you like the orders or not," Gabriel said to me, placing a hand on my cheek.

"Don't touch me!" I snapped loudly. I pushed him away from me and I pulled myself up onto the edge of balcony.

"What do you see him as? Just a brother? A friend? More than a friend? Why him?! That traitor! We both made you! You could have easily fallen for me!" Gabriel shouted at me. Jealousy and rage had clouded his mind.

"You don't know anything, Gabriel. But…I'm going to jump. I'm going to save that child, even if it's the last thing I do! Goodbye, Gabriel."

Then I jumped.

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