(A/N: Hey guys! Before you start reading, make sure you look at this - www. quotev. story/6326155/Enochians-The-Fallen/1/ - to get an idea about the two races I created. I didn't want to try to fit their history/abilities into the story, so I made a separate thing for that. And most of this chapter is about Juno and the circumstances surrounding her arrival on Earth. Bruce does make an appearance at the end, though! Enjoy!)
It's been years since then.
Many years. But still, to this day, it haunts me. I still hear their voices, whispering lies and seeding doubt. I remember the darkness with frightening clarity. I feel the pain as though it happened yesterday. Even now, as I dream, these thoughts still find me.
I was rescued long ago, but when will I be free?
A loud screeching noise brought Juno out of her melancholy slumber. Her eyes opened slowly, given plenty of time to adjust to the dimmed lights. With a groan, she sat up, looking around her bedroom groggily.
"Finally!"
Her attention was drawn to the little boy who flopped onto her bed. His hair was shaggy and whiter than snow, and his golden eyes shone brightly with excitement. The instrument in his hand did not escape her notice.
"Keegan," Juno mumbled. "What in the world…"
"You've been asleep for ages!" The young boy bounced up and down on her bed. "The guards were too scared to wake you, so I had to do it myself!" He held up his instrument proudly. It was a trumpet. An Earth toy. How Keegan got a trumpet to screech, she would never know.
Juno half-heartedly glared at her little brother. "And what, pray tell, was so important that you felt the need to wake me with that awful thing?"
A grin bloomed on his baby face. "Father is going to show me the Watchroom today! Sis, you have to come!"
The Watchroom. The most protected room in the entire palace, besides the bedrooms of the royal family. This was where the king - Juno's father - used the most advanced of Enochia's advanced technology to watch over his kingdom as well as other worlds across the universe. Only the king had the authority to use it, and she hadn't even been permitted to enter until she turned eleven years old. Keegan had turned eleven a week ago, so it had only been a matter of time before his turn came.
A soft smile settled on Juno's lips, and she rested a slender, pale-skinned hand on her brother's head. "Of course I'll come. You think I'd miss a chance to see your dumbstruck face?" She ruffled his hair and climbed out of bed. "Let me get dressed. Tell Father not to start without me."
"Hurry!" Keegan jumped off of her bed and dashed out of her room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Juno couldn't help but laugh at the young prince's eagerness. It reminded her of how excited she was at his age. "Give me something casual," she told her room. In response, a long, flowy white and gold dress emerged from the wall and landed in her hands. Juno sighed. For the royal family, casual still looked formal.
She took off her pajamas and slipped into the dress. It was backless, just like every dress and shirt she owned. In this kingdom, when everyone looked at her and saw Enochia's princess and heir to the throne, she did not have to hide her wings. "Comfortable shoes, please - and no heels!" she commanded. The room responded favorably, dropping white flats by her feet. "Thank you. Dismissed." The room answered with a beep as it logged off.
Juno sauntered out of her bedroom, her long white hair brushing her calves, only to be greeted by two guards on either side of her door. She recognized them immediately. "Salome, Alethea." She grinned at the two women, who returned her smile. "Good morning."
"Good afternoon, you mean." Alethea flashed her a tiny smirk, her pale blue eyes twinkling with amusement. A dark-skinned hand reached up to move her curly black hair out of her eyes.
Juno blinked. "Afternoon?"
Salome giggled. "You slept through lunch, Juno." The olive-skinned woman looked at her with big violet eyes. Her brown hair was done back into her usual two long braids.
Juno put a hand on her stomach. "Through lunch…? Well...no wonder I'm so hungry. Why didn't you wake me up?"
"Forcing you to wake up is like trying to wake up a hibernating bear," Alethea drawled. "So we sent in the one person you wouldn't maul - your little brother."
"Smart." Juno smirked, putting her arms around the shoulders of her personal bodyguards and best friends. "Well ladies, will you be accompanying me to the Watchroom? Keegan will give me an earful if I'm not there soon."
"Certainly, Your Highness," they replied in unison, although Juno could hear the mocking undertone of their voices. The three of them laughed and made their way down the golden halls of the palace.
"It's about time!" Keegan yelled as soon as Juno entered the throne room. "I thought you'd never get here!"
"Good to see you too, little brother," Juno laughed, ruffling his hair. She looked up at her father, who watched them with fond eyes.
King Casimir was an imposing man. Standing at 6'11", he towered over most of his citizens, and his golden eyes were sharp and critical. He had a full beard and mustache, which was as white as it had been since the day he was born. But his smile was kind, and he always spoke gently, even when his voice boomed. Juno and Keegan loved their father dearly.
"Now that Juno's here, we can get started." Casimir smiled down at Keegan, who looked up at him eagerly. "Are you ready to see the Watchroom, Keegan? The most important room in Enochia?"
"Yes!" Keegan cried hastily. "Yes, I'm ready! I wanna see!"
"Very good. Alethea, Salome, you know the drill."
"Yes, my lord." The two of them quietly left the throne room. Nobody was permitted to be in the vicinity when the door to the Watchroom was opened. The three snow-haired royals stood before the impressive door behind the throne. Casimir leaned forward and hummed a low, steady baritone note, and the door swung open.
The Watchroom was huge, oval-shaped, about as big as the average Earth house, and every wall was covered in screens. Each screen held images of a certain world. In the middle of the room was the command console, which held the controls for the screens as well and a holographic map of the universe. On the far wall, in the only spot which was not covered in screens, stood a portal. Portals like these were spread all throughout Enochia - Enochians transport themselves from city to city and world to world through teleportation. The portal in the Watchroom, however, gave the user access even to restricted areas.
Keegan, just as Juno predicted, was dumbstruck. He wandered around the room with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. "What do you think, son?" Casimir boomed, jolting Keegan out of his trance.
"Wow!" Keegan began to jump up and down. "This is amazing! Even better than I thought it would be! Wow, Dad! This place is so cool!"
Casimir laughed heartily and patted his son's head. "I'm pleased to hear that. Would you like to look at one of the worlds?"
"Would I ever!"
Juno watched her father show Keegan everything there was to know about the Watchroom. The words he spoke to her brother were the same as the ones he said to her almost eighteen years ago. She had only heard the words once, but she remembered them - remembered the excitement she felt when she pressed buttons and typed coordinates into the command console, seeing the planet of her choice cover an entire wall with images and videos. She saw all of that in Keegan, and it gave her a warm sense of nostalgia. It made her think of happier times. Innocent times.
"Father, what's that? Floating in the sky on Earth?" Keegan pointed to one of the videos on the wall. His planet of choice was Earth, which didn't come as a surprise to Juno. Her brother had a certain...fascination with humans and their toys.
"That is a government aircraft," Casimir replied. "A very important, very secret one. It's cloaked from the people of Earth, but our technology allows us to see it."
"They don't have governments like ours in that area, do they? No kings or queens or anything?"
"That's right, son. In Earth's province of America, they have what is called a democracy…"
Juno tuned her father out as he began to ramble about Earth's many governments. She had heard that lesson multiple times, but she was glad that Keegan was eager to learn. He would make a fine chief ambassador, if he was so inclined. Ignoring Casimir's lecturing, Juno's eyes scanned the many screens depicting Earth. She didn't quite understand Keegan's obsession with the planet. It had its beauty, certainly, but places like Asgard and even their own planet were far more beautiful. And the humans, no matter how clever they could be, were weak. They were emotional and easily manipulated. On the other hand...emotions fueled passion, and the passion humans possessed was something to be admired.
Suddenly, a flash of movement on a screen caught Juno's eye. It was in New York City, one of America's most famous cities. At first, nothing seemed amiss, but then she saw it again. Something swooped through the sky by the Watchglass, something human-shaped. But that was impossible. Humans couldn't fly.
And then, the figure hovered right in front of the Watchglass, and it all made sense. The thing was indeed humanoid, but what kept it in the air was a pair of pitch-black wings. It came closer, and Juno could make out pointed ears poking through the man's dark hair. Those black wings...those pointed ears...there was no mistaking it.
That was a Fallen. And he was grinning right at her.
Juno shoved her father and brother to the side, typing furiously onto the command console. The two of them protested, but when she brought the clip to full-screen, they fell silent. "Is...is that…?" Keegan was too shocked to finish his question.
"A Fallen," Casimir said breathlessly. Enochians and the Fallen were in a...feud. The sight of one on Earth - a vacation spot for the royal family - was troubling.
But even more troubling than that was what happened next.
The Fallen's hands were suddenly enveloped in green hellfire. The grin was still on his face when he began writing a message in the air with that fire. It was in Enochian.
"Are...you...ready...to...play…?" Juno spoke the words aloud. At the end of the message, the Fallen's grin turned psychotic, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. He then cloaked himself entirely in hellfire, and the screen went dark. "...Father…" Juno turned to the king. The message could have been a prank, meant to scare them, but the timing was too coincidental. Only a few people knew that the three of them would be in the Watchroom at that time, so how could they have known they would be watching? How did the Fallen discover the Watchglass? Why did he write such a strange message?
Casimir looked back at her, and the seriousness in his eyes made her realize what the message meant - the Fallen were planning an attack on Enochia. Today.
No sooner had those thoughts crossed her mind, that the room began to shake violently. "What's happening?!" Keegan yelled over the rumbling. Juno pulled him close to her, as tense as a bear protecting her cub. He clung to her desperately, scared and confused.
"They're already here!" Casimir grabbed his children and stared directly into their eyes. "The Fallen are invading the palace!"
"What do we do?" Juno shouted, keeping her voice calm for her brother's sake. "We're like cornered mice in this room!"
"They've already made it to the throne room," her father responded. "This had to have been an inside job. They never would have made it this far otherwise." His eyes narrowed. "It's only a matter of time before they find their way in here. Juno, activate the portal." Juno did as she was told, but felt confused. Surely they wouldn't flee the palace? They couldn't just give up to the Fallen so easily! The portal powered up, glowing with blue and purple swirls of light.
In that moment, the great "impenetrable" doors of the Watchroom were blasted open. Juno was thrown backwards, heat searing her skin, and felt a thrill of panic when Keegan was ripped from her arms. She was blinded by the fire from the explosion, but she heard Keegan yell her name before cutting himself off with a scream of agony. "Keegan!" she screeched, the adrenaline rushing through her numbing the pain she felt when her body slammed into the command console. She scrambled to her feet and looked frantically around the ruined room. Her father was lying a few feet away from her, and Keegan was lying a few feet away from Casimir...covered in rubble. "Brother! Keegan! Can you hear me?!" She could see blood seep onto the ground around him, and her mind went blank as she sprinted to his side, tossing the rubble aside and taking him into her arms. He was limp. His eyes were open, and he was breathing, but barely. His chest was covered in blood - the rubble must have crushed his frail body. Keegan's eyes sought hers. His breaths were ragged and wet with blood. "Keegan," she whispered. "Honey, keep looking at me. Keep breathing. Everything's gonna be okay." She repeated those words over and over, but Keegan didn't respond. His eyes drifted to the ceiling. He heaved one giant, painful breath...Juno could almost feel the life seeping out of him. And then...he stopped breathing. His beautiful golden eyes were shut.
A sob tore through her.
"Juno!" Her father screamed at her. "Go through the portal! Get out of here!" She stared blankly at him, his words barely registering. She hardly even noticed the Fallen marching towards the destroyed Watchroom. "I'll take care of Keegan! Juno, you have to leave! You are the heir to the throne, you cannot die!" No response. "Do you hear me, baby?" Nothing. "I will not lose you! If you don't get through that portal right now, the Fallen will triumph!"
That snapped her out of her trance. Juno placed a shaky kiss on Keegan's forehead, and got to her feet. "I love you," she told her brother, then looked to her father. "I love you, Daddy!"
Casimir smiled, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I love you too, baby. Now go!"
And she went. Her legs carried her as fast as they could, her wings boosting her and sending her tumbling through the portal.
Her world was nothing but blue and purple light.
Why is this happening? Juno thought as her body floated aimlessly. Why today? To my family? Why can't they just leave us alone? We weren't hurting anyone...oh, Keegan...Father…
And then, she was falling. Juno could make out the ground below her, and a building very close to her left. She closed her eyes, bracing herself for impact even as she flapped her wings wildly to slow her descent. Her attempt was successful, and nothing was broken when she landed on the ground.
Even so, her entire body ached. Something had to have been at least fractured when she was thrown against the CC, and burns covered her arms and shoulders. Weakly, Juno looked up. The building was only a few feet away. It looked human...the portal had sent her to Earth. Keegan's favorite planet… Trying to ignore the pain in her body, Juno crawled towards the run-down building, going inside and leaning herself against a wall. "What a mess," she whispered. Her face was impassive. She didn't even have the energy to make a facial expression. Her eyes stared blankly into space, even as tears fell freely down her face.
Inside, she was in turmoil. She was confused, scared, lost, heartbroken, and angry - furious - all at once. She wanted to find the Fallen and tear them to pieces with nothing but her bare hands, to see the looks on their faces as she stole their lives just as they stole Keegan's.
Then why don't you?
Juno froze. That was a voice she hadn't heard in a very long time. Now is not the time, she replied bitterly.
They invaded your home. Killed your baby brother...probably killed your father, too. And your best friends. Doesn't that make you angry? They should pay for what they did.
And they will, Juno snapped, But you won't be a part of it. Leave me alone.
It's difficult to leave you alone when I am you.
Juno didn't even get a chance to respond to that. The roof of the building she sat in suddenly collapsed, and a giant green...creature crashed to the ground, creating a crater the size of a house. She watched it with dull eyes. She couldn't even muster the energy to be surprised.
But then she felt it. Rage, rolling off of the unconscious creature in waves. The rage was greater than anything she had felt from anyone else. Juno's instincts kicked in, and she crawled into the crater and sat by the creature's head. He's upset...I don't like it when people are upset...I have to...calm him down… She closed her eyes and stroked the green giant's dark hair, humming a soft, low, calming tune. After a couple of minutes, she felt the rage subside, and she opened her eyes to find the creature...shrinking. Before her eyes, it turned into a human man.
A naked human man.
She crawled over to him, oblivious to the fact that he had no clothes on, and lay his head on her lap. Her dress was dirty and torn, but she hardly even noticed. "Hey," she mumbled, running her hand through the stranger's slightly wavy hair. "Wake up...it's okay now…" Everything's gonna be okay. The last words she spoke to Keegan before he... Juno couldn't stop the tears that welled up in her eyes, clouding her vision. "I-it's okay," she said shakily. "You can open your eyes. I'm right here…"
In response to her voice, the man's eyes fluttered open. "What…" His eyes were brown. They widened when they focused on her. "Um…"
Juno managed to smile. "Good morning, sunshine." Her wings lay limp behind her. "I'm not sure why you went from a giant green creature to a human man...but…" Her hand rested on the top of his head. "I helped. You don't have to worry…" The man immediately sat up, looking around wildly. "You fell from the sky," Juno told him. "Are you hurt?" Her question seemed to bewilder him, but he slowly shook his head. "Good...that's good…" She struggled to get to her feet, swaying from mental and physical exhaustion.
"Who...are you?" The man asked her, his eyes glued to her wings.
Juno didn't hear his question. Her mind was slipping back into a blank haze. "You...ought to put some clothes on…" The man looked down at himself and scrambled to cover himself, face turning red from embarrassment.
"Um...thanks. My, uh...my name is Bruce Banner, by the way."
Juno couldn't even laugh at his awkwardness. She was tired. So tired… She stumbled towards the door. She needed to find somewhere to sleep. Somewhere safe. ...Was anywhere safe? There were Fallen on this planet. Would she wake up to find one standing over her? Would she wake up at all?
Her feet took her far from the ruined building, and far from the man who sat in the crater, naked and confused.
