Chapter 1.8

She watched as Orn held his hand out creating a barrier. The blast struck the barrier flowing around them. They were unhurt. Mikoto couldn't help but remember the initial blast that killed her mother.

"How…?" She looked up at him. She was going to ask him the obvious question, Why not. However, Orn quickly interrupted her.

"Stay focused…" He smiled looking at her. He is taller than Mikoto. She notices he is also taller than Touma. She blushes as she thought about Touma. She thought to herself, if he was alright. Shaking her head,her cheeks turn a pale red.

Orn still smiling, "someone special?" He chuckled.

"No… No…" She closed her eyes waving her hands frantically in the air.

He redirected his gaze towards Michael. "Use that memory to help you now…" The sound of the wind like flapping wings filled the air. She felt the breeze pass over her shoulders, her hair moved across her face. She turned looking behind them. She took a deep breath and stared at the unexpected sight. Attached Orn's back were large white feathered wings stretched out to the sky. They moved slowly back and forth creating a breeze. She held her hands clasped to her chest, and then slowly reaching out to touch them with her left hand. She hesitated, her hand trembling unsure if she should or should not.

"Go-ahead…"he continued to smile as he gently moved his wings in the air. " They're real…" Mikoto just stared at the pair of wings. Then She reached out felt the tips of her fingers touch them.

"Just like feathers…" The feathers were the brightest white and soft to the touch but they felt of great strength.

"I have six pairs…" She looked up at him and he was smiling. It was during this time that Mikoto had forgotten about Michael. It wasn't until a series of bright flashes from the blast hitting in the barrier. She turned around quickly facing Michael's direction. She reached out, shocked, as the barrier kept the destructive impact, as well as the sound, from them.

"At this level, I could maintain it for a while." He nodded his head, looking at Michael. "But it will need to end soon…"

They could see Michael yelling but they could not hear him.

"I need to get you out of here…" Mikoto's eyes widened, she clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "I am not going anywhere…" she spoke in a determine voice. Orn shook his head, sighed and said. "What can you do against an angel from heaven? The words Angel and heaven past her mind and had no impact on Mikoto. She reached into her pocket pulling out the large sphere.

She looked down at it as it lay in her hand.

Orn looked at her then the sphere.

"Really… How did you get that…?" A slight smile appeared on his lips. His eyes narrowed. The tone his voice told her he knew the answer.

Mikoto turned her head slightly, looking out the corner of her narrowed eye.

"I think you had something to do with it…"

He feigned surprise. "Really…"

"You only have one…" He raised an eyebrow questioning her. "What of the other two…"

She tossed the sphere into the air, catching it about shoulder height. "How did you know I had three…?"

Orn didn't answer, he just smiled. He then explained to her about the sphere. The wounds the first two shots inflicted on Michael could in time heal but right now, the head and chest wound will weaken him. He pointed to the sphere in her hand. You just need to keep it in your possession. She could then fire it multiple times with the same results. Mikoto stared at him. Her look was one of what are you talking about.

"Huh!"

"Remember the first shot and your second…" He reminded her. She nodded her head. Orn put his finger to her forehead, her eyes looking up trying to see where he was touching.

"Inside, there are the memories…" He nodded.

"Just like calculating your rail gun… You then imagine the sphere… All you have to do is remember the weight…"

Mikoto looked down at the sphere sitting in her hand.

"As long as I have it in my possession…" She smiled, slipping her hand back into her pocket.

"What's the plan…?" She brought her hand out of her pocket as she looked up at Orn, Her face ready for battle.

"Stay alive… Separate then surround him… Split his offense." Orn patted her on the head like a little kid. Mikoto's face showed how she hated being treated that way.

"That's the face you need…"

"Now…" The barrier dropped. The sounds of the outside world rushed in as the sound of Michael's firing another blast hit the ground behind them. The explosion lifted Mikoto's body into the air. She hit the ground tumbling coming up in the kneeling position. Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath, closing one eye she aimed. Everything was normal until….. Nothing…

"…."

"What…" She quickly reached into her pocket. Michael smiled, raising his arm sending another blast towards Mikoto. She looked up seeing the blast coming towards her. Then an unexpectedly blast collided with it, exploding. It was Orn providing cover fire. He had fired an intercepting blast with his right hand, while firing another with his left. She could see him smiling. As the shot from his left hand, hit the ground at Michael's feet. The impact sending him flying into the air then he tumbled on the ground. Michael was lying on the ground struggled to get to his feet. he coughed and choke as he tried to clear the dust from his throat. Mikoto could tell that he was very angry as he cursed Orn's name.

She pulled the sphere out, looking at it, and she remembered.

"It's a different size…" She yelled at herself such a simple mistake she thought.

She hit her head with her fist. "Idiot…"

She rolled the sphere around in her palm, gathering the necessary information that she needed. "There… that should do it..."

She chuckled, slipping it back into her pocket. She raised her arm, the familiar flash followed by the roar. She watched as the ground was ripped up as a shot flew towards Michael. There was a large explosion followed by debris falling like a hard rain. Michael was shaken but unharmed. He had raised his barrier just in time.

Mikoto smiled, "yes…" She ran around the crater's edge, firing the rail gun shot after rail gun shot.