Stacked Deck - Chapter 5: Explanation For It All
"He knows." Carter was watching the boy as he walked down the street. "He didn't open the package either, the connections are still intact. That can mean only one thing."
"The Angel is awake. But does he know he is also the Child?" Dæmien still hadn't gotten over his anger. He was highly suspicious of his partner, and didn't like being spoken down to.
"I'd say so, yes. But how much does he know, and how long do we have before they merge?"
* * *
:It's simple, really, Takeru. It just takes concentration, that's all.:
:Angel... I'm not going to understand everything so soon. It really is too much for a person to handle all at once...:
I'd taken to calling him my Angel. I couldn't get him to call me TK, for some reason, but I let it pass. I guess I was starting to like being called 'Takeru'.
Kari hadn't explained much about how the relationship between Angel and Child worked, and he was more than willing to give me a rundown on the subject.
Basically, when an Angel and Child meet there is a clash, (or battle as he put it) which allows the two to form a telepathic bond. Normally the bonding was usually nothing special, but in this case, where the Angel and Child were one and the same, it was something spectacular. My Angel seemed to think that we were going to... meld... into one being. It was strange enough just talking to him, but to be him seemed a little much.
Time had been running short for the Angels and Children ever since the formation of the Cult of Darkness. My Angel seemed irritated that I knew nothing of them, but explained anyway. The Cult's original goal was to kill either the Angels or the Children, but after they learned how to control an Angel, they began to do just that. An Angel under the sway of Darkness, was termed an Angel on the side of Death, because that is what he (or she), would be. Such an Angel would contradict his attribute; for example, the Angel of Love would cause Despair, or even Hate.
I really didn't like the sound of that. When Angel told me it was my job to stop the Cult of Darkness and turn back the Angels they had under control, I was glad. What I didn't realize, (and Angel certainly didn't tell me), was that I might not survive the crusade. I suppose I just didn't want to know. I held too much Hope to believe that I could lose.
I stopped to get my bearings. I wasn't really familiar with this section of town, and idly reflected why, out of all possible places I could have wandered, I'd come here.
My sense of unease returned and I'd just turned to retrace my steps when pain exploded from the back of my head. My knees gave out, and I vaguely heard voices arguing, but I couldn't clearly make out the words.
:Takeru, now! Concentrate!!:
I tried, but there was another flash of pain when I hit the ground and I blacked out.
