I have GOT to STOP WRITING SO MUCH! You guys have seen how long my chapters are. Chapters 1 to 5 have more than 14000 words. So from now on I'll do my best to it cut down. Reviewers, if you see a scene or some dialogue that you think is unnecessary, tell me. If I have more then 3 long scenes in a chapter, yell at me. I need the tough love.
WARNING: really freaky Apollo coming up.
So, without further adieu...
A Vow For Revenge: Part 2
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"What do you mean, One ArchAngel? There might be more?"
Tamomo shrugged. "There is always the possibility. The legend did mention that during the early months of the experiment, other ArchAngel prototypes were created. But there isn't any information on how many there were, or what their capabilities were. The ArchAngel legend is full of mysteries of this sort."
The black-haired took hold of Apollo and studied him closely. "However, if this folklore is true, then Apollo here might have a brother or sister floating about. There might even be a whole family of ArchAngels out there --- ITAI!!"
"What?! What happened?" Sayoko cried as Apollo fell from Tamomo's fingers. Tamomo sucked on his bleeding finger. "He bit me!"
"Bit you?" She glanced down at Apollo. The Angel appeared normal, but his burning red eyes and lips dripping with blood gave him a demonic look. Sayoko couldn't help but shiver.
"But how?" she whispered. Tamomo paused, tilting his head with curiosity. "How strange. Sayoko, I would like to keep Apollo overnight. With your permission, of course."
"What? After what just happened?"
He waved the incident aside. "It was nothing. It must have been an old papercut. It's already stopped bleeding." He showed her the cut finger to reassure her. "It will just be a routine inspection, nothing to worry about. Your next battle won't be in 3 days, ne?"
Sayoko sighed. He had a point. She didn't need Apollo for tomorrow, and had no reason not to let Tamomo keep him. And yet... there was something about Apollo's behavior that bothered her.
"Well, if you want to. But bring him back if he.. causes any trouble."
"Trouble?" Tamomo laughed. "He's just an Angel. What trouble could he cause?"
Unfortunately for Tamomo, he was about to find out.
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Alpha Prototype. Advanced Angel. Artificial Intelligence. Sayoko's visit to Tamomo left her with more questions than answers. Was any of it true? Was Apollo really an ArchAngel? And could there be others like him? She was fascinated with the idea. There could be a Deus out there just like her, possessing an Angel she had little control over, frightened of its true nature.
She stopped in her tracks. Her last thought disturbed her.
"Frightened? I'm not frightened of Apollo," she mumbled to the air, but there was distinct trace of fear lurking in her voice. "Why should I be? It's not like he's a real ArchAngel. He's.. IT'S just a toy. Just a toy."
Sayoko continued on her walk home, but the doubt still lingered. Apollo's existence was riddled with strange coincidences, and Sayoko was determined to find the truth. But there had to be another explanation than him being an ArchAngel. For if that were true..
"If Apollo was an ArchAngel, then wouldn't that mean he destroyed his first Deus?"
The remainder of her walk was in silence. She stepped across the tree laden sidewalk and into the moist breeze, nearing her house. But as she reached the porch, a terrifying idea struck.
"And if all that stuff were true," Sayoko mumbled, eyes suddenly alarmed, "and if Papa helped create him, then his first Deus could have been..."
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Interesting. That was the only word to describe him. Tamomo slid into bed from an exhaustive search. He had studied Apollo intensely for hours, and the results were remarkable. Sayoko's angel was designed with excruciatingly fine detail, from his eyelashes, to fingernails, to his belly button. A fine piece of artwork. Was Apollo a custom made model? Certainly. But an ArchAngel? He wasn't sure.
Tamomo had placed Apollo on his desk, next to his own Angels Sunlight, Moonlight, Twilight, and Starlight. The black haired boy took off his glasses, yawned, and fell asleep, oblivious to the horror about to unfold.
A small, glowing hand touched Tamomo's computer screen. From it, a powerful electric current sparked the computer with light and vaporized its circuits, then streamed down to the connected network of wires. A spark of light. Tamomo's laptop fried to a crisp. Another spark. The bulbs of his lamp exploded. Spark. His TVs melted and burned. One by one this mysterious energy destroyed all of Tamomo's appliances, imprisoning the sleeping boy in a cage of electrical fire with no way of escape.
The smell of burning metal stirred Tamomo to his senses. He leaped up terrified. His entire bedroom was on fire. Orange flames licked the walls and bookshelves, while sparks of current electrified the wires. Tamomo reached for his glasses, but couldn't. His arms were restrained. His legs couldn't move. As the raging fire engulfed the carpet, Tamomo struggled to break free from the grip. But when he looked down and saw what was holding him down, he froze in shock.
"Sun.. Sunlight!"
Sunlight, Tamomo's first Angel, was pinning down his left arm. But she wasn't the Sunlight he knew. This Sunlight had blank, pupiless eyes, paler skin, and was encased by a dull golden glow. She tightened her clutch with a new immense strength, nearly breaking Tamomo's hands in two.
Sunlight wasn't the only one. Moonlight held down his other arm, while Twilight and Starlight restrained his legs. All four were incredibly strong and moved on their own, but seemingly controlled by some unknown power. Tamomo wrestled against them, but to no avail.
"Don't bother. They belong to me," a voice boomed around him. Tamomo squinted around in a panic. "WHAT?!"
Snicker. "I will not let you have her. She is mine. You will not take her away from me."
"What!" Tamomo screamed in the fiery fury. This was madness. His room was asunder, his own Angels had turned against him, he was blind without his glasses, and talking to a being whose voice echoed everywhere.
The voice laughed, a cruel malicious laugh that filled Tamomo's soul with fear. "You think you can have her? You think you can take what is mine? Fool! I am her protector. I will punish all those that cause her pain or unhappiness."
"WHAT?! Who are you! I didn't cause anyone pain!" Tamomo hacked out between smoke-filled coughs. The voice paused. "True," it said wryly, "You haven't caused her pain YET. But in time, you will. And for that you have incurred my wrath."
From the walls of fire and smoke, a vague figure emerged. It was a shinning glint of light, much brighter than Tamomo's possessed Angels. It's aura was blinding, but one thing could be seen: The silver wings radiating from its back, and two piercing blood red eyes.
Tamomo gasped in terror. "What are you?"
The Angel smirked wickedly. "I am Sayoko's guardian Angel. And your destroyer."
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Sayoko dashed down the vacant streets of nighttime Tokyo. She was in total shock. Akiko had never sounded so frantic. She called her few minutes before, urging her to come to the hospital. Sayoko asked her what for, but the terribly sobbing Akiko was too shaken to speak. All Sayoko could do was hope it wasn't serious.
The pigtailed girl bolted into the building, and was directed to the third floor. In room 339 where Akiko's harsh weeps were loudest, Sayoko tentatively opened the door, and gasped at the sight. A heavily wrapped up Tamomo laid motionless on the hospital bed, with Akiko fawning over his side. He was bundled up with white bandages from head to toe, barely any skin exposing, but the bags under his eyes looked horribly bruised. Sayoko stumbled forward. "Ta.. momo-chan?"
"Sayoko!" Akiko jumped from her chair, and the two girls embraced. Sayoko glanced back at Tamomo. "What happened?" she asked as Akiko pushed her toward him. The long-haired girl shook her head tearfully.
"There was a fire at his house," she whimpered. "The police say it was a mechanical problem. I rushed here as soon as I could, but he was already in a coma. His burns aren't really severe, but.. but..." her voice broke into hysterical sobs. Sayoko rose Akiko by the shoulders and sat her down. But just as she turned her attention to the injured Tamomo, something else caught her eye.
Apollo sat at the ledge of the open window. Unlike Tamomo, he was completely free of burns and scraps. In fact, he looked perfectly fine. He beamed his beatific smile at his Deus, emerald eyes glittering with joy, and his arms were poised up, as if gesturing for a hug. Sayoko had never seen Apollo so happy before.
"Apollo! You're okay," Sayoko walked over to the window and hugged her Angel tightly. Akiko lifted her head up. "Apollo? But he wasn't with Tamomo when he came in. How did he get here?"
Sayoko shrugged carelessly. "It doesn't matter. As long as he's okay, I'm fine." She squeezed him with a joyful squeal. Apollo was just as happy. But, for a split moment when Sayoko wasn't looking, a dark vicious look crossed his face. He bore his hateful red eyes at the slumbering Tamomo.
No one will take her away. She is mine. He closed his eyes and fell asleep in Sayoko's soft hands. Now and forever.