Desolation- An Archangel's Downfall.

"CAPTURE HIM!" A voice cried.

And with a huff, the quarry, a small Archangel, jumped over the fence, breathing heavily.

The Archangel was tired. He had been fleeing too long.

He, only a mere 3'2" tall, with his light-brown hair and glasses, and of course bat-features, turned around.

" I AM ARCHANGEL BEN, AND I FEAR YOU NO LONGER!!" The diminutive archangel cried, and a longsword was in his hand.

One of the pursuers smirked. "And what'll ye do when we fill ye full o' lead, laddie?"

He cocked his gun arrogantly.

The Archangel only hissed in reply.

Other pursuers cocked their guns as well.

The leader of the pursuers spoke up again. "Give it up, and maybe we'll let you live!"

It was the Archangel's turn to smirk. "Run away now and You might live."

Even though this threat was in a voice of helium, some of the pursuers backed up, frightened.

"You have no chance. You're living on borrowed time, Archangel!" The leader spat.

"Am I?" The Archangel questioned, looking more confident than seconds before.

"What is he thinking?" The leader rumbled to himself.

Then, out of nowhere, the Archangel charged with a loud "HAAAIII!!!"

A good majority of the pursuers broke off and ran for their lives.

But the leader and his close band stayed, and began firing on the Archangel.

"Why do you do this?!" The leader snarled.

The Archangel was silent, then slashed through a few of the leader's retainers.

They died swiftly and painlessly.

It was then and only then that the angel resumed speech.

"I have nothing left. Tranquility is gone. Forever." He said, not even caring about the lives he had just extinguished.

The leader smiled. "Yer heart is cold….ripe for the picking."

The archangel shot the leader a death glare.

The leader shrugged. "What? I intend to eat it, not romance it!"

The Archangel grabbed the last member of the leader's entourage by the neck and squeezed, collapsing the neck, killing his last victim before the leader.

"Your life is forfeit" was all the Archangel said before he leapt at the leader.

The leader threw back his cloak. "Ye may be able to kill a Fallen Angel, and ye may be able to kill a vampire, but both? And a loaded one at that? Give it up already!"

The Archangel let out a primal roar and charged, but was blocked by a massive metal hand.

He hissed as he looked up.

"Ben, this battle is over" said a voice belonging to the owner of the giant hand, Red Alert.

Ben hissed again. "Erisssss sent you?"

Red Alert shook his head. "No. I came because you don't have to keep fighting this scum. Your guild days are long over. You're retired, remember? This is breaking protocol."

"Of course, as Protocol runs my life." Ben sneered sarcastically.

The Fallen Archangel/ Vampire attacked Red Alert's face with a hiss, but was swatted away.

Ben sighed. "I missed the glory days."

Red Alert sniffed. "You're not getting any younger."

Ben glared. "Or any older! I'm in a CHILD'S BODY!"

Red Alert smirked. "It's not physical limitations that we retired you for. Your mind is breaking down. Remember what Optimus said?"

Ben turned away, stabbed the former angel through the heart, and flew away.

Red Alert sighed. "I hate being a babysitter."
--

Ben came into the Autobot base, sulking.

Eris glared at him. "You left again."

Ben glared back, angry at her as much as she was frustrated as him. "Traitor."
It had been her that had presented the evidence as to why he was to no longer be allowed to go into the field. Or anywhere near battle.

She had said that though he had shaken off the torments of Traya, Sander, and Scourge, he was in no mental state to be near a battle. Apparently she thought that Tranquility's second death had thrown him over the edge.

She was right, but that wasn't the point.

Without the ability to battle for justice, he felt a bit of him die inside. It was an important part of him. Why couldn't she see that?

Eris fought back a tear, but was silent as Ben stomped off. "You'd never understand…."

--

Ben got back into his bunk, right above Grimlock.

Well….where Grimlock used to live.

He was dead now, and that was another thing Ben missed. His best robot friend was gone forever. Scourge did a lot to upset the small guy.

Ben shuddered at the memory.

Tranquility, Grimlock, Skybyte, Midnight Express, Optimus….Scourge may have died, but at what price?