A Bridge Between Worlds Ch. 09

Holy shit, he's strong, and now he's using LIGHTNING?! There's got to be a way to counter that. Let me think... Melody mentioned that her training allowed her to control the element of water. Maybe the armor can allow me to control the elements too?

Rolling to the side as he dodged another volley of feathers, Mike broke into a sprint and took to the air once more. He quickly retaliated with a blast of his own energy, managing to graze Michael's wing in the process. Despite the hit, however, his wing smoked only for a few moments, quickly healing itself back to full strength.

Knew it couldn't be that easy...

"THAT was not wise!" Michael boomed.

"Oh crap..."

Mike immediately brought up his shield, defending against a furious assault of projectiles from the Archangel, blocking and evading as quickly as he could. As he did so, Michael closed the distance between them, again managing to grab hold of Mike by the wrists. Michael again began charging an enormous amount of power within him, just as he had before. This time, however, Mike was ready.

Ok, here it comes. Just got to... counter it... somehow... come on, come on, come on!

As Michael's eyes began to glow, he again unleashed a bolt of lightning directly into Mike, one even more powerful than the first one. However, as soon as he unleashed his attack, Mike managed to tap into the power of the element of earth, instantly changing his entire body into solid rock. As a result, the lightning passed harmlessly through him, being grounded out by his new molecular composition.

"Haha! It worked!" Mike shouted.

"Incredible..." Michael marveled.

Before Michael could strike back, Mike immediately forced his wrists free of his grip and punched him in the gut several times, stunning Michael and giving Mike the separation he needed. As Michael recovered, Mike changed his body back to normal before concentrating once more, this time on the element of water. After a few moments, he unleashed a torrent of water from his hands, blasting Michael and soaking his wings completely. This slowed him down momentarily, but the Archangel only needed a few seconds to flap his wings a high speed to dry them completely.

"You must do better than that," he warned.

"Oh, I plan to."

Michael again charged directly for Mike, who managed to evade by turning temporarily intangible through the armor. As Michael passed through him, Mike turned to face him and immediately summoned up a small tornado around Michael, tossing him up into the air for several seconds before he managed to break free. Mike could tell that Michael was growing frustrated with these delay tactics as the archangel charged once more. This time, he left his backside completely exposed, allowing Mike to easily attack his wings again, freezing them with a blast of ice.

As Michael paused in midair, trying desperately to thaw his wings out, Mike focused all of his efforts, now attempting to combine more than one element at a time. Just as Michael managed to shed the sheet of ice on his wings, Mike completely engulfed him in a swirling vortex that combined both wind and fire. Michael was not able to break out of this nearly as easily as he was the tornado from earlier, nearly burning himself in an attempt to escape. For nearly a minute, he struggled with the fiery tornado, before he finally managed to dispel it with several powerful flaps of his wings. However, just as soon as he broke free, Michael heard movement from directly above him.

"Take this!" Mike screamed, plunging his sword directly towards Michael.

It was all Michael could do to block the attack with his wings at the last instant, however this delivered Mike's trump card all the same. As soon as his wings made contact with Mike's blade, Michael instantly felt an intense surge of electricity flow through his body. In the time Michael had been struggling with the flaming tornado, Mike managed not only to tap into the power of lightning, but also to charge that power into his own sword, allowing for a powerful, concentrated attack. Michael attempted to recover, but Mike's attack was too much, weakening the Archangel more with each passing moment. Finally having had enough, Michael released himself from Mike's blade and fell to the arena floor, exhausted and depleted of energy. As he opened his eyes, Mike stood over him, sword in hand.

"Yield," Michael breathed. "Verily, thou art worthy of the Armor of God."

Smiling, Mike sheathed his sword on his back and extended his hand, helping Michael to his feet. As he stood, Michael's form changed back to his modest, suited form that Mike had first met, hiding his true power once more.

"I'm assuming you were still holding back some, right?" Mike asked.

"But of course. I did not wish to obliterate you, after all, merely test you. If I had wanted to destroy you, nothing you could do would stop me. Still, that was most impressive, managing to tap into every element so quickly, even combining them as you did. That creativity will serve you well in your battle to stop the Antichrist."

"So is it just that simple?" Mike asked. "Use the armor to stop Edward?"

"Not so much," came a voice behind them.

"Lord Jesus, good to see you. I can honestly say that Mike is more than capable of using the armor's full power," Michael said.

"Like we ever had doubts," he replied with a sly grin. "But to answer your question, Mike, the armor will allow you to combat him, but not fully destroy him."

"So what's the endgame if it won't allow me to destroy him?"

Jesus chuckled. "The goal in all of this has never been to destroy Edward. He's protected by Lucifer, after all; outright destroying him, while not impossible, would be extremely unproductive, as it would likely wipe out most of Earth's population in the process. No, the target is not Edward himself, but his connection to Lucifer."

"I don't understand," Mike said.

"As Jesus previously explained, Lucifer's attempts to house his power inside of Edward have created a special bond between the two of them," Michael began. "As long as this bond remains intact, Edward will steadily progress towards fully becoming the Antichrist, the human form of Lucifer. However, if we disrupt this bond, Lucifer will no longer be able to use Edward for his purposes. Even if he were to attempt to bond with another potential Antichrist, he would have to start the entire process over from the beginning."

"Ok, so I'm trying to separate Edward from Lucifer's power, preventing him from drawing on it, is that right?"

"Precisely," Michael replied.

"Unfortunately, there are still complications," Jesus said. "The armor will have to be at maximum power for it to be capable of severing their connection. That charging process can take about ten minutes or so. Additionally, while the armor is charging, the sheer amount of power it takes in will likely cause residual damage to everything in the immediate vicinity other than the wearer. Effectively, this means that you will need to get Edward alone before we can even begin charging the armor to prevent innocent bystanders from being caught in the crossfire."

Sighing, Mike replied, "Ok, guess I'll have to think on how to do that. Where do we stand on his progress towards fully absorbing Lucifer's power?"

"As far as we can tell, he still sits at roughly the same power level as when you and Melody first encountered him. This, I believe, supports our theory that he's planning something big to try and get him the rest of the way," Jesus answered.

"So I've got to get him one-on-one before it gets to that point."

"Indeed," Michael replied. "Now that you have passed my tests and proved your capabilities with the Armor of God, we can send you back to Earth to rejoin your wife in this struggle. Are you prepared?"

Nodding, Mike said, "I am."

"Awesome," Jesus replied happily. "Don't forget: even on Earth, the armor will allow you a constant line of communication to Michael and Myself. If you need anything, we're here for you. Good luck, Mike."

*****

"Selena! We're back!" Melody said.

"Melody! Were you able to find anything in Japan?"

"We were. As you feared, it seems that Edward has captured Hiro and Kimiko. Where are the other council members?" Nadir said.

"This way."

Selena led the way up to Farzan's personal chambers. Upon arriving, Melody was puzzled at finding Salim, Ardashir, and Farzan each sitting on the floor, apparently in a deep trance of some kind.

"Are... they ok?" Melody asked Selena, afraid to disturb them.

"Oh, they are fine," she replied with a smile. "What they are doing is attempting to become one with their respective elements. In doing so, they may be able to discern Edward's location, if he is in contact with one of those elements. It is a difficult feat, but they are more than capable."

"I believe we should wake them," Nadir said. "We have information that may be helpful to their efforts."

"Of course." Selena immediately clapped her hands twice, snapping the three men back to reality.

"Ah, welcome back, my friends," Farzan said. "Were you successful?"

"Somewhat," Nadir replied. "We believe that Hiro and Kimiko have been captured by Edward, but for what reason we are still unsure. However, Kimiko did leave behind a clue to try and help us find them. I understand that you are attempting to track Edward by becoming one with the elements. Try focusing your efforts on the area of San Francisco, California."

"San Francisco? Why there?" Ardashir asked.

Melody shook her head. "No time to go into detail. Just trust us when we say that we think that's where Edward has taken them."

As the kings slipped back into their trances, Nadir joined them this time, attempting to find any trace of Edward, Kimiko, or Hiro. Finally, after about five minutes of silence, Ardashir began to breathe rather heavily. He held his hands out in front of him, reaching as if he was searching for something specific.

"I believe... I have found him," the elderly man whispered.

"Really? Where?!" Melody said excitedly.

"Shh, be calm," Selena said reassuringly to her. "This is a delicate process."

"Oh, sorry," Melody said, quieting down.

"Hmm... most interesting," Ardashir said, continuing to reach out. "Ah, there you are. You thought you were hiding, didn't you?" The Council of Four returned to reality, each looking towards Ardashir. "I have found him," he said. "Edward Baldwin is currently not in San Francisco, but rather is sheltered beneath the city, about two-thousand feet underground."

"Underground? What would he be doing down there?" Salim wondered.

"It's got to have something to do with whatever he's planning," Melody said, her fear growing in her voice. "Regardless, it doesn't matter at this point. How soon can we get there?"

"I'll lead the way," Ardashir replied.

*****

"Come on, Hiro, chop chop! We haven't got all day!" Edward sneered.

"Fucking bastard," Hiro muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" he said mockingly. "I'd watch that tongue of yours, boy. We wouldn't want something to... accidentally happen to poor Kimiko here, now would we?"

Edward relaxed on a plush sofa in the underground cavern, supervising Hiro as he worked and keeping a tight grip on the chain attached to Kimiko's neck. Glancing back and forth between the two of them, Edward couldn't help but admire Kimiko's exquisite form. Though he usually preferred his girls more curvaceous than she was, Kimiko was still brilliantly proportioned. Her skin was the perfect shade of peach, and her hair, though tussled from struggling against him, was still a soft, silky texture.

Yes, she's quite nice, I must say. Her tits aren't anything special though... but that face... very lovely. I'll have to have a go at her once this is all said and done.

"Are you quite finished yet?" Edward called down to Hiro.

"Almost done."

Hiro continued to labor on the machine in front of him. Edward had managed to create the basic shell and parts for it himself, likely with his powers, but needed someone with the technological know-how to actually bring it into operation. Hiro knew damn well what the finished product was capable of, and longed to find a way to sabotage it. Unfortunately, with Edward holding Kimiko hostage, as well as reading Hiro's thoughts to ensure his full cooperation, there was nothing he could do at this point to slow him. Finally connecting the final parts, he tested them out to confirm that the connections were secure.

"There. It's finished," he said with resignation.

"Excellent!" Edward replied with glee. "Now then, I have some important work to do. You two just sit tight; I'll be back for you later."

"Listen, Baldwin. I've done what you asked-"

With a snap of his fingers, Edward silenced Hiro, causing both him and Kimiko to disappear in a burst of flame, sending them to a holding cell deeper within the cavern. Now alone, Edward marveled at the incredible piece of technology that Hiro had helped to assemble.

"Magnificent... truly a thing of beauty, wouldn't you agree Master?"

Indeed. It will serve our purposes brilliantly.

"Far be it from me to question you, Master, but would it not be easier to take command of this realm more directly? After all, throughout their entire history, the one thing humans have understood universally... is brute force."

Oh, ye of little faith. You shall realize very shortly that my instructions to you shall not only give us dominion over the Earth physically, but spiritually as well. All of these pathetic followers of an archaic deity, they will have nowhere that they can hide. All shall know me as their savior, and you as my prophet, or they shall know the true meaning of fear...

"Of course, Master. Please forgive my question. I simply wished to confirm that this is the best course of action."

Indeed it is. Now, enough delaying; begin charging the weapon.

"At once."

*****

"Are we sure this is it?" Melody asked.

"I am positive," Ardashir said. "Not only has my connection with the element of earth confirmed Edward's presence directly below us, but also we cannot descend through ordinary means; it seems Edward has erected another barrier beneath the ground here to shield himself. The only question that remains is, how do we get through?"

Melody, Selena, and the Council of Four pondered this question for several minutes. They stood in the very center of downtown San Francisco, protected from view magically so as not to draw attention from passersby. Despite every idea they came up with, each method they used to try and penetrate Edward's barrier met with disappointment; everything they were capable of simply bounced off.

"It is no use," Selena said. "His power is not of this world. It is beyond us."

Before they were able to come up with any further ideas, the group was startled by a sudden tremor shaking the ground. At first, it started very small, so small that the native San Franciscans hardly even noticed. However, after it continued for several seconds, growing with intensity and strength all the while, it became immediately evident that this was no ordinary earthquake.

"Something's not right here," Melody said. "Ardashir, can you trace the epicenter of the tremors?"

After steadying himself, Ardashir placed his hands on the ground, feeling every subtle movement of the rocks beneath them. "Oh dear... it is directly below us!"

Soon the ground began to crack around them, opening up a fissure in the city streets. The fissure grew deeper and deeper, until it was impossible to see the bottom.

"Wait a minute... this is it! We can get down there this way!" Melody shouted in realization.

"Perfect!" Farzan agreed. "Everyone, ready your weapons. We must presume that Edward is anticipating some sort of retaliation."

Arming themselves, the group dove directly into the chasm before them, falling as fast as they were able. As they neared the bottom, Nadir whipped up a gust of wind to slow their descent for a safe landing. Now in a spacious underground cavern, Melody noticed how similar it felt to the abandoned junction station she and Mike had first encountered Edward in. Aside from the lack of train tracks, the rooms were nearly identical, right down to the torches lining the walls.

In the very center of the room stood a machine of some kind. The base was a wide cylinder, maybe ten feet in diameter and five feet tall, and on top of the base sat a dish of some sort. Upon further inspection, it was clear that this machine was the epicenter of the tremors San Francisco was currently experiencing. As Melody approached to try and shut it down, an invisible force suddenly flung her back, landing her square on her ass.

"Ow!" she yelped.

"You pathetic gnats should realize by now that I've planned for every contingency," Edward said with a laugh, appearing from a nearby tunnel.

"You bastard!" Melody shouted, leaping directly for Edward. Before she could even come close to him, however, the entire group found themselves trapped within an enormous flaming pillar. The fire was so intense that even Salim had to keep his distance to keep from being burned.

"So this is your endgame, Edward? Kill thousands of innocent people under the guise of an earthquake?" Selena spat at him.

"That is part of it, yes, but the true beauty of my master's plan is so much greater than that," Edward began to gloat. "As you can see, this sonic agitator device is currently generating the longest and most powerful earthquake San Francisco has ever experienced. When it's all said and done, the entire city will be reduced to rubble, easily giving me the required kills to fully absorb my master's power. Ah, but that is merely the beginning, my friends.

"This is not simply about killing as many innocent people as possible. This is also about creating a void in this world, one that will cause the survivors to cry out in desperation for leadership and guidance. You may or may not be aware, but the President of the United States is currently in San Francisco, hosting a summit of all of the world's greatest leaders. The British Prime Minister, the various leaders of the European Union, even the fledgling Pan-Asian Alliance leaders, all are present in the city above us. They will soon be dead. In the midst of such a tragedy, the entire world will be in mourning, and in need of a great leader to unite all nations under one banner, so that humanity may rise from the ashes of this incredible tragedy. I, of course, will be that man."

"You disgust me," Melody seethed.

Laughing, Edward summoned up a flaming cloud, displaying the carnage that was taking place above them. "Look at it. It's glorious. Not merely the destruction and death, but also... the humans. Humanity tries to portray itself as civilized, God-fearing, and intelligent, but when faced with such a tragedy as this, they are exposed as the animals they truly are. This is what God created them to be; this is their natural instinct. This is why... you humans are meant to serve the almighty Lucifer."

Melody could barely stand the images she was seeing. In the midst of the earthquake, several street gangs had taken the opportunity to loot the local shops and businesses. A few of their members even began to chase several of the girls and women caught in the carnage, attempting to rape them. The police, for all of their efforts, had enormous trouble helping those in danger from the earthquake as well as those in danger from the looters.

"Like I said... glorious," Edward said, seeing the pain in her eyes.

Wiping the tears from her face, Melody managed to reply, "No. You're wrong. We humans may not be perfect, but we are more than what you want to reduce us to. We still possess a spirit of kindness. We still try to be the best we can, no matter how many times we fail. We still have the power to choose our own path in life. If you don't believe me, look for yourself."