Angels Fall First (Synopsis and Excerpts)
Synopsis
Angel 1969QU0412A has only ever known war. Created by a tyrannical false prophet as an elite fighter to end a bitter twenty year holy war-turned-rebellion, she was assigned missions no one else could, or would, willingly take part in. Can she escape her empire's hold and break the chains that bind her to the life of pain and suffering that she leads while finding herself and protecting those she loves?
Excerpts
Cold. That was the first thing she felt. Cold. Down her neck and on her arms and legs. A certain weightlessness as well. She could feel a pulsing in her core, it echoed throughout her body. Then a flood of input. First sound. Air extractors, machinery and scientific instruments. The mutterings of an engineer.
Then vision. A flood of light. A laboratory. Tubes and wires. A man fixated on a computer terminal.
"All sensory inputs operating as expected," the man said under his breath. "Respiration, normal. Blood pressure, in range. Endocrine system function is normal."
She looked around. Where was she? What was she?
The man continued to mutter to himself. "Muscular system at proper tension, bone structure is normal, magical flow is operating properly."
The man typed a command into the computer terminal. She could feel the field suspending her fade away and her feet planted on the ground. As she gained her balance, she could see values changing on the computer terminal's screen.
The man examined her and detached the probes and wires from her before walking over to what appeared to be a telecommunications device.
"Send for the Lord. Project Seraph is done."
- - - -
Aqua's boots clanked against the metal landing platform as she touched down at the Administration Building. She then walked over to the entrance to the main part of the building, which was guarded by an Angel behind blastproof glass.
"Identify please." The Angel requested flatly.
"A1969QU0412A," Aqua replied.
"Purpose of mission?"
"Assassination."
"Mission status?"
"Successful, objective eliminated."
"Thank you, you may enter. Your debrief documents will be waiting in the tray on the other side of the door."
A heavy metal lock disengaged and Aqua stepped through the door into the hallway. Aqua blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the new lighting. It was lit by harsh fluorescent lights, a drastic change from the soft morning light of dawn on the landing platform. She took her documents from the tray and made her way to the dormitories to clean herself up before the debriefing conference.
- - - -
"Stop."
The guards had stopped Aqua at a set of ornate double doors.
"Raise your arms and give us your portfolio."
Aqua complied. A routine check before entering a room with a high-ranking military officer was to be checked for anything that could be used to cause harm.
"Clear. General Perkins will see you now."
The guard gave back her portfolio and pushed open the double doors. Conference Room A was a long room with a large conference table at the center of it. Aqua walked in with the guards and sat down at the end of the table, the guards taking the nearest seats on either side. At the other end of the table was a middle aged man with a guard on either side of him.
"Hello, Angel." He said in a disgusted tone, almost spitting "Angel."
"Hello," Aqua said in return, bowing as much as she could while sitting.
"I trust your mission was a success?"
"Indeed," Aqua took the papers from her portfolio and handed them to a guard sitting next to her who then handed it to one of Perkins' bodyguards who then handed them to him. He looked through, grunting softly as he did so.
- - - -
It was at that moment she heard the sound of a rifle being fired from down below followed by a grunt behind her. She turned around to see the Archangel falling to the ground, a bloody hole in one of her wings near the base. Aqua seized this opportunity. She flew swiftly down to the ground and landed right as the Archangel had struck the ground as well. Normally an Archangel would be able to withstand weaponry such as a sniper rifle, but the anti-magic blast had weakened her shields and Gaea's bullet was able to get through. Aqua took a deep breath and looked upon the dying Archangel.
"I am sorry," she whispered, a tear running down her cheek.
Aqua raised her scythe. Its blade glowed a bright blue and it hummed softly. The Archangel looked up at it weakly and let out a shaky breath. Her wings were bloodied and mangled, her hair, once a striking and majestic blonde, was now matted with blood and dirt, and blood was running down her chin from her mouth. Aqua looked into her eyes, which were almost bulging out of their sockets from panic, took one more deep breath, and, with one fluent swing and a bright blue flash of light, Aqua captured her soul.