Chương 9: New York City
The Book of the Damned. A book said to be created before entities themselves. A sacred texts that gave the deities their powers, and the same texts that restored Lucifer's strength after the fall. Now Gabriel needed that power and if that meant going to Hell and back then so be it. Gabriel was trying to avoid thinking about what Myers did but it didn't seem to matter either way. As Myers had been silent ever since the diner. Gabriel thought back to the moment he came to, the smell of burnt flesh, the sight of it, and most of all the memories it brought back. It felt like a giant hit to the head every time he thought about it. It had been several hours and the fallen angel had rolled into New York. The city was the same as ever. Busy. Crowded. Loud.
He was moments away from the police station when a Impala with police sirens slammed past him as high speed. As it passed him it felt like time slowed, he looked left and saw a woman with auburn hair driving. Without a second of doubt the fallen angel accelerated after it. He managed to close the distance well and as they flew past the streets of New York, Gabriel felt a sudden premonition of death that faded as quickly as it came. Soon enough he'd see what he feared. A bank surrounded by police cars and FBI vehicles. He rolled up behind Jane's car and walked straight over to her and Detective Dowling. They were talking with some men in suits and as Gabriel approached one of them noticed him.
"Gabriel Myers, welcome back." The suit said, catching the attention of Jane and the detective who turned round. Jane smiled warmly and even Dowling offered a smile. Gabriel was focused on the man in the suit however. He seemed almost familiar somehow. "Jane, Dowling...and?" Gabriel spoke clearly as he stopped beside his co-workers. The men in the suits smiled, the one who addressed Gabriel had dirty blonde hair and clear blue eyes, the other was a portly man with green eyes and untidy black hair. "Special Agent Ray and Burke, FBI. We've read the news reports of you and the Cooper's work. Impressive stuff." Ray said giving a nod, which the fallen angel returned. He then gave a rundown of what's been happening. A hostage situation, 4 gunman, 12 hostages, no room for mistakes.
"It's good you came along we want you and Cooper to take the hostage negotiations," Burke continued as his partner finished talking, he pointed at the back of his van where there were several vests. Jane went straight for them putting one on but Gabriel looked at the two men with a confused expression. "Why us?" Was all he said as he watched the men, he instinctively went to use his angel sense, forgetting he was practically powerless. Ray narrowed his eyes as the fallen angel did this, "You have the best clearance rate for hostage rescue." The agent said simply, Gabriel nodded walking over and putting on a vest, as he wasn't sure whether he was bulletproof. He reached down to summon his angel blade which also didn't appear. He swore quietly. "No gun? Here, take this pistol. I assume you know how to use it." Ray said smiling, his hand outstretched with his sidearm in it. Gabriel looked over at Dowling who had an eyebrow raised, before taking the gun with a 'Thanks'.
Then quickly he followed Jane who had walked to the police near the entrance. He was stopped by a hand on his chest, he turned his head to see Dowling watching him, "What happened to that weapon you carry, the knife?" The fallen angel took a mental step back. If Dowling had seen the blade...did that mean he knew what Gabriel was? "Lost it huh? Just tell me you know how to use that thing." Dowling's eyes pierced Gabriel's mind. "Yeah, I do." Gabriel replied simply, still thinking about what Dowling knew. The detective nodded and stepped back, patting the consultant on the back. Gabriel ran up to Jane who began walking to the door, her own gun in hand. "You mentioned your powers. You good to go in?" She said stepping to the door and putting her hand on the handle. Gabriel smiled, "Nice to see you again too." He replied stepping to the side of the door in breach formation. To anyone watching he'd been doing this for years, the correct answer would be centuries however. Jane nodded opening the door and pushing in her gun aimed forward, the angel followed in suit. The inside of the bank was all marble walls, and drab paintings of important people.
Gabriel could hear the sound of crying in the next room, but it was quickly silenced after a shout, "If you don't shut the hell up, I will put a bullet through your brain!" The voice was loud and commanding, Gabriel looked over at Jane as they approached the doorway to the main lobby. He'd watch as the Captain would peek round the corner carefully before turning back to him, "I only see two, other ones must be at the vault." She whispered, a slight smile on her face appearing, "Remember Atlantic Bank?" A smile would appear on Gabriel's lips, as he nodded, counting down from three on his fingers and walking round the corner, gun aimed up. "NYPD, lets talk about this." The fallen angel would say as he looked at the scene in front of him. The hostages were quivering along the walls of the counters, and the two gunmen stood in front of them, both with AR's. As Gabriel spoke they'd both visibly jump up, aiming there guns quickly at him. "Talking isn't in the cards...Pig" One of them said, the gruff voice clearly recognisable. His friend would be behind him, his gun shaking slightly.
Gabriel stood his ground, his pistol pointing at the front man. He was absolutely terrified, for the first in his life, he was actually scared. His vessel was angelic, but that didn't make it impenetrable, he wasn't a superhero. A bullet could very well end his life. The fallen angel locked eyes with the guy at the front, he needed to draw both of their attentions away from the door for a brief second. "Look, there's no way out of this that will end well. This bank is surrounded, go on...look." Gabriel said, tilting his head at the windows. The frontman, just jolted his head at them and the nervous guy moved slowly to the windows. As the nervous guy moved he was soon way out of view to see anything behind Gabriel. He looked tentatively behind the blinds, and as he did a shot rang out throughout the bank. Any plan Gabriel and Jane had went to hell as soon as the nervous guy was shot by the snipers. The body dropped to the floor with a thud. The front man turned his head. Gabriel pulled the trigger without hesitation dropping the front man to the floor, his hand on his shoulder. "GO GO GO!" Jane shouted, as she appeared beside Gabriel, motioning the hostages. As they began running Gabriel watched as the front man picked up his AR, and aimed it at Jane.
Gabriel didn't think, he just moved. Within a second he was pushing Jane out the way as the shots once more rang out. He felt the impact of bullets on his vest, and then he felt the immense pain of something ripping through his leg. He landed on the ground with a thud, as Jane put two more bullets in the gunman. Gabriel just lay there, in excruciating pain, looking up at Jane who'd ran over to him. "You're gonna be fine" Jane would seem to say, but the voice that he heard wasn't Jane's. Gabriel tilted his head and there he was. Leaning against a marble pillar, clad in a leather jacket and jeans. A man, much like Gabriel, but in the place of his eyes. A raging fire. Myers. As Gabriel watched him, Myers would put a finger on his lips, before being engulfed by flames.
The scenery changed then, from the marble walls of the bank to a damp cobblestone room. Gabriel could feel his back getting wet and he'd stand up quickly, realising that he felt no pain. He looked at his leg and realised that there was no blood, not even a scratch on his trousers. As he slowly came to look around the room he would realise that it was empty, no doors, no windows, no furniture. Just bare mossy walls. Myers would be standing near one, almost mirroring Gabriel's pose, except for the fact that he was holding his upper leg with his hand. "Where am I? Where have you taken us?" The fallen angel would say angrily walking towards Myers. Who'd smile wickedly. "No where. We are exactly where we were. Same time, hell same second. Same point in space. On a metaphysical level however, inside your head, what's left of it."
Gabriel looked around the room. The concept of entering a mindscape wasn't unknown to him, just something that was completely out of his powers. Even as an angel. Even so, this can't be his mindscape, it was dark and looked more like a prison. Myers would be watching him, the same smile on his face as he waited for a response. "What happened here? This can't be it." The fallen angel would say, as he motioned the room. Myers would sigh, clearly hoping Gabriel understood. "Your father, he limited your mindscape, because he feared your power. You were always different, a different archangel to the others. Destined for more." Myers said, as he came face to face with Gabriel. The fallen angel would laugh at what Myers was saying, "I'm no archangel. I'm a Watcher. That is my destiny, as he made it." Gabriel would retort rubbing his head. He knew he was right, he wasn't an archangel. His father wouldn't lie to him like that. "But he already did, Gabriel. The entities, the old Gods, the Fall. Your father has and always will be a pathological liar." Myers would raise his voice as he spoke, clear spite in his words, "He has always believed to be the greatest being in existence, and there is nothing you can do to change that. 𝘈𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝒘𝒊𝒑𝒆 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥" He'd continue shoving Gabriel at the last words, making the fallen angel take a few steps back.
Gabriel furrowed his brows at Myers, even without his powers he could feel the hate and spite and...bloodlust coming off from the thing in front of him. The fallen angel stepped back in front of Myers, making direct contact with the raging fire in his eyes, which had only gotten bigger. "What are you? Not an angel, not a demon. Your powers are beyond that of anything I have witnessed." The fallen angel would question. Not daring to look away, Myers would stay silent the fire in his eyes burning into Gabriel's soul. A deep breathing could be heard from Myers as he watched the fallen angel. "I am more then your mind could even comprehend. I am the the raging fire of justice and of order. I am the personification of purifying light, and above all I am the being trapped inside the mind of a foolish fallen angel, one who doesn't even have the strength to break through the lies of his father."
Anger swelled within Gabriel, who was Myers to speak to him like that, who was he to talk down to Gabriel like that. Without thinking, and fuelled only by his anger and primal desire to hurt Myers, Gabriel swung at the being. There was a glint of light as his fist flew through the air, and as Myers caught the arm with ease Gabriel noticed the glistening metal of his angel blade, now a deep bronze in colour, pressed against Myers' cheek, which oozed gold blood. Myers simply smirked as he pushed the fallen angels hand away and wiped the blood of his cheek. "That is more like it Gabriel." He would say in a matter of fact fashion. The fallen angel wouldn't reply, he'd instead be looking down at his hand which held his weapon. A weapon granted by his connection with God, his angelic force. One that a fallen angel, should have no access to. He turned it around in his hand, watching the glint of bronze and he would spot some writing on the base of the hilt. 'पतित' The fallen angel paused as he deciphered the word. "It says Fallen. Everything you know is a lie. Come to understand that." Myers would say as he finally lifted his hand off his leg, from which Gabriel noted gold blood was oozing from what seemed to be a bullet hole.
As the fallen angel blinked he was back in the bank, Jane was above him, frozen in place as Gabriel looked over at his leg, which showed nothing but a rip in his trousers. 𝘖𝘯 3,2,1. Time returned to its normal speed. "-onna be okay" Jane would finish saying as she looked over at Gabriel. "Jane, I'm okay." Gabriel would say calmly as he sat up, Jane would furrow her brows looking over at his leg and shaking her head. "I saw blood, you were bleeding." She would say, her tone worrisome as she wiped some tears, Gabriel would shake his head. "It's a long story, not one for right now." The fallen angel would say slowly, still processing what he had seen in his 'mindscape' if it even was that. He'd stand up slowly, and Jane would hug him. Gabriel noticed that she smelt sweet, like roses and that relaxed him, as he returned the hug. "Don't worry partner, we did it."
"Oh but there's so much to worry about little brother." A voice rang out from behind Gabriel, and the fallen angel would instinctively turn around moving Jane behind him. In front of him stood Agent Ray, wearing a small smirk as he watched Gabriel and Jane. "Agent Ray? Wait. Did you just say little brother?" Jane would say poking her head out from behind Gabriel. The fallen angel would open his mouth slightly as his face turned into fear. "Ray...as in-" Gabriel was cut of by Agent Ray who'd twirl his fingers around as a jagged dagger appeared in his hand. "As in Azrael, Angel of Death, pleasure to meet you properly Jane Cooper."
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