Legion Resurrected Chapter 11

11.

Lucifer.

Charlie rolled over on the bed to face the one she may have loved then. He was her beau and a gentleman complete with the mannerism. He had rescued her from the bar and then courted her on some dates but never pushing or demand anything from her. It took them a month before she could pull him to the bed, and he was a marvel at the action. She had prayed that it was really her relationship and then onto their third week, she decided to probe more into his life.

“I am the Devil in disguise,” Stan whispered to her. “Don’t tell anyone. I may be hunted by them.”

Charlie laughed at the joke made by her love. Beneath the clothes, he was a slimmer man with the chest hair that trailed to his groin and the muscles that were hard and strong yet tender on her. He had streaks of redness on his body but when asked, he dismissed it as old bruises that yet to be healed.

“I was mugged and left for dead.” Stan was good at getting into Charlie’s charitable contributions. “Well, I survived.”

They did survive on love and fresh air with the occasional dine out when Stan gets his weekly cheques as the executive for the insurance firm. He joked about it that he was the one processing the pay-outs for the deceased. She was then working at the book store as the assistant and only saw Stan on alternate days. Unknown to her, he was a busy person. Stan gave her a red stone on a necklace. He told her to safeguard it well.

“It’s a gift worthy of the Goddess I am with,” Stan told her. “You will find it handy one day.”

“To pawn off when I need money,” Charlie replied.

“Yes, it may work then. But till then, preserve it.” Stan told her. If only she knew its value to her. Stan soon left her and looked for his own hordes of followers.

“I hope you have more information for me, Baal.” Lucifer greeted the other who was like lurking in the dark and avoiding the main traffic of Man. Baal was wearing the great overcoat that reached below his knees and with his bent back, the figure looked like a skunk on the walk.

“It’s not much but I heard the brothers and sisters are mostly in hiding,” Baal replied. “The enemy is not the Seraph Warrior but a different race of beings. The words I heard are they precede us at the creation point. They have lain low for centuries and of late, resurfaced for the annihilation of the world. It’s the Second Coming.”

Lucifer grabbed Baal by the throat and pulled him upright. The bent spine of Baal forced to its new position created with the sound of pain. Baal cursed out in pain, but he will not retaliate against his senior brother then.

“I speak what the others had whispered.” Baal was an outspoken one and event to the Mighty Supreme, he cared not to hold his tongue.

“Speak not of the Second Coming ever. I warned you.” Lucifer lost his composure and stared at Baal. “If there was, I will be the one to tell you.”

The Second Coming was the new prophecy of the Dimension when the so-named Gods and Angels will have clashed. It will be a war when mankind will once again be the sacrificial lambs for, they held no defense against the two warring sides.  A new Messiah will be created.

“Interesting for we are to protect mankind in this dimension once more.” Lucifer sighed. “I wondered why they surface now. How are the others?”

“They have gone into hiding. Belith is slowly recovering from the wounds but the ability to see has not augured well.” Lucifer recalled Belith was one of the leaders appointed by him to lead the Fallen Ones. He was a fine warrior and wield a hammer that was half his height. He was the one who told the others after making his escape from the attack that nearly terminated his existence. He was rescued by Baal and then told of the attacker that he could not make out in the dark.

“It was huge and the attacks were fast. I could not defend myself in time. It was not a Seraph Warrior. It was something else.” Belith had mumbled out to Baal. That message was sent out and then reached Lucifer’s ears. The Fallen One's fight has been with Seraph Warriors since the War. The Second Coming will be different. 

Lucifer called for a meeting of the leaders and the name was whispered then in the mind.

“The Celestial.”

Survivals

Lucifer leaned over and looked at Charlie. The later was not willing to hold the child birthed by her. He stooped on his knees.

“Hello, Charlie.” Lucifer greeted the lady. Charlie turned her face away. She was still upset at the man who had left her with the child and went missing. She had struggled with her job and later quit to find another to lean on. She found herself with the bulging tummy solace with a lunatic who thinks he was the father. She went with the parody until one day, he told him he had robbed the bank. He produced the wads of notes covered partially with blood. She had not believed him for she had seen on the tele set the news of a robbery and murder of the convenience store, and her lover's face was caught on the camera. He grabbed her and they drove off in the twilight to the desert. It was she ended up in the Diner.

“It’s our baby,” Lucifer told Charlie then. “She …”

“She is not mine. You are not mine. You are… a fraud.” Charlie was confused then. She had given birth on the floor of the Diner, having seen a firefight that will last forever in her mind, and above all, those that were killed do not look like humans. She wished she could wake up from that nightmare.

“Bob, those out there are fighting….” Jeep called out. Michael turned to look and saw the minions without their leader were fighting among themselves. He walked out there and fired a long burst from his rifle at the minions. He brought down half a dozen of them before they stopped to look at Michael.

“I am your new master now. Leave this place and wait for my command. Form a perimeter a few miles out. Protect the Diner.” The minions hesitated and stood there unsure of the next move but Michael sounded out his next command.

“Leave now or die.” The minions begin to leave and then the cars started blowing exhausts.

Kyle lowered the rifle but he kept his scrutiny there. He was in the Army, and one of the instructions he was told to remember; there will be a lull in a battle, so don’t let your guard down. He was not going to then. He lined up the rifles with spaces in-between spaces and left some spare ammo there. He then looked at the set of five grenades he held in his left hand. The grenades were stacked inside the netting bag. It was then he saw the minions withdrawing. They drove the cars and while leaving there were several dents created then but soon the road was cleared cars.

It was once the quiet stretch of the road with the lonesome diner. Lonesome was the regular word there.

“Charlie, it’s me. Stan. You ought to know me. We spend some time together.” Lucifer was talking to the silent lady still seated there with the blanket and still sullen in her expression. The baby was left on the table wrapped in the kitchen towels; clean ones from Percy’s cupboard. The baby began to cry for its feed.

“What now?” Lucifer heard the noise of shooting and the explosions. It was further down the road. Bob ran to the doorway and looked out. He saw the noise was further down towards Las Vegas. He saw more cars zooming by the Diner and towards the noise. Kyle then dropped the bags and climbed down. He had the netting of grenades around his neck.

“Heck! I saw the shooting out there. It’s heavy firepower there. I think the enforcements are there.” Kyle voiced and then saw the baby.

“Is that the baby?” Kyle stepped forth to look at the baby and was stopped by Lucifer.

“She is mine and you can’t touch her.” Lucifer motioned to the cross that was the pendant on the iron chain around Kyle’s neck. It was partially hidden by the grenades. “You are …”

“Christ! Are you the …?” Kyle backed off and then grabbed a rifle to aim at Lucifer. “I ought to kill you.”

Kyle then turned to Percy and Bob.

“Are you disbelievers too? This dude here is the Devil.” Kyle looked at the other two. And then at Charlie and Michael.

“Can’t you see the horns on his forehead?”

“No, Kyle. They can’t hear you. I have isolated us from them. Only you and I are here.” Lucifer told the other. Kyle looked around and saw he was in the Diner but there was no one else around. Not even Michael. He could, however, see the baby there cooing on the table.

“You are a true believer of the faith. You saw me through the disguise here. However, I am not your enemy. I am the Devil by name but I am here to protect all of you. For my baby’s sake.” Lucifer told Kyle. “Focus on the real enemy and lower the rifle.”

“I won’t be tempted by the Devil. I am sure of my faith. And believes.” Kyle hit back. “You will die.”

“Then shoot me but I can’t be hurt,” Lucifer replied. “Not by you anyway. Don’t force my hand on the matter. I need you to assist me. Do it not for me but for the baby. Its innocence is your belief now. I need your balance on the matter.”

“I ….” Kyle found himself lowering the rifle. It was then the voice of Bob resonated in the Diner.

“Kyle… What is happening? One second you were to shoot at the other and the next you lowered the rifle.” Bob shook his head and then reached for the cigarette in the pocket. “I need a smoke.”

Michael stepped in and called out the orders.

“We need to leave.” Michael looked to Jeep. “Can you secure the vehicles?”

“There is the truck I drive and the other two cars outside.” Jeep replied. It was then Charlie stood up and walked to the rear of the Diner.

“I am not leaving. I am going to take a shower. And take the baby with you.” Charlie moved to the rear doorway that was still blocked by the fridge. She tried to move it but it won’t budge.

“Bob, move the fridge,” Charlie called out in anger. “Or I will …”

It was the same mode as with the Major who was leading the detachment of a hundred soldiers armed with heavy firepower They were driven from the desert area where the Command Centre was located in a convoy of armored and troops truck. During the ride to the Diner, the Major witnessed the blazing horizon where Las Vegas was located. He was not displaying any emotional expression to the events there. He was another Seraph The warrior who had laid low while hunting the Fallen Ones. The recent task was more intriguing. He was to capture or die trying the new prophet to the people.

“Major, the scouts reported of …” The Major had received his own intel on the minions on the road. The Seraph Warriors have their communication setup and the warrior among the scouts had telepathically told him.

“Armed the cannons and cleared us apart towards the Diner.” The armored trucks were armed with the M1165A1 with the 12.7mm gun was a mini tank by design. There were six of these designs running fore for the convoy. The trucks lined up in a row on the desert range and soon hit the road covering both lanes. The guns opened up when they approached the new barricades by the minions. The bullets rip the cars in the frame and the minions. The minions were not that easy to defeat then and had leaped onto the passing armored trucks. The minions latched on the sides of the trucks with their talons and then climbed over the top. The exposed gun turret was attacked and the gunner pulled out of the truck before the minions jumped inside the armored truck.

The Major in the lead truck aimed his Browning at the minions. He was unable to control the minions’ minds and had to fight his way out. The truck driver was attacked and the truck swerved to the right before landing on its side. The Major moved to climb out but he was blind to the moving second truck that slammed into the undercarriage of the tilted truck. The truck that was impacted rolled for some distance before it landed on its left side. The Major was then wounded but the Seraph Warrior was still able to crawl out. The Major was bloodied on the uniform then called out to the convoy to battle the minions. Troops on the order of their officers rushed out and faced the minions in battle.

Then darkness prevailed over the skies; dark overcast that held thick layers with the sight at below three feet. The overcast was then speared by the narrow light and a figure was seen descending there. It descended among the armored trucks and minions, and within seconds, the armored trucks were tossed and hitting the other trucks or minions. It was mayhem then.

“What the…” The Major rushed towards the figure and saw the identity.

“I am Gabriel and this is Excalibur.” The blade sliced the Major’s head off from the body.