Peace Through Force: Chapter 2 – Order Through Violence

Chapter 2 – Order Through Violence

The Castigators and I are sitting in a protected hideout in Hammer, and with our allies from Guardian, we plan our attack on the country’s leaders. From what I’ve heard from Bolster and his spies, Hammer’s army and civilians are mostly comprised of cybernetic men. This is because they’re stuck in the past, where liberal and non-religious ideologies reigned for a time, and the popes and bishops for people were scientists and influencers with money and power. It was a shameful time that makes me glad that we’re living in an age where tradition and religion are still on the upswing with no sign of stopping. Everyone who points a gun at or tries to fly or run at us should be considered hostile and killed or incapacitated on sight.

“They don’t have many prisons here, and the ones that they do have are death camps where people are worked to death or experimented on to the point where you wish you died,” Bolster explains.

“I can relate to that,” Idelle comments.

“I second that,” Zandro adds.

“We won’t be caught. We’re going to win this and humble these backwards apes until they have to listen to reason,” I say.

“The people in Hammer and the other two countries are going to need a lot of humbling until that happens. Do you know of the multiple treaties and agreements that the West has made with these countries, only for them to go back on their word? A war was even fought against them, their leaders were killed, a better one was installed, and things still went back to normal afterward.”

“I know. It’s going to be different with us handling it. They’re all going to get an ass-kicking they’ll never forget.”

“Ha! I hope so.”

The area of Hammer is made up of gray, ugly, boxy structures larping as futuristic buildings and walls, which makes the city look more like a fort. What little greenery of the original jungles that remains is artificial, all of it made by Hammer’s residents, who claim it’s better than what nature originally made it to be, when it is actually poisonous to the earth and its people. Exiting the hideout, we walk through these artificial forests and overlook the city where the leaders of Hammer reside. There are a few ways we can sneak inside, but Bolster has told me that confronting them head-on will earn us more respect from the four countries, so we decide to do just that in the afternoon. I’ve been told the city becomes mostly dark, and the divide between the poor and the rich becomes obvious.

Bolster, and our allies send a barrage of missiles at the walls and flying drones and robots to give us an easy entrance. Idelle charges ahead, and Zandro transforms into his devilish angel form and then joins her. Meanwhile, I back up our allies and shoot down our foes from a distance, and lead them forward from the front. Entering the city, their robots and cybernetic law enforcement and civilians start firing at us, forcing us into cover. Idelle and Zandro head over to us, flanking the city’s defenders and throwing them into one another with such force that both die on impact.

Advancing further into the city, the sirens start to blare, and a voice comes over the loudspeakers in the city saying, “The backwards sheep of the Church are invading us as we said they would! Take up arms! Give your lives to uphold the last vestige of true humanity in the world, or else, it won’t reclaim it, and the rest of the world will forever live in religious ignorance.”

“It’s funny they say that, given the only truth they believe in and accept is whatever they find comfortable that they’ve made up,” Bolster says.

“These types of people usually are. All they want is power and control over the truth to make themselves look like the good guys,” I say.

More people start coming out of their homes, businesses, and schools with guns and mechanically enhanced bodies to attack us, all of which we gun down. These people even try sending their children at us as cannon fodder to throw us off. Using my revolvers, I knock them out with their tranquilizing shots to quickly take them out of the battle before they’re killed. Even still, some are sent at us with suicide vests and explode as soon as they hit the ground.

“Bastards! Kill them all!” Bolster says.

“We’re already doing that. Don’t let hatred blind you, and keep your mind focused on the fight,” I say.

Internally, I’m fighting my own urge to hate my enemies, but I keep silently praying so my feelings don’t overwhelm me. The people here might as well be like the robots that aid them because of what they’ve done and how they throw themselves at us without a care for their allies and children that they hurt in their attempts to kill us. I see Idelle fighting them with a greater intensity, ripping people apart, using them as bludgeons to kill others, and knocking them around like ragdolls. I know how she feels. As parents, seeing children being used like this is beyond sickening and enraging.

“Idelle! Take it easy!” I call out through my earpiece.

“They killed children, Kane! I can’t take it easy on them,” Idelle says with venom in her voice.

“I’m not saying you shouldn’t give them what they deserve, but you shouldn’t let your feelings overwhelm you.”

“I…I know. I’m trying not to.”

With the next wave of enemies dead, we continue forward and pick up the pace a bit. We’re crossing through the gates of one part of the city into a more luxurious part that looks cleaner with less trash on the ground and high-rise buildings. Ahead of us, I see waves of more robots, cybernetic law enforcers, and tanks.

“Now they’re really starting to bring out the big guns. I don’t see a single person there who isn’t heavily armed or armored,” I say.

“That’s because all the rich and influential people here are hiding in their safe rooms. Do you think they’d endanger their lives for anything?” Bolster says.

“I wouldn’t expect them to, knowing trash like them. How about we flush them out like the crap they are?” Switching radio channels, I say, “Are you fellas really going to have all the fun and take all the glory?”

“I know you wanted to clear the way for us, but you shouldn’t have run ahead if you were going to take on a small army by yourselves,” a member of the Castigators says.

“Don’t complain. Now’s your time to shine, so rain down judgment on this scum.”

“With pleasure.”

Behind us, a squad of jets, helicopters, and superhumans rain down their weapons and powers upon the buildings around us and the enemies ahead of us from all angles, bringing down the massive structures and flushing out the trash within them, some of whom come out burning or falling out of high places. The Castigator reinforcements take on the army, while Bolster, my allies, Idelle, and Zandro head for the capital building, spread out through it, and start clearing it, room by room, of all its defenders and leaders of Hammer. I go down the depths of the capital, coming across robots and cyborgs who throw themselves at me and get a bullet in the face for doing so. I shoot them down and dodge their attacks one after the other, while steadily advancing without taking one step back. At the bottom of the capital, I find it to be pitch black without a single soul or machine in sight.

“What happened to the power?” I hear someone say in the dark.

“I don’t know! The power grid must be out.”

I had my Castigators disable the power here since I know the people here rely so much on tech.

“They took that out? I don’t think we’re making it out of this if they did that.”

“Don’t think about that and just look for flashlights and a way to turn the backup lights on.”

Despite not being able to see anyone in the pitch darkness, my eyes still guide me in telling me who deserves to die and the few who deserve to be spared. Because of this, I pray and let my feet and hands be guided by God as I start shooting and moving through the dark. Everyone else wildly shoots their guns in my direction and yells out in fear for help.

“They’re here!” one of them says.

“There’s only one guy!”

“They’re can’t be or else we would’ve shot him right now!”

“Who cares how many there are? Just kill them!”

Eventually, the idiots find their flashlights and night vision goggles to be able to see me, but this doesn’t help them much, as I continue mowing them down one after the other, and dodging between their shots. I feel a hand on my shoulder stop me, and feel the need to shoot what’s in front of me. Taking this as advice from my guardian angel, I do so, and a hole in the wall is made that leads to a bright room with a bunch of people in it, all of whom my eyes tell me to kill, but not yet. These people look like trannies with expensive-looking, colorful cyberware, none of which is good to defend themselves with.

“You’re Kane Mundr, aren’t you?” they say in a distorted machine voice, which sounds similar to the voice of a demon. “You haven’t won yet! The citizens of this country will fight you over every inch of land! It’ll take you generations to conquer us!”

I shoot the one who was talking and force the others to follow me out of the building at gunpoint. When we get outside, I see Bolster, Idelle, Zandro, and the rest of my allies waiting for me, along with a crowd of Castigators who have just arrived. They cheer our names, while the city burns behind them, full of dead machines and bodies. Sensing an opportunity and remembering the advice of my friend, Giovanni Coronamento, I call an impromptu streaming of a speech and display I want to make. Bolster is already ready for this, given how the people in this region like making victory speeches and public displays of justice. I make the leaders of Hammer kneel, just as Bolster gets his phone streaming.

“People of Hammer, Steadfast, Wall, and Guardian. I’ll keep this simple since I know how you like it,” I say, and then execute the leaders of Hammer. “That is what will happen to everyone who thinks they can go against us. My mission here is to not only bring peace, but to do the will of the one true God as properly worshiped only by the Holy Catholic Church. I’d prefer it if you, my enemies, give up. In fact, I pray for it. You’re all better to God alive than dying for an untrue cause and false gods, and being damned forever, but that’s your choice. If there’s anyone out there in either country, then you should rise and strike while the iron is hot. Now is the time to take your home and live and die for something worthwhile! A throne in Heaven waits for all of you who do God’s will. You won’t get another chance any time soon, so make your choice. May God have mercy on you, because I’m here to enact His justice.”

Bolter stops the stream and cheers for me, along with the Castigators. Looking back at Zandro, he says, “That was a great speech, Kane. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“I took notes from my hangouts with Giovanni Coronamento,” I admit.

“He may have influenced you, but that was all you. Good job, brother.”

Going up to Idelle, I see that she’s covered in body and bits of visceral. She hugs me and backs off for a second, realizing what’s on her, but I hold onto her.

“It’s okay, Idelle. I’m here for you and won’t push you away. Let’s get some rest,” I say.

“…okay,” she says.

The other members of the Castigators come up to me, say how much they liked my speech, and what my new orders are.

I tell them, “Spread throughout the rest of Hammer, putting down the military and whoever resists us, but remember that we were once scum, so go easy on them whenever possible or if you encounter true innocents.”

They accept my orders and go out to do as I say, while Bolster, Idelle, Zandro, and I walk away to get our rest. Hammer may be temporarily stunned by our devastating attack today and will be further so by my Castigators, but this is far from the end. The countries of Wall and Steadfast are the other two left to bring to heel, and then we have to figure out how to keep the peace. What’s the point of this violence if the peace ends up being temporary? We can’t just kill the leaders of the hostile regimes and those who resist us, only for the cycle to start again. I pray for the answer, and hope that God will give me the strength, courage, and wisdom to do as I’m supposed to.

Peace Through Force: Chapter 1 – A Show of Strength

Chapter 1 – A Show of Strength

I check myself in a full-size mirror before we exit our plane. My modified crimson-and-black hoodie with ballistic weave looks as good as always; my black army boots are clean; my kneepads go well with my black jeans; and my white shirt with a snake in the middle, in the shape of the chi rho, is iconic as ever. Taking a closer look at my face, I look into each eye, my blue and grey eye, and my red and black eye, each of which tells me whether or not God decides if a person is deserving of life or death. My black hair is combed back and slick, and my new goatee without a mustache is looking good. The plane is starting to descend, so I leave my room and head into the main body of the plane. My wife, Idelle Mundr, is the first person I see as I exit the room, looking at me as if silently judging me.

“What’s the matter?” I ask.

“What were you doing in there, Kane?” she says.

“Just checking myself before we leave. We’re in a new country representing the Dominion and Columbian Union, Idelle. We have to look presentable.”

“You look the same as always.”

“You look beautiful too,” I say as I kiss her.

Idelle’s long hair is black and blonde. Her eyes are black, red, white, and gold. She wears one of her favorite long pink country-girl dresses with brown boots made by her adoptive mom. Behind her is my friend, Zandro, who is split down the middle in one appearance, with one side having more color than the other. His hoodie and plain clothes reflect that, being half black and half white. One of his eyes is dark brown, while the other is a light gray. I’ve told him to change up his style, and the best he can do is fix his black hair into two different styles and wear two different colors rather than black and white all the time. As we land and start to come to a stop, I manifest one ebony pistol and an ivory revolver from my hands and stand in front of the exit of the plane.

“Castigators, get ready for action,” I say.

The door of the airplane opens, and I point my guns at the first people I see who are waiting for us, who hold up their hands. They’re men and women with guns, body armor, and mechanical body parts.

“Whoa, whoa! We’re allies! Weren’t you told you’d meet us here?” one of them says.

“Based on what I heard about your country and the situation, I was expecting an ambush,” I say, somewhat disappointed.

“I get it. In fact, I respect it. Unlike the Columbian Union and the West, the East respects strength, bluntness, and honesty. Here.”

We are handed earpieces connected to some kind of wires with a microphone.

“What’s this?”

“It’ll help you understand the native languages and speak in them. Try it out.” We put on the devices. “Welcome to Guardian. My name is Bolster.”

The words that Bolter says don’t match his lips, and yet, I hear the translation clearly as if it did.

“Huh. You’re right, these do work. It even translated the name of your country and name.”

“It’s a new invention thanks to the Coronamento Corporation. Unlike our neighbors, we value and respect the fruits of the West, but we are most thankful they sent you out of every subsidiary of the Dominion. Come, let us talk while we go to your vehicles.”

“I’m surprised they sent us,” I say as we talk with our allies and go to the hangar where they’re leading us. “John Elio and Timeo Severe said we’re the best ones to handle the situation and that the relations department of the Dominion will handle the aftermath.”

“Yeah. Leave the peace talks to the peacemakers, and leave the blood and sacrifice to the true heroes. I must admit that talking people down is much harder than beating them down, but this is a situation where violence is the only answer. The four countries of Guardian, Wall, Steadfast, and Hammer have been in a state of on-and-off conflict for ages. Even when the Catholic Church had control of the countries and the region was at its most peaceful, the people still fought one another over racial and minor theological differences.”

“What’s the modern-day conflict over?”

“It’s over what mankind always wars over, to have what they consider the truth enshrined by law, enforced by its military and police, and have the perceived evil of their enemies punished by imprisonment or death.”

“Where does Guardian stand in this?”

“Where it always has since it was christened by the Church. We seek nothing more than to save souls and punish evil.”

“Amen to that.”

“Amen, brother. We didn’t fall to heresy like Wall and Steadfast has nor did we lend our ears to the morals of the age like Hammer did. Despite our faithfulness to Holy Mother Church, the Vatican refuses to send aid to us, and it’s only thanks to the Dominion and her allies that we’ve been able to stop losing land for the first time in ten years.”

“We’ll turn the tide of the battle. I promise.”

As we reach the hangar,  I see a motorcycle, a sports car, and a few armored SUVs.

“We heard you liked motorcycles, so we thought you’d like to drive one while you’re here, Kane.”

“Oh, baby, I do.”

I’m excited to try out the new motorcycle, but as we approach the vehicles, an explosion blows us back from them. A squad of people in helicopters, flying and running with superhuman powers, and cybernetic men attack us with guns and their powers. Immediately getting up, I get in front of my allies to defend them from our attackers. I make sure to use my revolver to knock a few of them out for questioning that my eyes say to keep alive, and to kill those who deserve it with my pistols with extreme prejudice. Dodging between the attacks coming at me, I keep shooting, while Idelle and Zandro leap at, tear at, rip apart, and beat down everyone coming at us, making this a simple fight.

“Wow. The stories about the Castigators are true,” one of our injured allies says.

“This is nothing to us, but don’t worry about that right now. Get your dead and injured to the hospital, and get our unconscious attackers to an interrogation room. I have several questions I want to ask them.”

My allies do as I say, and we head off to the nearest jail. I let my allies do the questioning first since they were hurt the most during our attack.

While waiting, Zandro asks, “Do you think this is necessary? We already know the names of the leaders of the enemy countries. All we need is their locations.”

“We need to strike precisely at who attacked us first. They’re our priority since they want to be the glory hounds by trying to take us out,” I say.

“Here I was thinking that you were going to be gun-ho about this assignment. I’m proud of you,” Idelle says.

“I know that a loose cannon does more damage than good because I used to be like that.”

“What about loose cannons like the Council of Punishment we faced not too long ago? They were wild extremists, but they were doing God’s will as He wanted it,” Zandro points out.

“There’s a time and place for that, but we’re not going to bring peace to these four countries if we just burn and blow up everything as the Council did. Besides, we don’t have guardian angels telling us exactly what to do, so we have to take it easy at first before letting loose.”

“It looks like Polina’s advice is getting to you,” Idelle says.

“Eh. She’s right now and then.”

Much to our surprise, our allies come out of the interrogation room with all the answers we are hoping for.

“Like we said before, strength, bluntness, and honesty are core values of the East. Few people lie, even when their lives and loved ones are at stake,” Bolster explains.

“Good. That makes things much simpler,” I say.

“If only it were so. We have a traitor in our midst who allowed them to get through security at the airport, plant the car bombs, and hide before their attack. Their true loyalties lie with Hammer.”

“It’s still going to be simple. Show me where the traitors are. We’ll deal with them first.”

My allies and I drive out to the place where the traitors are said to be, and we happen to arrive just as they are fleeing. Idelle and Zandro use their superspeed to run after them and make them crash and slow down. The armored SUVs of my allies reveal turrets controlled by the passengers that fire at the fleeing traitors, and I do my part by firing my pistol with one hand at the wheels, while driving with the other. Superhumans and robots come out of the alleyways around us to attack and make us back off, forcing Idelle and Zandro stop crashing cars and protect us. My allies and friends handle them, while I speed on ahead and continue the pursuit unimpeded.

I turn my attention to the drivers of the vehicles, whose bulletproof cars and SUVs are no match for my specialized guns. I shoot through the windows and sides, forcing them to crash into buildings and poles. Thankfully, the civilians here seem used to street violence and have already vacated the area, but some ahead of us are firing at the cars. One even fires an RPG to blow the last one off the road. The remaining see the civilians as targets and focus on going after them, but Idelle and Zandro manage to narrowly get in front of them to knock their heads off before they reach our unexpected helpers.

Still, I drive up to them and ask, “Are you okay? Is anyone hurt?”

“We’re better than ever thanks to you, Castigators! As soon as we heard and saw you coming down the street, we had to help you,” one of the civilians says.

“You could’ve gotten hurt. What were you thinking?”

“That we were doing the right thing by helping you out? It may be a Western idea, but when your heroes need help enacting justice, you have to help out if you have the weapons, even if it costs you your life.”

Since there’s no arguing with them, I thank them and thank me in return, saying that I’m an angel of justice sent by God. I hope I can live up to their image of me. Going up to one of the crashed SUVs, I find one of the traitors trying to crawl away with broken legs.

I stomp on their back to stop them, and say, “I thought people here were supposed to be honest, not deceitful.”

“The necessity of deceit is virtuous in Hammer, where I come from. They are the strongest out of the four countries, and you will die before taking them down. They worship the true God and live the right way out of everyone in the world and deserve to rule it,” the traitor says.

I shoot the traitor in the head and walk away.

Bolster approaches me from behind and says, “That’s the truth. Hammer is the most powerful and influential in the region. They have superhumans and weapons of destruction that not only threaten us, but all the allies of the Columbian Union and anyone who isn’t allied with them and their allies.”

“Your point? I knew most of that coming in, and it doesn’t bother me.”

“What about the civilians? Just like the ones here, they’ll fight you to protect their tyrannical and evil rulers.”

“I fight, who I feel that God tells me to, no matter who they are.”

Bolster smiles, laughs, and puts his hand on my shoulder. “Again, I am glad the Dominion sent you. You have no restraints to do what you need to.”

“I don’t, and since we know where the heads of Hammer reside, I don’t see why we shouldn’t cut the head off the snake.”

“With you leading us, I’m sure you’ll achieve a quick victory. We’ll all follow you to our dying breath.”

Bolster, and my allies of Guardian cheer over and over again, “God bless the Castigators! Death to their enemies! All hail the Castigators! Death to Hell’s servants!”

The civilians come out of hiding and cheer the same thing. This is all empowering and intoxicating to hear, so I cut it short by getting on my motorcycle and beginning the drive to Hammer, all the while praying that God doesn’t let it get to my head, and that I use the tools of violence and justice properly so as not to become like the warlords that govern this land.

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The Council of Punishment is comprised of repentant sinners, Thaddeus, Tanith, and Terah, who have been burning cities and towns in a quest to purge the Columbian Union of the demonic and their cultists. Guided by their guardian angels, they arrive in Detlef, where they confront the Dominion. Initially aiming to hold them accountable for their extremism, the Dominion discovers a surprising ally in the Council, realizing they share a common enemy.

Scourge of Angels: Chapter 4 – A Final Choice of Destination

Chapter 4 – A Final Choice of Destination

Back in the usual high-rise bar restaurant, Thaddeus, Tanith, and I are waiting for the next instructions from our guardian angels. Thaddeus is drinking again, and Tanith is bugging him about it. The two bicker like a couple, which is amusing to watch. Nevertheless, I have to keep my mind on my prayers.

“This is getting you nowhere,” I hear the temptations say.

“You’ll get no glory from this. No power.”

“You’re nothing more than second in command to Thaddeus. He’s still a drunken, horny idiot.”

“He’s not like you, a virtuous, redeemed man.”

“You know better than he does and what must be done.”

Guardian angel?

“I’m here, and trying to sweep up this trash as fast as I can, boss,” my guardian angel jokingly says.

They’ve been bothering me ever since we entered the city, and haven’t stopped, despite all the burning we’ve done.

“The demons have always been like unkillable cockroaches ever since they fell from grace. If only I could spray the world in demon repellent so they’d leave it alone.”

Mind if I ask again if we’re done in this city, yet?

“Sorry, but that’s above my pay grade. I can only tell you what I’ve been told from up above, and they only answer when it’s the right time, so there’s no need to keep asking.”

I know, but I feel like I have to, if not for my sake, but for Thaddeus and Tanith, who both fell to their demons.

“They’ll be fine. If you want a heads up, I can tell you that you’re going to be tested next.”

I already am being tested.

“Not in the way you’re already being tested, smarty. In a different way.”

The silence between Thaddeus and Tanith makes me stop praying and turn to see what made them stop.

“Did you hear that on the TVs? We’re going to get a personal visit from John Elio and L’Obscurité,” Thaddeus says.

“Is that a good or bad thing?” Tanith asks.

“Good, or at least I think it should be. We managed to work together with the Castigators and Compassionate, so I don’t see why we shouldn’t get along with the two men they answer to. Maybe I’ll even get their autographs.”

“They aren’t here to help in the way you think,” my guardian angel says.

I relay what my guardian angel says to Thaddeus and Tanith.

“Huh. Mine is telling me we should finish the fight against the demonic before they arrive. I wonder why,” Thaddeus says.

“Maybe they didn’t hear what their sidekicks said about us on their way here,” Tanith suggests.

“It won’t take those heroes long to get here. I’ll cause a scene here, while you and Tanith finish off the last of the cultists,” I say.

“Are you sure?”

“I’m already a dead man walking, so there’s nothing they can do that I haven’t experienced. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Be careful, Terah.”

I nod my head. Thaddeus and Tanith transform and fly away. Transforming myself, I start up a green lightning storm around me and blow up different buildings. Ten or so minutes pass before I sense a presence behind me, and sure enough, it’s John Elio and L’Obscurité. John Elio looks as friendly as always with a red deacon’s shirt, gold cape, blue jeans, and brown boots. His smile is as bright as his blue eyes and blonde hair. Oppositely, L’Obscurité is cloaked in a large black jacket, scarf, and a large hat. His face is barely describable aside from a hole in the center of his forehead, black eyes, and a toothy grin.

“Bishop Terah,” John Elio says. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

“Deacon John. The honor is more mine than yours. The same goes to you, L’Obscurité,” I say.

“Thank you,” L’Obscurité says in his dark voice.

“Have you heard from subsidiaries that we’re all fighting on the same side?”

“We have, but it doesn’t look like we are from the looks of Detlef,” L’Obscurité says. “It burns in your supernatural fire, and many of its people from all walks of life are dead.”

“As you’ve heard, we’re merely doing what our guardian angels are telling us to do. Despite what it looks like, the situation is under control.”

“Where are your allies?”

“Finishing the rest of the rabble as we speak.”

Below me, I see dark hands reaching out and demons with my face appearing from the floors and the ceiling. The temptations are getting louder.

“They’re more powerful than you’ll ever be.”

“God has given them what they need to take over the world in His name. You won’t be given the same honor.”

“They’ll be in control of everything.”

“You will control nothing.”

“Your life is in their hands.”

“Nothing you’ve done and will ever do will be as impactful as what they will accomplish.”

“Cease,” L’Obscurité says.

An explosion of bright darkness comes from L’Obscurité that scares away the demons.

“Pfft. Show off,” my guardian angel comments.

“With them gone, we can speak in peace,” L’Obscurité continues. “Your methods are extreme, but if what you’re saying is true, then we can’t complain about them.”

“I was about to say the same thing, especially after what you, John, and the Dominion did to the foreign country of Nexum,” I say.

“It’s actually part of why I have to thank you, and that is why we are extending an offer to you. We want you to be part of the Dominion. We need people for extreme situations.”

“You do?”

“Since there were so many cities in our own country under the control of demons, it’s made John, and I realize the work that needs to be done here.”

“You should already know we have a history of recruiting reformed criminals and villains into our ranks. Why shouldn’t we do the same for a group of extremist vigilantes?” John Elio adds.

“That can’t be all to the offer.

L’Obscurité says, “You’re right. You can’t just destroy four cities without consequence, guardian angel influenced or not. The world needs to see that you get justice for your actions and that you will be under our control. Once your time in our prison is done, you will be free to do as you want.”

Before I can answer, my temptations quickly come back. They say, “This is it.”

“You’ll forever lose control of your life.”

“Use your backup.”

“Take the road you choose, that you want to take.”

“You’ll miss a lot in jail. They won’t ask for your help or advice. You’ll be powerless like you’ve always feared.”

I transform into my normal self so my powers won’t be the tool of my demons.

I bow and say, “I accept.”

Bringing my head back up, I see that L’Obscurité is transforming. Once he finishes, he reveals himself as Timeo Severe, a man with dark eyes and hair, always dressed to impress in one of his expensive suits.

Timeo extends his hand toward me and says, “It’s a deal then. We’re glad that we agreed.”

“I’d shake your hand, but I don’t have arms.”

John shakes one of the loose sleeves I have and says, “Nevertheless, I’m glad that we’ll get to work together.”

“You’ll do a lot more under the Dominion than as an independent. Your prison sentence will go by quicker than you think. Since you know so much about how political, corporate, and criminal business works, we’ll call or visit you for advice,” Timeo adds.

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Thaddeus and Tanith fly in and ask what is going on, and I tell them about our new employers, the terms, and the possibility of our future work.

Looking at Timeo and John, Thaddeus says, “I guess we don’t really have a better choice.”

“The streets of Detlef are clean of demonic and cultist activity, so our job here is done, and I’d rather not live on the run. Will prison at least be comfortable and have good food?” Tanith asks.

“Yes, they will be,” Timeo says.

“Will it have parties?” Thaddeus asks.

“No, not at all. Best I can do is have them bring you a birthday cake on your birthday,” John says.

“Ah. That’s a bit of a dealbreaker, but if Terah thinks it’s a good idea, then I have to agree with him.”

The sound of people running catches our attention just as crowds of people brimming with green electricity leap out of the doors to attack us.

As we transform and defend ourselves with John and Timeo, Thaddeus asks, “Are these people under your control?”

“No! I thought I let go of control of them after I transformed back to normal,” I say.

Truthfully, they were under my control even when I wasn’t transformed, and were a possibly sinful backup plan to use against the Dominion, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I’m assuming the demons took control of them after I let go. John Elio and Timeo Severe fly between the crowds like a blur, knocking everyone out, while we were barely able to knock out a few.

“How many more are in this tower?” Timeo asks in his dark hero voice.

“This place is full of them. We’ll help you take care of them,” I say.

“There’s no need. We got this,” John says with a smile.

Before we can argue or attempt to help, John and Timeo are off. We try to follow them and help, but every floor is already filled with unconscious people, and by the time we fly down to the bottom, it seems like everyone that was under the control of the demons is out cold. These two men are truly the world’s most powerful heroes. With that loose end taken care of, we let ourselves fall into Dominion custody. Due to our “crimes,” we aren’t given a trial, and taken straight to a Dominion rehabilitation facility, with the press only being given a video of us being taken in and a picture of us in our cells to show that we were taken to prison. I’m thankful that we were spared the humiliation of a one-sided trial and the drama that came with it.

On the same day that we are imprisoned, we were given white prison jumpsuits and later told that our sentence would be ten years, with us being able to get out after five if we do “community” service for the Dominion by acting as their heroes, which are acceptable terms in my mind. I’m only allowed to see Thaddeus and Tanith when the prisoners are allowed to eat breakfast, dinner, and during recreation. Besides that, I’m by myself in my cell with my prayers, my guardian angel, and whatever books they have on hand for me to read.

During breakfast one day, Thaddeus, Tanith, and I met together at a table. Thaddeus says, “So, how’s prison treating you two?”

“It reminds me of how the penitent priests and nuns who live in isolation,” I say.

“It’s more peaceful and cleaner than I expected. I’m surprised they allow us to meet like this and live out of isolation like those in the lower levels,” Tanith says.

“That’s because we got on their good side and accepted their offer without fighting them. The only thing I personally dislike about it is that I actually have to relax and not do much. It’s making my nerves tingle.”

“Be at peace for once, Thaddeus,” I say.

“I’ll try. What if our guardian angels want us to leave while we’re here?”

“Given our arrangement, we’ll have to hope we can chalk it up to doing community service, but only if we give them a heads up about it. Otherwise, we’d probably get more years added to our sentence.”

“Great. At least being here is better than being on the run. The food is decent, too.”

“I did hear that the Dominion has better prisons than most nations. It’s why they’ve been able to rehabilitate criminals and villains and make them work for them,” Tanith says.

“Whatever the case is, if we get out of prison in ten years or twenty, I don’t regret a thing we did. Heck, we get to be heroes for the Dominion while we’re here. I’m sure we can buy a sweet hideout once we do enough jobs for them,” Thaddeus says.

“Yeah, and they do have priests on standby to help us with our spiritual problems as well. Even though it’s not the best, I think we’re in the best possible place we can be right now,” Tanith adds.

I agree with my friends and say, “The Council of Punishment will be dormant for now, but when we’re back, we’ll be better than ever.”

Thaddeus and Tanith cheerily agree, and I can’t help but laugh. Who would think that a man who was obsessed with power like me would be at peace in prison and a soldier for someone else’s group? I sure didn’t, so I thank God for humbling me and bringing me to a better place that I never thought I’d want to be in, with people who I now consider close friends, who I wouldn’t have associated with weeks ago.

The End

Scourge of Angels: Chapter 3 – A Nagging Desire

Chapter 3 – A Nagging Desire

Thaddeus, Terah, and I sit in the same high-rise restaurant bar we were in before. Ever since we came to a mutual understanding with the Castigators, we took out a few more cultist hideouts, and somehow, I don’t feel like we’re done yet. Our guardian angels have told us not to go anywhere yet, and we still feel the lingering influence of demons, especially me. The demon that wears my face always catches up to me, and is either in my face or hiding at the edges of my vision before disappearing. Unlike before, the demon’s skin is slowly falling apart like a rotting corpse, with parts of its resemblance to me fading away, piece by piece, after every victory against it.

Right now, the demon floats behind me, staring dead at me with its rotten face. The times that I’m most nervous about it are not when it’s tempting me, but when it’s silent like it is now. I know it’s plotting something sinister, but my guardian angel won’t do anything until it acts.

“Don’t let it cause you to worry, Tanith. I’ll always be here, ready to help you before you ask for it,” my guardian angel says.

I know, and thank you. Trying my best to ignore the demon, I go to the back of the bar, think about grabbing myself a beer, and grab a soda instead. It’s then that I notice the multiple beer bottles around Thaddeus, who is watching the still-operating TVs.

“Should you really be drinking that much, Thaddeus?” I ask.

“I don’t see why not. It’s only a sin if you knowingly drink too much and get yourself sick. That’s what my guardian angel told me. Besides, you should remember who you’re talking to. I’m the man who got the furthest in the one-hundred-drinks-in-a-day challenge. My liver is made out of titanium.”

“I remember hearing you getting sick and having to go to the hospital the same day, and having to spend a week in it because of the challenge.”

“I still did the best out of every normal human who attempted the challenge. The superhumans who attempted it don’t compare since they’re part of a different ranking.”

“Whatever. Have you heard from your guardian angel yet for new instructions?”

“For the tenth time, no, and I’ll let you know when I hear something. Relax.”

“I’m just concerned that the Dominion will send more of their heroes after us.”

“We came to an understanding with the Castigators. What could be worse than facing them? It’s not like the big two heroes, John Elio, and L’Obscurité, will personally come after small fry like us.”

“You never know if they will or not. It’s why I’ve been in prayer so we can leave here as quickly as possible,” Terah says.

“You should relax, too, Terah. Look at the TVs. The Compassionate are heading here next, and they’re the most reasonable and merciful out of every subsidiary in the Dominion. They even have Raziel Emundato, who also gets his powers from his guardian angel.”

“Raziel also burned the entire city of Meridian in supernatural fire and went on a one-man crusade after his wife was raped,” I say.

“So? It’s just another thing we have in common. They should be here in a few hours. Thanks to the Castigators, we should be on friendly terms with them.”

“That’s assuming things go smoothly and the demons don’t get involved,” Terah says. “If they possessed you to fight Kane, then they could make us all fight one another.”

“Keep praying and hoping for the best, then, bishop.”

The three of us relax as best we can, waiting for the arrival of the Compassionate or new instructions from our guardian angels. Thaddeus is asleep at the counter of the bar, while Terah goes back and forth between praying and watching the news.

“It’s time to move, Tanith. Go wake up Thaddeus. His guardian angel is unable to get him up and doesn’t want to start a fire to do so,” my guardian angel says.

At this point, I’d laugh if his ass was burned to wake him up, but I do as my guardian angel says. I knock Thaddeus off the barstool to wake him up, and that’s when he finally hears the words of his guardian angel, and we fly away to our next destination. We go to an island between the two cities that comprise Detlef, which is its own miniature town with small houses and businesses. It’s a ghost town, with no one around, people disappearing behind corners, and doors closing. A group of four, familiar-looking people comes around the corner, the Compassionate. Of course, we’d be led directly to them, just like how we were led to the Castigators.

Leading the four is Polina Emundatio, a red-haired woman with red eyes wearing dark blue armor, armed with two shields on her arms, a pistol, and a sheathed sword. Next to her is her husband, Raziel Emundatio, who has blonde hair and red, orange, and yellow eyes, similar to Thaddeus’s. He’s dressed like a modern knight in crimson, orange, and golden armor. Behind them is Zahara, a woman with a sniper for a left arm, who has pink eyes, wears a pink and black bodysuit, and has hair like mine, except hers is pink and black. Next to Zahara is Penelope, who has one purple eye, a spiral for a left eye, blonde and purple hair, and wears a purple dress.

“Council of Punishment. We heard a lot about you from the news and our friends, the Castigators. Apparently, we’re all on the same side?” Polina asks.

Thaddeus steps forward in his normal form and says, “Yes. We’re all fighting against the demonic. I know your methods are merciful, but we can’t afford to be with most of these foes. Few will repent, and most are unrepentant, so we need you to be less restrained. I’m sure you understand since you’ve all faced similar cultists before.”

“Yes, we’ve faced the demonic before, but we’ve also managed to bring back souls from the brink of Hell. If you want to work together, you have to do as we say, preferring mercy first, and then using unrelenting justice if the need arises,” Polina says.

“Are you sure about that, Polina? These people are guided by their guardian angels,” Penelope says.

“If they’re being given the freedom to go all out on the demonic, then I don’t see why we shouldn’t,” Zahara says.

“Hey, when did you flip to their side? You’re supposed to be on mine.”

“They’re right, Polina,” Raziel says. “My guardian angel says we should follow their lead. Their powers work similarly to mine, in that they’ll spare those that deserve it and kill those that repent.”

Polina stares at each of us, and I feel a tether connecting her to me when she looks at me. I can feel her digging around in my head, bringing up my memories, those that I’m ashamed of, such as my descent into degeneracy and giving up my parents to human traffickers, and the few that I’m proud of, like my repentance and overcoming my demon and addiction.

“Tch. Fine,” Polina decides. Thaddeus looks up and appears to be thinking. “What? Did your guardian angel tell you something?”

“Yes, and you’re not going to like it.”

“Well, what is it?”

“Our targets are all around us, masquerading as normal, poor, and lower-class people. Most, if not everything, on this small island has to be leveled, even the churches, that they use as fronts for their forbidden rituals.”

Raziel turns his head upwards and says the same thing as Thaddeus. With her husband backing us up, Polina has no choice but to follow our lead on this, but to ensure that we’re being as merciful as possible, she splits us up into groups so that a member of the Compassionate is with one of us as we work. Terah is paired up with Zahara and Penelope, Thaddeus is with Raziel, and I’m with Polina. We spread out so that every inch of the island can be cleared and to ensure that none of the cultists escape. My guardian angel points the way to our targets, and we begin clearing out the seemingly normal houses and businesses.

Entering the building, we’re immediately attacked by people with axes, guns, and knives. With my right spear arm, I stab the cultists through the chest, head, or neck, and with my right arm, I burn and freeze them with my freezing blue flames. Behind me, Polina uses her sword, arm shields, and pistol to defend herself. She also uses her powers to stun people by entering their minds, and she even manages to make some of them fight against us.

When the fight is over, Polina says, “See? These people’s minds and hearts can be changed.”

“Don’t hope for it to happen with most of them,” I say.

“You were far gone before, weren’t you, Tanith? You’ve even worked with people like these.”

“I have, so I know the difference between those who choose to be too far gone and those who will take a second chance.”

Continuing and clearing other buildings, houses, and churches, Polina tries to save as many people as possible. Sometimes she saves a few. Sometimes none are saved at all. The cultists stop hiding after we clear a few places out, and they start exiting their hiding places, some escaping, and others swarming us. In the chaos, a few of the people Polina converted are killed, even as she tries to defend them. Seeing that she needs help, I pitch in to help. In the crowd of attackers, the demon with my face glides among them, getting closer and closer until it gets in my face. Before I or it can say anything, my guardian angel tackles it, and both of them disappear in the chaos.

I turn up my flames into overdrive, turning most of everything and everyone into ice. Polina and the few converts around me are fine and finally safe. A few of the frozen people start to crack and break into pieces on their own, until their bodies are all broken up.

“Are you okay?” I ask

Polina’s converts say they are. She says, “Yes. Thanks for your help.”

Leaning out from behind Polina, the demon with my face smiles as everything becomes black. Polina and I are the only ones in this void that feels like a furnace that makes my nerves tingle.

“You’re finally alone in a private place. Now’s the time to take advantage of her, while she’s unable to move,” the demon says.

“No…I won’t,” I say as I burn my arm with my blue flames.

This puts my mind back into reality where I was.

“Why are you burning yourself?” Polina asks.

“Don’t worry about it. Let’s just get this done as fast as possible.”

Walking over to a false church, I find myself back in the void; this time, I’m here with the converts.

“Pick your pleasure. Man, woman, adult, teenager,” the demon says.

“Stop it!” I say as I burn myself. Again, Polina asks me what’s wrong and starts digging into my head to understand me. “Get out of my head! It’s the demon with my face that’s been bothering me. When we’re on the right track, they do their best to make me give in to my old desires. We can only fix this by finishing up here.”

“Right. I’ll pray for you to have the strength to bear your burden.”

Walking into the church, we find it empty. Presumably, the cultists and the place of their rituals are downstairs, so we head down there, only for the void to consume us as we go down the bloodstained stairs. I’m back into my normal form, and Polina is the only one with me, frozen in place.

The demon annoying flies around us and says, “Take her for yourself. She’s your type. Innocent, sweet, and just like your other crush, Thaddeus, she truly cares for you. She’s also been the victim of abuse, like you were. Oh, that distinct taste of a fiery, broken soul is delicious to taste. Don’t you miss it? I know you do.”

Shut up…I pray on my knees for help and look away from Polina, but the demon forces me to look at her, and makes me imagine her with her clothes off and what happened to her. It reminds me of memories I’ve wanted to forget about ritualistic sex that tied demons to people and corrupted the souls of the innocent, some of which I took part in as both the victim and the abuser. The feeling in my veins, the sensation of which feels like mini-arms reaching to Polina, becomes too hard to resist. My mind feels as if it’s being squeezed in a vice, until it feels as if it pops and I lose control. I take off my clothes and pounce on Polina, who finally starts moving. That’s good. I like it when they resist.

“What’s wrong with you, Tanith?! What are you doing?!” she asks as I try licking and kissing her face.

“I’m letting loose! I’m done keeping the love that I have for everyone in! When I’m done with you, I’m going to have my way with your converts, Thaddeus, Terah, and your other friends as well,” I say with drool coming out of my mouth.

“This isn’t you! You have to fight it!”

“Is it? You don’t know me!”

I feel Polina’s mental connection enter my mind and search through my memories. Something else within it tries to prevent her from doing anything, but she manages to find whatever she’s looking for.

“Your parents raised you to be better and knew you were born for bigger things. Remember that they loved you even when you failed and the horrible things you put them through!”

“Shut up! This is who I chose to be because life was too difficult, and I didn’t want to suffer through it! All I wanted was to live happily and in never-ending pleasure! Here I am falling into old habits. It proves that I haven’t changed one bit!”

“You have changed! I know you’ve been resisting the demon with your face ever since you started fighting back, and that it hasn’t been easy ever since, but you’ve overcome it before. You can do it again!”

“Don’t ignore my main concern! All I want to do is feel good and be happy! The connection between us goes both ways, you know? I know that as mayor of Meridian and a mother, you constantly feel stressed out and desperately want a break to feel good and at peace for once. It’s why you gave in when you were kidnapped and raped. I can make you feel that way all over again, if you just give in.”

“The goal of life isn’t to feel good or be happy, and you know that! It’s given you nothing but misery and the endless desire for more! Take back control of your life. Come on! I know you can do it, Tanith!”

My left arm transforms to have the blue flame coming out of it, its icy touch, bringing me back to my senses and presenting me with two paths. On one road, I see the demon with my face, and on the other, I see my guardian angel. Uncontrollably, I walk towards the roads, both of which are pulling me towards them. The force of their pulling feels as if I’ll be split in two if I don’t choose either one. With what little strength I have, I chose my guardian angel.

“You did it, like I knew you would,” my guardian angel says.

Let’s finish this then. Together with my guardian angel, we use our blue flames to blow up the area around us. With the veil of darkness lifted, I see that Polina and I are in the basement of the church with the repents behind us, unaware of what just happened. The basement of the church is both frozen with ice and burning with blue flames. Around us are the dead and dying naked cultists, who were in the middle of a perverted ritual involving sex and using statues of Jesus, Mary, and the saints as sex objects. The scene fills me with rage that I know not to indulge. It’s already over, and these people are getting what they deserve, so I leave them to both freeze and burn.

“I’m glad you came back to your senses, Tanith. You’re stronger than you think. Hey, you have your clothes back on,” Polina says.

“That’s a perk of my powers, and thank you for helping me come back to my right state of mind. I’m sorry for what I tried to do,” I say.

“I forgive you.”

The repentants are confused by what we’re talking about. Polina and I tell them not to worry about it as we leave the church. With our end of the island done, we head outside of the church and find that it’s snowing outside. The effects of my powers have apparently spread throughout the rest of the island, as parts of it have large ice spears coming out of and the snowflakes cause areas to burn in pillars of blue flames. Regrouping with everyone else, they tell us that the island is secure, and every cultist has been brought to justice, with few repenting as expected, but the task was unexpectedly made easier thanks to me.

“It’s thanks to my guardian angel and Polina. I didn’t do much,” I say.

“It takes real strength and courage to repent under pressure as you did,” Polina says.

Everyone compliments me, and all I can do is look down, blush in embarrassment, and thank them for their kind words. I guess everyone knows I could have overcome my temptations better than I did. Fearing failure is why I fell into sin and the chains of pleasure, so I won’t think about it anymore. Instead, I’ll think about victory, relying on the strength I already have, and always seeking the help of my friends, especially my guardian angel, and that failure is never the end.