Love and Salvation: Chapter 2 – Protecting Potential

Chapter 2 – On the Hunt for the Past

As expected from the agency, they already have a set of tasks for Idelle, Deborah, and me, including the people to target, the general area they can be found in, and the strengths and weaknesses of our foes. They provide us with a brief overview of their plan, their role in it, and what they would like us to do. Currently, we are waiting for the tests the agency has done on me because I’m not healing as fast as I usually do.

“What if we don’t do everything they tell us to? What if the situation changes and we have to change the plans to save our lives?” Deborah asks.

“They have a plan for that and other contingencies. It’s hard to outplay them when they have more resources and manpower than you do. I’ve tried,” Idelle says.

Deborah grunts in frustration. I’m getting a good look at her for the first time and find her stunning, in my eyes. Her hair is mostly black, with some parts dyed a dull gold. Her eyes are black and white. She wears a tattered black and gold dress and tights, and she has long black claws.

Noticing me looking at her, she says, “What?”

“Nothing. Just admiring your beauty,” I say.

Deborah blushes and hides her face with her hand. Idelle intensely stares at her as if trying to get a read on her.

“Wait, do you find her attractive because she’s like me?” Idelle asks.

“Huh? What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“She has that whole bad girl appearance, which I admittedly have. I knew I should’ve changed my appearance and personality more, so you wouldn’t fall for someone like this.”

Comparing Idelle to Deborah, I see how she thinks they’re similar. Idelle has white and black eyes, grey hair, dull gold armor, a crimson bodysuit, and two snakes on her back, one white and the other black. If I didn’t already know her to be caring and selfless, I’d assume she was a dangerous person, like most do.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Deborah asks, as if genuinely offended.

“No, you’re overthinking it. I didn’t fall for her because she has a bad girl appearance. I fell for her because my heart knows she’s the one God wants me to be with.”

“What a silly reason for you to fall head over heels for me. I’m the furthest thing from a gift from God. He hasn’t helped and cared for me in years.”

“I’m here to help you. Doesn’t that count as helping and caring?”

“Have you ever heard of coincidence?”

“I don’t believe in it. Everything is ordained by Divine Providence and for our betterment to make it to Heaven.”

“Really? All the suffering and pain I’ve been going through for over thirty years of my life has been for me to make it to Heaven? How so?”

“It reveals your character, builds strength, and helps you treasure the lighter moments in life.”

“That’s it? It doesn’t sound like much.”

“Truth can be simple and feel disappointing at times.”

“We can agree on that. I worked hard to become a doctor and was disillusioned when I realized I couldn’t keep up with the patients, who kept coming in because of the fights between heroes and villains. So, I decided to volunteer for experiments, thinking I could address the root of the problem. Look where that got me. I can’t touch anyone without hurting them.”

“Were you supposed to be a healing kind of hero?”

“Yes, but the experiments didn’t work, and instead of being a healer, I became walking death. That’s why I want revenge and nothing but it.”

The agent’s doctor comes to us and says that my healing is slowed because of an acidic weapon, one used by the enemy we’re after, and that’s similar to the acid that Deborah has. They remind me to be careful, inject a common formula into me that helps with superhuman regeneration, and tell me that we need to leave soon after I heal to stay on schedule with their plans.

Deborah clenches her fists and says, “See? Everywhere I go, I find disappointment. It’s not even safe for me to be around someone I’m allegedly supposed to be with.”

“They only said it was an acid similar to yours. Your acid didn’t even burn my clothes, much less my skin when you sprayed it on me,” I say.

“Whatever. I don’t know why I bother arguing with you, if you’re always going to contradict me. Let’s just head out when you’re ready. I’ll be outside.”

Idelle waits for Deborah to exit the hideout before saying, “Are you really sure she’s the one God wants you to be with? She’s going to be a lot to deal with.”

“She’s just gone through a lot. It’ll take time, but I’m confident I’ll get through to her.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I trust in God. I don’t need any other reason.”

“Oh, that’s right. I keep forgetting that your reasoning always starts and ends there.”

“It’s a simple, but effective mindset.”

My wounds mostly heal after a few minutes, so I get up and walk out of the hideout that’s underneath a courthouse; however, I don’t see any sign of Deborah anywhere. Asking the agents, they say that she headed off on her own, probably going to get revenge like she wanted.

“It’ll be better for you to let her do her own thing, so she’s out of your hair. She’s more trouble than she’s worth,” one of the agents says.

“No, it won’t be! What direction did she head in?!” I frantically ask.

They point me in the direction, and after checking the destinations of the targets we were given, I speed off to search those locations for Deborah. At each site, we find people torn apart, melted bodies, and acid burns around the rooms and area. I pick up my pace and eventually find Deborah fighting a group of superhumans and regular men with guns. Just as a barrage of attacks and rockets is about to hit her, I take the brunt of it and get sent flying several blocks down the street. Deborah and Idelle come running to me, but our enemy doesn’t let up, forcing Idelle to defend me while Deborah helps me get up.

“Why did you run away?” I ask.

“For this reason. I didn’t want my chance at a normal life to be taken away, so I went ahead of you so you wouldn’t be in as much danger. Why did you have to throw yourself into danger to negate what I tried to avoid?” Deborah asks.

“You aren’t going to get a normal life if you get killed. It’s my responsibility to keep you safe, even if it costs me my life.”

“If you die, you won’t marry me like you said.”

“To love someone is to give your life for them. Maybe that’s what I’m supposed to do, so you can finally get the life you wanted.”

“No. I refuse to let you die, so I can live happily. You’re too good a person to die for someone like me.”

Deborah pushes me back onto the ground and heads back into the fight. My wounds are worse than before, and my clothes have tears in them. Despite those injuries and what Deborah said, I must keep fighting. If whatever our enemies are using can do this to me, they can do worse to Deborah and Idelle. I refuse to let that happen! My body and clothes turn white as the peak of my powers finally kicks in, and I reenter the fight. The attacks that hit me no longer pierce, bruise, leave marks, or burn my skin. My strength more than doubles, allowing me to take down my foes with a single strike. Those destined to die are slain by my hands, while others are simply knocked out.

When this fight is over, Deborah says, “I’ve heard of this super form of yours before, but it doesn’t look like it’s helping your wounds.”

“That’s true, but it prevents me from getting any more. Unfortunately, I don’t have control over when this form activates, so we’d better hurry up,” I say.

“What if you are seriously hurt or die after the form wears off?”

“He should be fine after it, or at least I hope he is, for your sake. He’s risking his life for you, and if you hadn’t run off, he might not have gotten as hurt,” Idelle says.

“I ran away so he wouldn’t die for me!”

“Stop it! Both of you! There’s no time to argue. You two should pick your own targets, while I head off on my own and am still in this form. We’ll get done faster that way.”

Before Idelle or Deborah can argue with me, I speed off and head to the next locations on my list. I start clearing out area after area with such speed that all my targets are dead or downed by the time the doors I go through hit the ground. By the time I regroup with Idelle and Deborah, they have just reached the last location, but aren't fast enough to take out anyone before I do.

“Alright. That’s all of them,” I say to them.

Deborah looks at me with astonishment in her eyes and then says, “Woah…I heard that form made you strong and fast, but I didn’t think it made you this terrifyingly fast.”

“That’s how I took out an entire city’s worth of villains and criminals by myself in a single day…”

My body returns to its normal color, except for my clothes, and the pain I’ve been bearing starts to take its toll. I fall to my knees as I lose consciousness, and Idelle and Deborah rush to my aid.