Chapter 11 – Demons and Angels

Tracy stormed into her house after cheerleading practice. She was fuming! "How dare he!" She ran up to her room and slammed her door shut. Her parents, seeing the look on her face decided to leave well enough alone for the moment. Tracy desperately needed to talk to someone. She picked up her phone and dialed the number to her best friend. The phone on the other end picked up after one ring.

"Hello?" said the voice on the other end.

"May? It’s Tracy. I need to talk!"

"Uh-oh, let me guess. George dumped you for someone with bigger boobs right?"

"Was it that obvious?" asked Tracy.

"I warned you that he was pretty shallow. When did he do it?" asked May.

"This afternoon, after practice! He did it in front of everyone!" wailed Tracy.

"What was his excuse?"

"He said that I was too young for a commitment! He wanted someone ‘older and wiser’. Then he got into his car with Debbie Dallas. May, she’s only 1 year older than me!" Tracy was really fuming!

"You mean Debbie Deville?" asked an incredulous May. Debbie Dallas was not her real name. She was called that in reference to an old porn movie and the fact that her initials matched her bra size. "Geez, that girl redefines air headedness!"

"The stupid thing was that he didn’t need to dump me in front of everyone like that! I told him at the start that I didn’t mind if he played around a bit. I wanted an open relationship!" cried Tracy.

"Maybe that was the problem then," said May sagely. "Some guys are so insecure. He was probably worried that you’d find someone else first. It’s ok for him to play around, but he obviously has problems with the thought of you playing around too."

"May, I know you’re still feeling woozy, but can you make it to school tomorrow? I really need someone to back me up," asked Tracy in a small voice.

"Of course I’ll be there for you! That’s what best friends are for. Don’t worry about me I’ll be fine. So, how did your show for Michael go this afternoon?" asked May, curious to see how shy Michael would’ve handled 3 nubile cheerleaders in his living room. "I’m sorry I couldn’t be there today."

Suddenly Tracy was livid again. "Linna and Catherine bailed on me! After we talked to Michael, they started blushing like little schoolgirls and chickened out!"

"Really? I could see Linna bailing, but Catherine? That girl has no modesty!"

"Yeah, they said something about how hot Michael looked and they couldn’t do it!" said Tracy through grating teeth.

"Hot? This is Michael Wellington you’re talking about, right?"

"You should’ve seen him, May! He’s changed or something. Maybe the fire burned away his shyness or something."

"So what did you do?"

"Well, I promised him a show, so I went by myself."

"By yourself? Wait, Tracy, don’t tell me you gave him a Tracy special!"

"Well, the routine called for 3 cheerleaders," said Tracy who was grinning now. "And since I had to go by myself, I had to improvise!"

"Tracy Adams! You barely know this guy!" May was shocked. This was moving fast, even for Tracy!

Tracy laughed out lout. ”Oh relax May. Nothing happened."

"What do you mean ‘Nothing happened?’ You just said that you had to improvise!"

"May, I swear, nothing happened. Ok, fine, I admit, I'd planned on bugging his eyes out by showing him my full charms, but he stopped me."

"Stopped you?" May sounded incredulous. "Is he gay or something? No red-blooded boy would ever turn down seeing you naked!"

"I know! At first I thought he didn't like me or something, but then he said he just wanted to talk." said Tracy.

"Ohhh, talk. I see where he's coming from." said May sarcastically. "Why stop at the preview when you can get the whole package!"

"That's what I thought at first, but we really did talk."

"Really?" Now May sounded surprised. "You guys did nothing but talk? He didn't try to pull some wool over your eyes, did he?"

"No, he was really straight forward with me. In fact, when I asked him if he thought I was easy, he said that I was a free spirit. May, no one has ever said that to me!"

"That could’ve just been a line, girlfriend!" retorted May, still disbelieving.

"It wasn’t! I looked into his eyes and I could see his sincerity. And then I felt all weird inside, you know?"

"Weird? What do you mean? Did he give you anything to drink?"

"Not a single drop. But I felt this warm feeling in my chest and my head felt light."

"Aww, that sounds to sweet! My best friend is falling in love!"

"Love? Is that what this is? I've never been in love with a boy before."

"Me neither," said May, with a sad tone in her voice. "So, are you like gonna start dating Michael now?"

"I would like to May, but there’s just one thing. I think he’s in love with you!"

"Me? Whatever for? That jerk Dan had it right, I don’t have much in the way of boobs yet," said May angrily.

"Darling, this boy has it for you bad! Last Friday, all he could think about was getting you safe! Then there was the way he defended you from Dan. I seriously think that he’d walk over hot coals for you!" said Tracy, slightly envious now.

"Then why doesn’t he ask me out? I thought I could see something when we played dodge ball, but every time I catch him looking at me, he just blushes and walks away."

"I think up until last Friday, he was very shy. Well, he’s certainly not shy anymore!"

"So, you think he’ll ask me out?" asked May, her curiosity was clearly piqued now.

"Why don’t we find out? We’ll sit by him during lunch tomorrow. I don’t feel like sitting with the football bozos anyway."

"Umm, Tracy, do you think this is a good idea?"

"Why, you having second thoughts all of a sudden?"

"Well, you know I’m not that comfortable with boys, especially ones that like me." said May hesitantly. "He sounds rather intense, and if I go out with him…well…I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet."

Tracy paused, trying to think of what to say. She’d been best friends with May since childhood. As such, she was the only one who knew May’s secret. May had led a fairly sheltered life. Only her friendship with the outgoing and rambunctious Tracy had managed to keep her from completely withdrawing into a shell. While Tracy had long ago found out that she liked sex, May was still unsure and confused about her own sexuality.

"Look, we can just take it slow at first ok? I think this would be good for you. You need to go beyond first base with a boy before you decide that you’re a lesbian." said Tracy.

Now it was May’s turn to be frustrated. "I know, but all the boys I know are such jerks! Especially from your descriptions on how they are in the sack. Besides, you sound like you're falling for him. I can't do that to you!"

"Oh stop that. I don't think it’s love. After all, me, fall in love? Have you ever heard of a more ridiculous idea?"

"I don't think it's a ridiculous idea at all, Tracy," said May in a soft voice.

"Really?" asked Tracy. "Well, that's nice of you to say, but I honestly think you should go out with him, May. He's kind, sensitive, and a hunk! I honestly can't think of anyone else I'd prefer to date my best friend!"

"Thanks, Tracy, that means a lot to me," said May, deeply touched.

"Anything for you, sweetheart. Anyway, I better get going. Still got some nasty homework to do, and I skipped dinner to call you."

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, love ya!" said Tracy lightly and she hung up the phone. A plan was already to formulating in her head on how she could get her best friend together with Michael. He had made such an impression on her today and she wanted to snatch him up for May before anyone else grabbed him. Michael was quickly becoming one of her favorite people, and seeing two of her favorite people in the world be happy together was the best thing she could imagine. With a smile on her face, she opened her door and headed downstairs for her missed dinner.

Several houses away, May hung up her phone and quietly said, "I love you." Tears welled up in her eyes but she quickly blinked them away. She didn't need to be touching Tracy's hand to know how Tracy was feeling. Euphoria and excitement colored Tracy's voice as she sang Michael's praises. I'm losing her, thought May sadly, but again shook off the feeling. Tracy was in love for the first time in her life, and May was happy for her best friend. They had been fast friends ever since May moved into the neighborhood several years ago. As friends, they made an odd pair. Tracy was outgoing and full of energy, while May was shy and quiet. When May first moved in, she was in a shell. Moving by itself was a traumatic experience for the 8 year old May, but to be suddenly thrust into a whole new world and having to leave behind her safe comfortable old one was almost too much. With much poking and prodding, Tracy had managed to pull May out of her self-imposed inner exile. Tracy was a lover of life and all of its many experiences. One of the first things Tracy taught to May was to always tell the important people in your life that you loved them before you said good-bye, because in today's world, you never knew if that would be the last time you ever said those three words to them. It was no wonder that the shy May would grow to love the fun-loving Tracy as much as Tracy loved to live life!

It was ironic. The very love that she felt for her friend was also one of the contributing factors to her own confused feelings about her sexuality. How could she feel such strong feelings for another girl? It just didn't seem right. The other factor was her sheltered upbringing and the reasons behind it. All the girls at school had attributed her sheltered life to her parents, but in actuality, her parents were pretty liberal for Chinese immigrants. No, her sheltered life was because of something else. Something deeper. Tracy was the only person other than her parents who knew the truth.

May looked down sadly at her hands. Truth. What could be more truthful than a person's emotions? A person could say one thing, but feel something else inside. Unlike words, emotions never lied. May could never bring herself to trust boys because they always played a role. Their mouths said one thing, but their emotions cried LUST. Sometimes, being an empath in today's world really sucked. She had often turned to her parents for help, but all they said was that this was something she had to learn on her own. The first time her mother told her this, May had nodded and pretended to understand. Inside, she was seething at this obscure sounding advice. Her mother, being the telepath that she is, had caught it right away.

"May, we are psions. We have been granted an extraordinary gift. It is our responsibility to use this gift wisely and to deal with the pros and cons of our gift." May's mother had gone on with an extended lecture, but May had only half listened to it.

It was easier to be a telepath, May had always thought. All telepaths had to deal with were a person's active thoughts. They had the ability to tell if a person was lying, but didn't have to deal with overpowering emotions. That thought brought her back to Michael. When she had gripped his arm during the Halloween dance, his emotions were so strong that they had threatened to swamp her. Thanks to her many hours of practice with her gift, she was finally able to project calm emotions into Michael and sooth his angry feelings. Michael obviously had many repressed emotions. As an empath, May knew how dangerous it could be to repress emotions! She sighed. And this was the person her best friend - and the person she loved the most - was in love with. Tracy had gone through several relationships, none of which were serious. Still, serious or not, the eventual break ups had hurt, and when Tracy felt hurt, May felt the hurt right alongside with her. May resolved that no matter what, she would prevent Michael from causing that kind of hurt to Tracy. In order to do that, she would have to get close to Michael and really get to know him. May suddenly laughed out loud. Tracy thought that she was going to set Michael up with her, but in truth, it would be May who would be clearing the path for Tracy!

High above the city of Toronto, unseen by any human eye, Michael soared through the sky like an invisible angel. After Tracy left, Michael had decided to go out for a longer flight. Michael had discovered another difference with his new form. As soon as he changed, his Shiza-haran senses kicked in automatically. The flattened V on his face was not an eye at all. He had yet to figure out what it was for, since he certainly didn’t see with it the way he would normal eyes. All in all, his new head had distinctive avian, feline and lupine qualities. It was almost as if someone had taken the heads of an eagle, tiger and wolf and mashed them together into something that resembled a little bit of each. His new wings, however, were a vast improvement over his old ones. They were much larger in area, and therefore could generate more lift. At the same time, he could change their geometry at will, and sweep them back and forth for faster or slower flight. Flying was now almost entirely effortless.

His senses picked up something odd in the distance. Reaching out, he examined the oddity. It was a sound that resembled popcorn popping in the microwave. Curious, he headed for the sound. As he got closer, he could also sense small flashes of light. A chill ran through his body as he realized that he was sensing gunfire. He started his descent and increased his speed.

Dominic Pedro was not having a good night. He raised his hand over the barricade and fired a few rounds wildly into the night. The Demons had been gunning for his territory for some time now. Tonight, they had decided to launch a surprise pre-emptive attack. The harbour-front area that Dominic’s gang called their turf was prime real estate. There were dark alleys that were ignored as being too dangerous for regular police patrols. Citizens who wished to remain unknown prowled these alleys looking for fixes that would satisfy their cravings. Half dressed hookers paraded around, boldly displaying their wares. Tonight however, the alleys and streets were empty. Nobody wanted to do business when there was a full-scale gang war in progress. Dominic looked around and took stock of his men. Two of them were down, bleeding their lives away into the unforgiving concrete. He checked his pistol and found only 3 bullets left. It would come down to knives and fists soon he thought. He licked his lips in anticipation. While he couldn’t dispute the usefulness of guns, there was nothing more satisfying than ramming your blade into your enemy’s gut and watching as the light of life left their eyes.

Hovering over the area, Michael couldn’t believe his senses. People were trying to kill each other down there! He could sense at least five motionless bodies lying on the ground. He had to do something before more people got hurt! He gathered his power and prepared to snipe at targets invisibly from the air. Hopefully he could stop the fight without anyone seeing him! He pinpointed a figure that was armed with what appeared to be an automatic rifle. Concentrating hard on the gun, and hoping that he wouldn’t miss, Michael pointed his finger and released his power. Nothing happened.

What the hell? I’ve got plenty of energy left. Why can’t I zap that gun?

<<That is easy, young one, if you think it through. You have wrapped a cloak of transparency around yourself. How did you do this?.>>

What do you mean? I did as you instructed and directed light away from me.

<<Exactly. You have in effect, formed a barrier around yourself. A shield, if you will. Similar to the shield you would generate to protect yourself from harm. A shield works both ways, you know.>>

Both ways? You mean I can't zap and be shielded at the same time?

<<Correct.>>

Great, so while I'm busy zapping, I'm vulnerable. Ok, then, these guys about to get a close encounter of the third kind. Hope they don’t freak out too much!

Michael dropped his transparency and re-targeted the automatic rifle. This time, a beam of coherent light connected his finger to the gun. The gun exploded in the hands of its operator who fell screaming and bleeding to the ground.

Oops, I forgot about that! I don’t want to hurt these guys too much. I just want them to stop!

Dominic looked up as lightening flashed and a Demon fell to the ground screaming in pain. He scanned the sky and saw a different kind of demon descending from the air. Dominic felt his throat dry up in fear. The new arrival was silvery in appearance. It had a face like a hellhound and it stood just under six feet. However, the wings on its back made it appear taller. The figure glowed with a faint bluish color. He looked in amazement as a Demon took aim and fired at the silvery figure. There was a zing as the bullet ricocheted away. The figure pointed a finger at the Demon and a beam of light connected with the pistol. The Demon screamed in pain and dropped the half melted pistol. Two more Demons approached the figure. One was swinging a length of chain and the other was wielding a bat. The one with the chain swung it at the figure. The figure raised an arm and the chain wound around it. It then pulled the Demon close and raised its other hand up, with the palm out. The Demon went flying back and lay motionless, even though the new arrival never touched him. Meanwhile the Demon with the bat had circled around and swung his bat at the figure’s back. Suddenly the figure whirled around, and one of its wings came arcing in and sliced the bat in half. The Demon was left holding a useless stick in his hands. The Demon turned and ran into the night screaming about demons come to life.

Dominic looked around. All the Demons had fled from the true demon. He watched in apprehension as the figure approached his position. As it got closer, Dominic could see that it looked more like an angel instead of a demon. The large wings on its back were jointed like the angels in the paintings that Dominic had seen as a child. It was wearing some sort of helmet that made it look like the avatar of a pagan war god. The figure reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. A voice spoke in his head.

"What is your name, young one?"

Dominic barely managed to stutter, "DDDominic... PPPedro"

"There will be no more fighting here, Dominic Pedro. No one else is to be hurt. I charge you with protecting the residents of this area. You will not extort, hurt, or otherwise continue in your criminal activities. You will clean up this place and make it a safe neighborhood once more. I will be looking in on you from time to time. You may not see me, but I will be here!"

Dominic watched in amazement as the figure bent its knees and leapt into the air. In seconds, it was gone. Sirens could be heard, getting closer with each passing second. Dominic fell to his knees and crossed himself. He had been touched by an angel!

Michael winged home as fast as he could. He had won his first fight as a Shiza-haran! Though euphoric over his victory, he was still deeply troubled by some of the things he witnessed tonight. As a resident of the suburbs, he had heard stories and news flashes all his life about gang warfare and the problems it posed. However, hearing about it meant that he was disconnected from it. It was just another story, or problem for someone else. Tonight, he had experienced that violence first hand. He had thought that he was somewhat desensitized to guns. Being a fan of action movies had contributed. Earlier this year, his father had brought him to a firing range where he had tried out several guns for himself. They hadn't seemed that big a deal. They had seemed a big deal tonight though! By the time the fight was over, his senses had confirmed that 2 of the still figures lying on the ground had breathed their last breaths. People had died tonight and he hadn't been able to prevent it.

Then there was the gang leader. Dominic Pedro hadn't looked all that much older than himself; maybe even the same age as his old enemy, Mark Tuscki. How did one come to live a life on the streets at such a young age? How does one learn to fight, and to kill?

<<Usually out of self-preservation, young one.>>

Self-preservation?

<<Yes. I sense your feelings on this, and I can understand them. Killing is not something that should ever be taken lightly.>>

But you've killed before, right?

<<Only to save my life. I have always preferred to try to escape my enemies, and only fight when I had no other option.>>

But the Valeans are your enemies!

<<Yes, they are my enemies, but only in a broader sense. The soldiers that I fight, they are individuals. When you kill someone, you kill not just their physical bodies, but also their present and their future.>>

That sounds deep. What do you mean?

<<Before I continue, do you not think it would be wise to resume your camouflage?>>

Sheepishly, Michael noticed that he had just passed Buttonville airport. He quickly drew his transparency around himself and resumed his discussion. He did not notice the several searchlights that followed in his wake.

Sorry about that. Anyway what do you mean about killing someone's present and their future?

<<When you kill someone's present, you kill everything that means to be him or her today. You take them out of the lives of their friends, their family, and all of their acquaintances. When you kill their future, you kill everything that they could have been, such as a father, a mother, a saint or even a leader.>>

But, they're your enemies. Shouldn't you hate them and try to kill them?

<<Hatred only leads one down a dark path, young one. I only kill if I could no longer avoid it and I take no joy in the action.>>

Even if it meant you could end the war sooner?

<<If I could end the war by killing a single individual, I would, but I would not be happy doing it. If I had to kill someone to save the life of someone I have to protect, I would not hesitate. I have to balance the action with the consequences.>>

Yet you attacked a Valean battlecruiser all on your own.

<<I was not quite in my mind at the time. Remember, I had just felt the death cry of my last brother. I was blinded by the sudden surge of emotions and attacked before I could recover from them.>>

Sounds like repressed emotions.

<<Perhaps. I hate this war and wish it could have been over before all my brothers died. I would have loved to explore this galaxy and other galaxies as well with my brethren.>>

And yet, you continued to fight in it anyway.

<<What choice did we have? We were bred to aid in the war effort. At least we were not front line soldiers. For the most part, the Pracetorians tried to keep us away from the front lines as much as possible.>>

Well, I hope you don't feel like you have to keep fighting in this war. I certainly have no intention of gallivanting across the galaxy to fight in someone else's war.

<<I agree. As far as my former masters are concerned, I am dead. My brethren are dead. I feel no compulsion to continue as I have in the past. My main priority is you now. You have a right to live your life the way you wish. I would never dream of asking to continue the fight.>>

Of course, that doesn't mean that if the Valeans come, I'll just sit on the sidelines.

<<If the Valeans come, you of course have a right, as well as a responsibility to protect your planet.>>

And if I find myself in a position to kill a few Valeans to protect my planet, I promise not to hesitate, but not to take it lightly either.

<<It is, young one, as they say, a deal.>>