The angels flying around came to a stop. They looked to Surno and remembered their previous orders. Slowly, each angel flew back into the City of Guardians one by one, waving their goodbyes to the humans. Surno crossed his arms once they had all left. The hole in the sky slowly disappeared.
"I want all of you to return to your homes," Surno ordered. "Each and every one of you must fall asleep. Once you have entered your slumber, you will find the town restored." A buzz of whispers started up in the crowd.
Surno sighed. "There are many questions of who and what we are. There are many answers as well." The crowd quieted. "However, you won't be receiving any knowledge of that matter. By morning you will forget what happened here and who we are. I will hear no complaints - and there shall be no spreading of this information, either." Surno stared down with angry eyes that burned a fiery red.
"Do you understand? If you do, please head home. If you don't, you're welcome to take it up with me." At this moment, Surno clenched his right hand. The blue flame exploded from it and ran up and down the length of his arm, never burning or harming his body.
The crowd assembled before him broke apart. The humans scattered, being careful to stay quiet, and walked towards their homes. Surno forced his flame to disperse; moreover, a sigh escaped his lips.
He watched the laggards as they left. Surno pulled a black stone from his pocket. It was an onyx color and glimmered in the pale moonlight. He crushed it with his hand - the stone exploded into a shower of black remnants that floated lazily in the air. Surno breathed in the air around him, then disappeared.
---
Michael awoke.
His vision was blurry. He felt himself hovering. A cool fluid ran against his body. Michael forced his eyes wide and found himself staring through a translucent, green liquid.
A breathing apparatus attached to his mouth kept him from talking. He flailed around in the green fluid for a bit. A sharp, searing pain shot up across the right side of his body. He looked down at himself and ceased all movement.
I'm surprised that I'm alive, but this... this is amazing, he thought to himself.
The left side of his abdomen was missing. There was an empty space from below his armpit down to his waist. A thin section of the right side of his abdomen still remained; however, the exposed flesh was blackened and jagged at the edges. It connected him to his lower body, which wasn't much. His left leg hung by a strand of loose flesh. The other leg was missing.
Michael emitted a groaning sound. It echoed in his small tank of fluid. Michael smashed his right hand on the glass in anger and fear.
"Careful, young one!" a voice called out. "We don't want you to kill yourself, now do we?" Michael stopped banging the tank.
A figure stepped towards him. His gait was erratic but measured, as if he was both unsure and certain of his actions. He was bald on the top of his head. Wrinkles lay under his eyes and on his scalp. A pair of goggles with blue lens hid his eyes. "I want a test subject who is alive, my dear boy!"
Michael stiffened. The man smirked casually at his reaction. "Ah! Afraid of me, boy? Hahaha!" His voice was shrill and menacing. "Perhaps you'd like to be free, yes? Think about that, though." He pressed the sides of his white lab coat idly.
"If I drain out your tank, you would lose more blood and eventually, die. Also, you can't go anywhere - you are missing a leg and your wings." Michael reached behind him; his hand found purchase on a stump that sprouted out of his back. He felt dry blood.
"Moreover, my dear boy, I feel that we should spend a little time together. I can keep you alive! How does that sound?" Michael shut his eyes and restrained himself. The scientist smiled. "I can probably heal you, too."
Michael's eyes opened up. He looked to him with longing hope. "Would you like to speak, my boy? I do wonder how your voice sounds." The scientist pulled a device from his pocket. He pressed a button, and the green fluid began to drain. Michael flailed about in fear.
"Now, now! Hold still, boy - there we go." He pressed a button again and the fluid stopped draining. Michael's head was out of the water and he removed his mask. He breathed deeply.
"Who are you?" Michael asked calmly. He had to comply with this man - otherwise, he would be dead.
"Me? Ah, yes! I have a name - let's see, I think I wrote it down somewhere." He scratched the top of his head while he wandered around the room. Tables with papers in disarray littered the area. Bright, white lamps illuminated the place. The man came back with a look of satisfaction on his face.
"I am Professor Keagan Salotinni!" he exclaimed. "The Self-proclaimed Great Mind of our Generation! The Self-proclaimed Genius of the Galaxy!" He let loose a maniacal laugh.
Salotinni pressed up against the glass of Michael's tank. "And who are you, angel boy? Does a being such as yourself have a title as well?"
Michael smiled sheepishly. "Uh, my name is just Michael. Those are nice titles, I guess."
"Really?" Salotinni asked. He pressed a button on the controller he still held. An electric charge ran down the inside of the tank, shocking Michael. He let out a scream of anguish. Salotinni released the button and the electricity stopped. "Flattery will get you nowhere, boy," Salotinni said with a hiss.
Michael breathed heavily. "Just what do you plan to do to me?" he cried.
"I have much in store for you, boy. First, of course, I would like to patch you up - I have my faith in you that you will not escape. If you do, I can always just kill her." Salotinni flipped a switch on a nearby wall. A curtain on the opposite side of the room drew back, revealing another tank.
A small girl floated in the green fluid. She was unconscious and had a mask attached to her face. She opened her eyes - they widened in awe once she saw Michael. Salotinni smiled devilishly. "Her name is Maddison and she's been so lonely." He cackled insanely as he sent an electrical shock down her tube. The girl screamed in pain.
"Damnit - what the hell is wrong with you? Why are you torturing another human?" Michael said with a panicked tone.
Salotinni swiveled his attention to him. "A human? You have that all wrong, my boy. She's an angel just like you!" Salotinni stopped the electrical flow to her tank. The girl hunched over once the pain had ended. Salotinni slammed his hand onto Michael's tank and stared menacingly.
"She's too weak and can't handle the experiments I've tried! Honestly - you would expect an angel to be tougher, no? I guess the white-winged ones can't keep themselves together!" Salotinni smiled. "But now that I've captured a black-winged angel, I suppose I can complete my hypotheses. First... we've got to patch you up, right, my boy?" Salotinni walked over to a table on the far side of the room.
"Since you've got me, then let her go," Michael commanded. "Even you said she was useless. At least free her - I'll be happy to cooperate with your experiments once you do so."
Salotinni slammed his fist onto the table and laughed maniacally. "You honestly think I'm a good man? Don't try to be the bloody hero all the time, boy - you'll only end up worse." He shuffled through papers and devices on the table, and finally found what he was looking for.
He lifted the device and flipped a switch on it. A hole opened in the ceiling next to Michael. A cage descended from the opening. A curtain blocked its contents.
Salotinni squealed in joy. "I have my chance to do this! Finally - after all these wasted days, I can finally do this!" The cage took its time to descend.
"Wait - I have one question before you perform an experiment," Michael said.
"And what is that, my boy?"
"How... how can you see me?"
Salotinni burst out into laughter. His fits of hysteria lasted for a few minutes. He wiped his mouth free of drool. "I captured a being on a faraway day in another time. Oh how uncivilized we were back then!" he smiled as he reminisced. "This being then hid in my body to escape its pursuers - oh, and I found out that day what angels truly were as well!"
"What do you mean?"
Salotinni rubbed his forehead. "Those angels called that being a Marker or some sort. Who knows? They didn't kill me just because I was a human! I pretended not to see them, my boy - just to keep them from ever suspecting me." He laughed weakly.
"The days, the months, the years and then centuries flew by in one vicious cycle of monotonous work. Laborers and assistants under me were born and then dead. Being immortal is quite annoying sometimes - am I right?"
Michael stiffened. Salotinni laughed some more.
"I dedicated my life to studying your kind, Michael. I studied the Heart Angels, the Soul Angels, the Markers and your true forms. I know the ins and outs, every trick and every skill, and even how you came to be, my boy. Have I answered your question?"
Michael sighed. "More than I expected, but yes, you have answered it."
"Good!" Salotinni hissed. The cage hit the floor silently. Salotinni pulled down a lever, and the curtain masking it drew back.
A Marker was being held in glowing chains. They emitted a blue color. The Marker saw Michael and suddenly went berserk, trying to rip himself out of his restraints. Salotinni pressed another button on the device in his hand.
"Now, Michael - experience the ultimate form of angels! Witness the power of gods before you!" Michael's tank lit up with a blue light. The cage mimicked the action. The Marker and Michael exchanged glances - for a split second, Michael saw fear.
A blinding pain shot up through the entirety of Michael's body; he passed out within seconds.
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