The difference between good and evil (full novella)

"If we don't get those samples Identified and singled out, and we can't figure out what's stopping the bond then this whole project is ruined."

Kelsie pinched the bridge of her nose tightly after the directors left, trying all she might the headache of dealing with the suits lingers stubbornly. Looking up she spots her assistant Veronica coming from the hallway, the whitewash walls of the DC lab standing in stark contrast against the tight black dress she wears. I smile when I see her remembering her crush on Jared, one of the male nurses, she smiles at me before holding out a clipboard.

My smile quickly drops when she hands it to me, her hazel eyes are slightly dilated and her brown hair is hanging unceremoniously around her shoulders. Working in my lab for four years she knows to keep her hair kept, and the dilation suggests heightened mood, usually used to relate when a fighter is about to strike, but in her case, it means high stress.

"What's wrong?" I ask turning the board to face me, she doesn't say anything but she doesn't need to either, it failed. I turn around and toss the board on the long desk of the meeting room. "What time?" I ask.

"Two hours ago, we just got that report from genetics." Her voice is laden, understandably so, this project is something we've been working on for ten years. So many tests, so many failed results, it's now hitting a peak, and desperation is high in the whole facility.

I turn around and give her a smile, deciding to be happy about the failure. Her incredulous look never fails to amuse me, 4 years and she's still not used to my optimism and proactive attitude. "We'll just try again, no big deal."

My smile betrays my mood and she picks up instantly, 20 years working on this project, she's been with me for 15 of them, she's my only friend left in this lab. Only 19 she's been with me through it all.

"Aunt Kelsie." She says placing her hand on my arm. "You're 29, you've been working on this project since you were 19, I know you want children and a husband, is this project truly worth not having that?

Despite the way her words bite, she isn't wrong. I look in the window at myself, face still showing the youth of my 20's, but the line in my eyes betrays the coming of my age. Once shiny blonde hair is now getting darker, a phase of my bodies maturing no doubt. I take a deep breath and tell her what I've been telling myself since graduating my third college at 16 "If this project works and is successful, then we'll never have to worry about age again, and I will have plenty of time to start a family."

Her lips purse. "Is the if worth it Aunt?"

"It has to be."

She leaves soon after taking the board with her, making my way to my office. I observe the lab that after years of work was named after and given to me. The walls are white giving way to glass throughout a long hallway. Each pane of glass shows multiple labs where scientists work diligently to make my dream a reality, the same dream that just failed for the three hundredth time.

I step into my plain office at the end of the hallway, on the front of the door it reads lead scientist, but right now I'm just not feeling it. Once inside, take a deep breath and shed my lab coat, "Come one old girl, It's been a long day but you'll be fine." shedding the city accent i've grown accustomed to my voice takes on the southern drawl my father used when speaking to me as a child. He would always say that to the cows after a long day of milk gathering, I smile as his words once used to calm cows is now used to get me through potentially the worst day of my life.

My desk sits at the other end of the room facing me, it's current centerpiece the letter from the higher ups telling us that if we don't have results in the next month we'll be shut down. On the corner of my desk is a picture of my sister, Veronica's mother, dead for two years now I'm all the family that girl has left, and with a bunk father she's been feeling my failures almost more than I have.

A sudden knock on the door startles me and pulls me out of my head, my greatest gift and enemy. I open the door and give a fake smile, a US post man stands on the other side.

"I have a package for you, Miss Jones." He says.

"Why didn't it come straight to my mailbox?" I ask, finding it strange that he walked through two miles of government facility to get to me.

He shrugs and says. "Steep pockets wanted it delivered directly, who am I to deny three G's."

I take the note slightly shocked at his response and go back to my desk, sitting down I take a closer look at the front of the envelope, no return address, just my name and the address in very vivid detail. Shocked by the amount of intimacy the writer has with my facility I open the letter with surprising anticipation.

Inside are two things, a typed out note from an unnamed writer, and directions to a place not marked on a map, in the middle of the pacific ocean. I start with the letter first, opening it to find beautiful calligraphy written with impeccable penmanship.

Dear Miss Jones.

We have caught wind of your recent failures, and your recent shut down notice. We here at Thoth labs would like to extend a formal invitation for you to join our annual failing sciences convention. The directions are disclosed in the envelope so you can find your way, we want to help you rehabilitate your studies, and so you know this offer is not a hoax.

Right below is a chemical formula dealing with my exact failure from today, but there are a few slight changes. I look over this formula multiple times before it dawns on me why it works and what I did wrong. My breath seems to leave my lungs all at one, they know, how could they know. I do a once over of the note one more time noting the beauty of the handwriting, why is it written that way? Forget it, who cares, I look at the formula again and make a choice.

"Veronica!"

Veronica's snores filled the small area of the plane we were in, her head nestled in my shoulder the same way it was when she was a small girl. The other men in the plan, a small detail of guards and a few other scientists, made up the rest of our landing party. The island, which I later found out was a seven hour trip from where I was, left a tinge of excitement and mystery in the air.

One of the other scientists, Matthias, sat up straight and asked. "What do you know about this Island Miss Jones?"

Looking over at him the plane insides come into view, a basic plane with very little detail of note, besides the suitcases and large metal cases around, all of which holds years of research. "As I've told you before Matthias, I only know what they sent in the letter." I say.

"You're not nervous or anything? Like how they knew so much about our work and where it's going." He says a slight edge of nerve evident by the way his left hand squirms over his knee.

I give him a reassuring smile and say. "Call it a scientific hunch but I feel good about this."

"Seems like a lot to go through for a 'hunch'." One of the soldiers in our detail pipes in. He doesn't try to hide an arrogant smirk beneath his large amount of facial hair, his words bring doubt to my mind, but only for a second.

"Look, if they meant us harm they could easily have taken our research to the habitat for humanity or some other self righteous goody two shoe organization. Fact of it is that they didn't, no doubt they have the means to, they're probably scientists like us researching the same thing, and maybe with our combined efforts we can make this a reality."

The soldier shuddered at my words before saying. "Eternal life isn't something we should play with, that's God's domain, aren't you afraid of the consequences?"

The impatience in my voice doesn't try to hide itself when I respond. "Only a fool believes in those fairy tales, God isn't real and we never will be, it's just an idea we make up religion, that's all it is. This serum will save the world, imagine the greatest king you could ever think of, if that king had eternal life never again would we have a debate of who to lead us, we would already have the perfect leader."

He remains silent and I take it as my silent victory. How would such a small minded man be able to understand such complex thoughts, foolishness, if God was real than Veronica would have her mother, and no baby would die.

It isn't long after that exchange when we hear the voice of the pilot telling us we're going to land soon. I look outside my window and see a gorgeous tropical like island, a long runway greets us as we touch down, all around us is thick jungle in between the jungle trees however are paved trails leading into a large U shaped facility facing inward on us, the large white washed walls gleam with the afternoon sun, vines seem to be grown in a way around the building to make intricate and beautiful designs.

All at once I'm hit with the scale of the facility and the surrounding forest, the combination of nature and industrial science is woven together in a symphony of harmony that speaks to all my levels of humanity.

"Wow..." Veronica's head is now fully up as she takes in the scene around us, breathtaking and all consuming I agree with her. "Wow indeed."

We all hustle to get our supplies out of the plane, one by one suitcases and metal boxes are taken out of the plan and set on hot pavement. The sun beats down as we get situated, I'm helping one of the guards when Sam, another scientist, taps my shoulder.

I turn around ready to ask what she needs when I see it, coming towards us from the surrounding forest directly in front of us on the runway is a man, next to him is a girl, no older than 18 and behind them are 8 very large men, each of which were masks and have no distinguishable features, odd.

The man himself however takes front and center stage, he is tall maybe 6'4, but not only that he's gorgeous, his black hair stands straight up complementing a shorter face supported by a very strong jaw, for a moment I'm absolutely speechless as he smiles at us and says. "Welcome all of you! we are so happy to have you here, our research has hit quite a snag, and our men in the Americas say that you miss Jones are the best in this field."

His eyes are clear blue, boring into me like the sky. It takes a moment for me to realize he's talking to me, cursing myself for being a fool. I quickly straighten up and hold out my hand. "Of course, I'm happy to have accepted your invitation."

He smiles when I hesitate and don't say a name. "Theo, call me Theo. I'm the lead scientist here at Thoth Island." I look him over one more time, a little too much, and realize his apparel is not that of a traditional scientist, in fact he wears a lazy button up that rolled up to his sleeves, underneath it is a black tank top that outlines the shape of his abs. black pants bring together his outfit nicely.

"Is there anywhere for us to sleep?" Veronica's voice comes from behind me and I curse myself again, what's going on?

"Oh of course where are my manners!" He takes my hand swiftly placing his other hand on top of it, his eyes linger on mine for a moment before he says. "If you would all follow me I have a place for each and every one of you to sleep, and tomorrow we can start the work."

The men in my unit start to grab the boxes and suitcases but Theo holds up his hands and says. "You needn't worry about that, my boys here are more than capable." Then without another word the eight men behind him come forward and pick up our equipment and luggage with apparent ease.

Theo turns around and holds his elbow out for me to take, with a little hesitation and a small reassuring nod from Veronica I take it. "This way!" He calls out cheerfully, and so my small procession of jet lagged scientists and soldiers follow an unknown man, into an unknown place, never in my life have I done something like this, but it somehow feels right, like this is where I belong.

Brie's eyes locked intensely on her target, she had one goal, one mission, kill the buck and bring it back to Blake. Then Ray will reward her, her talons dug into her palms slightly, as they always do when she's about to pounce.

The clearing, a break in the thick foliage four feet from her, had a large creek going through it where a herd of deer drank. Her target was the one closest, the leader, a large buck with a rack of twenty horns that broke off of one.

She was standing upwind of them, but she wasn't concerned, her body had long since become one with the smell of the forest, no doubt a result of the experiments. The beak on her face made a slight clicking sound drawing the deer's attention.

The moment the deer turned to look she jumped high into the air clearing the forty foot trees with ease, with her arms spread wide and a few flaps of the mighty wings that came out on her demand, she descended on the creature from above at mach speeds.

However, before she was even half way down a flash crossed her vision and the creature dropped dead. "Acckk!" She cried as she plunged into the earth where the creature once stood.

"You shouldn't play with your food Brie." Blake's voice comes out muffled as I struggle to pull my head out of the dirt, when I finally do a large crater is in the earth from where my crash landing occurred.

"I wasn't playing Blake, I was just about to get the kill!" I try to make my voice come out strong but it comes out in a squeak, darn this eight year old body!

"You have the sense of smell to encompass an Island larger than most countries and yet you have been out here for five hours. You have been tormenting these poor deer and you know it." His voice comes out slightly amused.

I lift my head and look at him, he stands a little over six feet, his torso shows nothing but flesh, his arms and legs now made of razor sharp swords, all that remains of his humanity is his face, which is still that of a grouchy old scientist, but he's dad to me.

"You know you can't be out here long, an eight year old girl with a beak and hands with talons on the end of each finger is not a pretty sight. Not only that but number 2 is out there, and if he finds you he won't hesitate to kill you."

I scoff at him as I lift the buck over my shoulder as if it was a piece of paper. "Number 2 stinks, I can smell his scent from anywhere, I'm fine so what if I play with my food a little, after all it's my instinct now." My voice tapers off at the end as it has for thirty year every time I mention my transformation, to be able to learn and retain all information, but unable to mature or overcome my innate instincts is unbearable someday's.

His face softens a bit and he smiles, placing his arm on my shoulder, the blade, unable to break through my steel like skin, rests lightly on it. "I know it's a hard young one, but you have to overcome this, as I always tell you, one day Ray will be strong enough to face the forgotten ones by himself, and that day we can get you a cure so you can age once more, but he needs your help to do it."

I nod my head and smile at him, he kisses my head and leads me back to the house. On the way I can't help but admire all the nature around us, for years this island has grown and prospered despite all the animals introduced to the population, of course having me as the main apex predator really helps with population control. "God is good." Blake says ahead of me.

I look forward and see him doing the same as I, admiring the gorgeous scenery of the island. "All the time."

"Never forget that, God will see us through this." His voice sounds as sure as ever, eighty years in his condition and he has never lost his faith, I admire it.

Back at the house a large figure stands in front of the house. Ten feet in six feet in height his long arms hang past his knees, his arms larger around his legs, his legs thin and weaker than the rest of his body he struggles to turn around.

When he turns he gives a wide smile, his serrated teeth look grotesque as always but where they would bring fear to some, they bring comfort to me. his chest, the largest part of him, is wide open, the large hole in his chest shows a beating heart and around it are ribs that offer it little protection, the only reason he can't beat the forgotten is because of that hole.

His voice, as a result of underdeveloped vocal cords, comes out as a slow painful rasp. "Blake beat you again huh Brie?"

Throwing the deer aside I run to him and jump, throwing my arms around his neck, his whole body rumbles as he laughs and gently places one of his large hands on my back holding me close, his hand is large enough to encase my whole back. "It wasn't fair!" I tell him pulling my head back looking at him.

His dark brown eyes look at me with love and adoration, his black hair stands on end and he says. "Blake's a cheater and he knows it."

I let out a giggle and Blake laughs behind me. "Alright enough fun Brie I need your help with dinner."

I softly fall from Ray's arms and go back to Blake, our camp, a single fire in the middle of an opening, is home to us. Because we're always being hunted we have to move from spot to spot on the large island to remain in hiding.

Blake has me tear the deer piece by piece placing it in the fire to cook, he instructs and guides me in seasoning and timing and by the end we have three Delicious venison steaks. A twenty pound one for Ray, sixteen ounces for Blake, and eight for me.

My happy little family eat as I enjoy my cook work, the sounds and smells of the island come to me all at once, there noises and scents lulling me into a piece I only feel in the presence of God. I sense him too, all around me, outside of my world but in it at the same time, because of what we are, all of us can physically feel God, and hear him.

Then another smell hits me, jet fuel. I spring to my feet from sitting at the fire and a squawk comes loudly from my beak, both Blake and Ray jump, when Blake asks me what happens I say. "A jet plane is here!"

Blake is up in a second and his mind is moving faster than light. "Change of plans, Brie were going to work on Ray's armor all night until it's finished, Ray I need you help with the lifting, we have forty eight hours until they're turned or killed, Brie let the Spirit move and smell one more time, tell me if any of them have the mark of Solomon."

I close my eyes and whisper. "Spirit, you are welcome here."

In my body I feel it, the stirring of a being more ancient than time itself, infinite power and love invades all my senses. "Guide me." I whisper, and in a moment I see through eyes of glory.

"There is a plane, and coming off of it is a group of thirty people, eleven of them are not trained in combat of any kind, the other nineteen are all trained and deadly, but their leader-" The woman Kelsie comes into my full view, she is persuaded by the doctors honeyed words and strong demeanor, but there is something else, all around her are the spirits of ancient prophets and wise men of old, the mark of Solomon. "She has it, their leader, a woman in her late twenties, she is counseled by the wisest men and women of old. Her knowledge is great, but because of her loneliness her mind has been blocked by the schemes of the doctor, he has her convinced he's for her, if we don't bring her out soon, she will be fully convinced and instead of an ally she'll be an enemy."

My vision fades and I find myself lying on the ground, Blake is in a flurry of movements carving into wood with his swords multiple theories and schematics. "Ray she is number one priority, if you can save any of the others do it, but this Kelsie is to be above them all, if we save her we might be able to undo all the wrong the doctor has ever committed."

"I will not fail you Blake."

Kelsie's mind went to multiple things the next day after her testing with Theo. His mind was brilliant and he was quick with all the testing, knowing exactly what she needed when she needed it. Her mind had been so caught up with him all day she all but cried out when she ran into Veronica standing right in front of her door.

"What is it hun?" I ask her, keeping my voice level hiding my daydreaming, which is uncharacteristically unusual for me.

Her hands rub up and down her arms, she walks over to the glass wall that shows the gorgeous forest all around us before she speaks. "I don't like it here." Her voice comes out small.

"What do you mean that stupid! Look how far we got in one day! This is my lif-"

"Don't you think I know that!" She screams at me, cutting me off, she takes a breath and tries to control her response, but her voice comes out shaky, uncontrolled.

"The helpers, I don't think their human, also Matthias disappeared, he went out on a walk and hasn't come back, we hear things out there Aunt. We did a lot of work with this island today and many of the plants and animals have been mutated."

I scoff at her. "Please Veronica, that's harsh considering how much this man has done for us, today I made leaps in the research that would have taken another fifty years without him. Look I get your concern but this is a new island, many of the wildlife may not be what we're used to testing." I make my voice soft. "Veronica, give it another day, if you're still overly concerned and still think something up, we'll go."

She takes a little breath and smiles. "Really?"

I hug her and full well knowing the lie I'm telling her I say yes. I make the choice then, I'll send her back tomorrow and stay longer. This project is too big for me to just let go.

Later back in my room I'm taking notes on the reactive components of our compound when a knock sounds at my door. It's eight at night, who could be here? I open the door to find Theo on the other side, he has flowers in one hand and is holding out the other to me.

"I thought we could go out and celebrate today's success." He says.

Barely able to contain my excitement I nod and take his hand. He gives me the flowers and leads me down a hall into a flight of stairs. At the end of the flight is a door that leads into the star filled night.

Before us lies a delicately lit path that winds through the forest, for a moment I'm speechless and he smiles at me. "I've been waiting a long time for a woman like you."

My breath hitches in my chest as he takes me down the path, walking for a while we begin to tickle and play with each other, I throw the flowers he got me in my delight and eventually we both fall and he rolls with me on the ground until I'm on top of him.

Unable to stop myself I go to kiss him, but a loud scream through the night takes my attention. "Veronica!"

Within seconds were both up and running towards the scream, I don't know how to describe what I see, my whole company stands in the middle of a clearing, the soldiers make a large circle around the scientist and Veronica. Off to the side of the clearing large bald creatures with long claws tear into and eat one of my team, a young girl named Chelsea.

Those large creatures are everywhere in fact, they stand well over ten feet with long skinny arms and legs, human bodies are scattered throughout the whole clearing, mostly soldiers, one lies a few feet in front of us.

Theo bursts into action grabbing the assault rifle of the mangled corpse in front of us turning it on the creatures, when the creatures notice us they all look at us and smile, they have serrated teeth and sunken in hollow eyes.

For the first time in my whole life, my mind is empty except for one thought, Veronica. Theo is screaming but I don't hear him, all I can do is run towards my niece as fast as I can, but before I get three feet one of the creatures ram into me throwing me on the ground. The creature comes and goes to dig it's large claws into my stomach, but it gets stopped and thrown off of me.

Suddenly all around us are Theo's guards and helpers, they all stand only a few feet shorter than the creatures and they fight them using their bare hands, throwing and shoving them like they weigh nothing, but they made it too late.

The creatures, evaluating and regrouping quickly, stop playing with my group and kill every single one of them besides Veronica, who they drag kicking and screaming into the dark woods.

Just like that, within four minutes, my whole world is shattered, monsters are real, and so are demons. In shock I do nothing as Theo barks orders towards his creatures telling them to chase after them. When we finally comes to me and asks if I'm ok all I have the strength to say is.

"They randomly attacked my group and took my niece." I choke on the words but refuse to let myself cry.

"It wasn't random." Theo says, it's in that instant that I snap back into focus and look at him. "What!" I try to make my voice come out stern but it comes out like the cry of a small child.

"We need to get into the safety of the building, then I'll tell you the real reason I needed you to come." His voice sounds sincere enough, but I don't know, he holds out his hand to me and as I notice his grime covered face and the multiple gouges on his arms and legs I decide to trust him despite the lie.

When were finally back in the lab I say. "Start from the beginning, what were those things?"

He takes a deep breath, wincing as we sit in his desk chair. "We call them the forgotten, many years ago when my Grandfather discovered and started his work on this island, one of his experiments went wrong. He accidentally turned one of his most trusted partners, Oliver Blake into a hideous creature, but what they all thought was a monstrosity my Grandfather saw as an opportunity.

He kept going with the experiments, creating more and more wicked creatures, he made them by number, Blake was one, his nephew was two, his daughter, my aunt, was three, a general who came to inspect the island was four, but after four he ran into a problem.

He could make the creatures, but they were too individual, they had too much of their humanity, he had to make them mindless, obedient, to him. So he made number five, number five wasn't just one but rather it was one he could mass produce and control, mindless, he would use the bodies of thousands of humans to make his creatures, he would then connect them to a hive mind one he could control with the press of a button.

number one, three, and four escaped him, and ran away. When they did they took his remote with them, and destroyed it." He lifts up his shirt to reveal a large scar spanning from corner to corner of his stomach.

"A clean cut, I was a boy when it happened, but I can still remember seeing my own guts spilling out onto the floor, number two is the only reason I'm alive, my dad's dying wish was that number two protect me at all costs, and he did. because of number two's individuality he was able to out think all the number fives, killing hundreds of them while protecting me.

So when I finally came out of hiding the next day, number two used something to heal my stomach, no doubt one of his mutations, I was met with the dead bodies of everyone I knew and loved, but I was a genius even as a boy, so I had two do all the heavy lifting while I made a new creature, my helpers. they're number six and they are the strongest physically, able to guard for hours, the only thing that can penetrate their skin and bones are long piercing blades, swung or jabbed with enough power. Not even the highest caliber sniper can hurt them.

The serum I need to develop, the one you're working on won't just make someone immortal, but it can also take the immortality of those things."

After his explanation I run all the variables of his story through my mind and come to a conclusion. "I can do it, but first we need something that can fight those things and find my niece, that has to be first priority."

He smiles at me and says. "I was hoping you would say that." He stands up and stumbles, before I can help him a man comes from the shadows and lifts him as if he were a plush. He stands at the same height as Theo, his hair is shoulder width and black, his eyes are pure black and he has a mask covering most of his face.

"Kelsie, meet number two, his name is Charles." Charles simply inclines his head to me before leading me and Theo out of the room. My head spins as we walk as I try to rationalize everything that happened, but after a moment I come to one conclusion, the only way I can look at this is supernaturally, a new kind of science, one where very variable and law I have to define.

After a long time of walking we make it to a single elevator in the heart of the facility, multiple six's stand around it guarding it, they allow Theo and Charles in but stop me. "Let her in." Theo says weakly from Charles's arms.

Once inside the elevator takes us down what seems like hundreds of stories, the whole time my mind is still, peaceful almost, I don't know if it's the shock of losing Veronica, or my determination to save her, but for some reason my mind is nothing.

At the last level the elevator doors open to a huge cavern, at first it's pitch black, but once Charles hits a switch I gasp. In front of us is a huge Goliath creature, easily standing thirty feet It's huge arms and legs look like large semi trucks, I almost take a step back before noticing it's face. Serene and peaceful the Goliath slumbers.

"Meet Goliath-" Called it. "I found him about twenty years ago while working on getting metal for some circuitry, since then I've been studying his brain waves and functions, he's millions of years old, and the way to wake him up has been lost to the ages, but I believe our serum plays a part in reactivating his brain."

I step forward observing the creature closer, his face is very ape-like and so is the rest of his body, except for the fact that his legs are the same size as his arms, he is oddly human. I place my hand on his leg, his fur is rough and his whole body moves as he breathes.

I turn back to Theo and say. "When do we start?"

Brie watched saddened as the forgotten tore apart the men and woman, she almost intervened when Kelsie, the one with the mark, was knocked over, but as before, the doctor uses his slaves to manipulate her and her situation.

I stay in my bird's nest projecting the whole situation to Blake and Ray, a small thermal camera is attached to the tip of my beak, a good use of the beak if you ask me, I think proudly to myself.

Blake's voice comes through my ear. "Who did they take?"

"A young girl, the youngest there in fact." I say back. Why would he want to know about the girl they took? We all know the doctor sometimes takes young girls to be his slaves.

"How did Kelsie react when she was taken?" His voice comes through.

Then it hits me her importance. "She went into instant shock, then she rushed towards her despite the forgotten. Blake, that's someone important to her so if w-."

"If we rescue her then Kelsie will believe us when we rescue her." Ray's whisper comes through barely audible.

"Exactly, Brie you need to be the one to do it." Blake says.

"Wh-what? Why me?" My heart race picks up when he says that, and I'm struck with disbelief, he's never asked me to do something like this before.

His voice comes back sympathetic, fatherly. "Honey. Me and Ray are on the other side of the Island, it would take Ray five hours at his fastest to get to you, it would take me an hour, but you can fly so it takes you less than ten minutes. By the time me or Ray got there to help, the doctor would have already moved her into a more secure position. Listen, do you remember why I told you were stronger than the forgotten?"

My voice comes out shaky but gains more confidence as I continue. "Because of our individuality, in order to take control of us we have to be weaker, but because the doctor didn't know that when he made us, we were too strong for him to control, and as a result I'm stronger than ten of the forgotten."

"Exactly, you have to be quick, you have to get her now before they enter the temporary holding cell, any time after that and they will have it fortified, and guarded by the guardians. Better now with the berserker's, they'll be easier to fight." His voice comes out steady, but I hear an undertone of worry with it.

"Don't worry Blake, I'll have her home before sunset." With that I turn off my com and fly down to a better spot within the trees.

My mutations allow me to see at night as I would the day, so the forgotten are clear to me, they carry the girl in a large wicker cave. Being calm now their usual rage is now replaced with an uneasy calm as they walk in rhythm. Perfectly controlled by the doctor they have one express purpose, to bring the girl into an old dungeon. The castle was torn down many years ago, but the dungeon kept intact for the doctor to take his prisoners.

They have four miles before they hit the dungeon so I take my time and make a plan. There are thirty of them in all, twenty leading the front and ten guarding the rear, a small valley about a mile ahead gives me an idea.

I flay ahead to it and begin my work, cutting the trees at the top where only one little push would knock them down. Then, using a special chemical my gut creates, I slather the trees in it.

Flying up high I take my vantage point, the group stands only a few seconds away from my trap. Perfect timing if I do say so myself. Once in the middle of the valley I wait a few more seconds, then once the twenty in front make it past my setup trees I spring into action.

Swooping down at speeds that make my ears pop I hold out my arm and it goes through my already half cut trees, once they fall separating the ten from the twenty I spit out a different reaction from my stomach and the trees catch ablaze preventing them from jumping over the trees.

Then I touch down and my instincts kick in, when the doctor experimented on me, he not only changed my physical make up, he changed my brain too, and as a result, nothing. My mind goes a complete blank, I don't even see as I tear through the forgotten as if they're nothing. When I wake up the battle is over, thirty bodies lay around me in mangled heaps.

Huh, I guess sometime after I killed the ten the other twenty broke through, I look over at the trees, the fire is out now and all that remains is charred ashes. Walking over to the wicker cage the young girl inside looks at me terrified.

"Y- you killed them." She barely manages to get out.

"Ooohh you seen it! Tell me how did I beat them all?" My voice comes out just a childish as that statement sounds.

"Y-y-you killed the ten first, once they were dead you spit something at the fire to make it smaller, when it was you waited for those creatures to attack you and you killed them one by one." Her voice comes out shaky, but it's undertone is that of scientific curiosity, that curiosity is no doubt the reason she answered.

"I divided them huh? That's awesome! Really wish I could be awake during the royal beat down. Anyway, my name is Brie and I'm here to save you." I say excitedly.

"You're not going to kill me?" She asks hesitantly.

I hold out my hand and tilt my head. "Come on, if I wanted to kill you would we even be talking right now."

"I suppose not." She says taking my hands, she flinches when she realizes my hands are talons, but after a few reassuring words were on our way home.

After a moment of walking she asks. "What are you?"

I hold a hand over my mouth and whisper. "No doubt they know you're gone now, we can't have a normal talk until we get home. They can hear halfway across the island."

She nods and takes me hand, the gesture fills me with warmth, because for the first time in my life someone is relying on me instead of me relying on them, I decide I like the girl, and will do anything to protect her. She believes in God, I can sense it, the Spirit is all around her, I wonder what pain brought her to God, and why Kelsie doesn't believe, but that can wait the Spirit tell me, right now the best thing for me is to be loving to this girl, because she needs it.

"One thing you can tell me." I whisper. "Is your name."

"Veronica." She replies.

"Were gonna be good friends Veronica."

Kelsie's hands shook as she worked, not good for work but her nerves were too shot to do any better. Seventeen hours, that's how long I've been up, no sleep, the only thing going through my mind is Veronica, is she ok?

Theo sleeps peacefully several feet away from me, I look at him and even though I should be angry I smile, he's a good man, he was just afraid to tell me the truth. I suppose if I was in his position I would be afraid too.

The lab was a mix of blinking lights and chemical smells, hundreds of combinations but still something is missing. Something is wrong, Goliath is the only chance my niece can be saved, and if that means I have to work for three days straight, then so be it.

As I try another combination number two walks in, he wakes up Theo and tells him something in his ear. Within a second he is up, he walks up to me and says "I need to go take care of something with the grunts, I'll be back soon.

I don't pay him much mind, or even really respond with a short grunt. Once he's gone several more samples come through and I sit down. Goliath is in front of me, large and imposing; he sleeps, his chest rises and falls, watching him however a thought occurs to me.

Climbing up to Goliath I place my ear on his chest, there it is! In his breath is a small hitch, the kind of hitch comes from lack of air into the longs, he's breathing but barely.

I climb up higher and look at his nose, over the years It's filled with sediment and rock, same with his mouth. Taking a small chisel out of my lab coat pocket I break at the hardened rock and open his airways, once his breathing normalizes the computer at the far end of the room goes off.

An old combination of chemicals for waking him up now works based on his new vitals. I run over to the computer and look at the compound, it has a 100% chance to work, yes! My niece will be saved.

"So you figured it out..." I whip around and see Theo, he seems awestruck by the screen.

"All these years I never thought it possible, how did you do it?" He asks.

"His nose was blocked by rocks, he was slowly asphyxiating, so his body put him in a coma to reserve air." I say.

He nods slowly. "Brilliant, why didn't I think to check his physical state."

"You thought him invincible, under that assumption it would make sense to not check his physical state, but he's still a creature that needs to be taken care of." I say.

He walks up to Goliath looking at him thoughtfully. "Guess it required a woman's touch, a motherly one."

For a second I let my heart hear his words, but then I break it and focus on Veronica. "How soon can we wake him?" I ask knowing Theo has thought this through for a long time.

He looks back at the results and says. "The formula to wake him up requires a large amount of electrons, in other words a metric ton of electricity, if we set up a skyscraper size grounding pole and lead it directly to Goliath we can apply and combine that with the chemical formula and wake him. In other words," He looks to two and says. "We need to build a metal tower long enough to touch the clouds then cause a thunderstorm."

He leaves diligently following orders and I ask. "How soon can we do this."

Theo comes over to me and gently takes hold of my shoulders. "Go and rest Kelsie, we'll do it tomorrow night, it will take all day of burning fires to make the kind of clouds we need, we will get your niece back I swear to you."

His tone is gentle and his grip soft, so I do as he suggests and go to bed, but for some reason I am unable to sleep, something is calling me, something is wrong, I can feel it, and I'm gonna find out.

Veronica is very pretty. I think this to myself while watching her and Blake work around Ray, surprisingly she fit right in with us. Most adults ran from me, but she seemed ready to see me.

Her hair is pretty and brown, glossy in the light of the forest and her mind is brilliant, she is able to keep up with Blake's quick talk and she seems to always know what he needs. She's a better helper than me.

She stops and comes over to the log I'm sitting on and sits next to me. After a moment I ask her why she stopped helping.

"Blake has his math set and the tools he needs laid out in front of him, he won't need me for another ten minutes." She speaks without a doubt of this and I tilt my head at her.

"How do you know that?" I ask.

She laughs at first then stops. "It's because of my Aunt, I've been her lab assistant long before she had me on her team, helping scientists is really all I know how to do, and Blake is no different, he's not as smart as my Aunt so that makes it somewhat easier but he is still a great mind." I think to myself for a moment and decide, no Blake is the best scientist, but I can't tell her that because if I do she would lose faith in her Aunt.

"How long have you been with Blake?" She asks.

I Think back for a moment and realize I don't actually remember. "More than fifty years I know that for sure."

Her eyebrows shoot up and she says. "Really, so this." She points to my beak and wings. "Prevents you from aging."

"Yep, I'm immortal, yay I guess." Truth is, it's not good. I want to age, to grow up and to die and see Jesus, I can feel him every day and sense him but I can't go to him, it makes me sad.

But I don't tell her that, instead I ask. "Why didn't you run from me in the woods, most adults do."

"I had a vision about you specifically before I came here with my Aunt, at the time I didn't know what it meant, but after some prayer when I saw you I just wasn't afraid, I knew to expect you."

"You do believe then, I knew I could see the Spirit on you." I nod my head in affirmation of myself.

"What do you mean by see the Spirit?" Her curiosity obviously peaked, her eyes narrowed in on me waiting for my answer, she seems hungry for it almost.

"God, I can see him, physically that is. I can see his forms and shapes all around us, I can see his brain shoot electricity, I can see his thoughts form, and I can see his love move for us, but most importantly I can physically see his Spirit on others, it's a white like fog that has fire in it, and it's all around you."

Her eyes tear up as I speak to her and I hug her. "What's wrong Veronica?"

"Lately I've been doubting God more and more in my life and his role, and what you just said confirmed that God is with me." She takes a moment to recompose herself before asking. "Do the others see it as well?"

I shake my head and say. "No, Blake says I can see it because I'm still a child, that because my heart is innocent God shows up clearly to me."

"That's amazing Brie, you are all amazing, and I don't think you are monsters. God has a plan for you just as much as he has a plan for me."

She says that while looking at the armor Ray is fitting on himself, tomorrow is the day, the day when we free Kelsie and tear down that whole lab killing all the evil creatures in it.

She looks back at Blake and stands up. "He needs me now, thank you for talking with me Brie, you're a great little girl, and after all of this, my Aunt will make a cure for you."

At that I begin to tear up, but, true to her word, the second she is behind Blake he calls her.

With exhaustion weighing heavily on her, Kelsie walked towards the lab where Theo was, she knew he was in there by the loud sounds of his talking through the halls.

But she was determined, something didn't rub her right, he had the right formula to wake Goliath up, but then got stopped by a plugged nose! I don't trust it, all this time he has been too nice to me, he has been too courteous, and now my scientific mind is outweighing my emotions.

The hallway is dark, ominously so, in fact even putting my hand in front of my eyes I can't see anything, but I can see a small light emanating from Theo's personal lab, one I've never been in.

Peaking my head around the corner that leads into the room, I notice it's of decent size, but it's pretty empty except for one thing. A large circular machine in the middle of the room that projects the image of a man dressed in all black. His face is gorgeous, like that of an elf you see in movies like the hobbit, but his eyes are completely black.

He wears a black suit and a nice hat, his smile ever evil but penetrating the room with beauty, in short, he's the most gorgeously terrifying thing I've ever seen, and Theo calls him master.

"I did not give you immortality for you to just waste it on falling for a mortal Cornelius." His voice comes out smooth and controlled, but it's undertones are chaotic and unrestrained.

Theo bows to him swiftly and says. "I know master, but she's brilliant and stunning, can't we turn her immortal like me and she can be my queen, surely you have some mercy dark one."

The dark one waves his hand and Theo flies across the room. He's a holographic image! How can he do that!? Theo rises back up and while trembling bows back before his master.

"You know why we needed her, and why we can't keep her." He says.

Theo's voice comes out shaky and afraid, very unlike him. "She was the only one who could awake Goliath, because she bears the mark of Thoth, but if Thoth ever comes and makes himself one with her she will turn to God and destroy us."

"Destroy you. Insolent fool, even with your immortality your still just as dumb as you were when we met." Theo whimpers. "We have what we need, she will bear her mark in front of Goliath, and when he wakes up he will destroy and slaughter all of mankind while my armies hold back the Drakes of God."

Theo nods his head and says. "Yes I will kill her."

I back up to run but bump into a body. Jumping I whip around to see number 2, his mask is off now and reveals that he has no jaw, just jagged teeth that hang down from his skull.

I scream and run down the hallway, the hall lights up and Theo's voice comes clear. "Get her!"

I run as fast as I can but it's of no use, number 2 is on me in less than a second wrapping himself around me his arms morph to create a cage around me. I scream and kick and try to escape as his arms close in around me trying to crush me, but just then there is the sound of a loud crash and 2's arms get severed.

I fall to the ground panting and choking, when I look up the lights are on, and in front of me is a man whose arms and legs are knives, and his chest and head are the only human things about him.

Next to him however, is Veronica.

"Take this you evil forgotten!" I scream as Ray tears into two more of them. I ride on his back as we break into the scientists facility, tearing and screaming and breaking, it's amazing.

The moment Ray's armor was done it was nightfall, with Veronica's help we attached all the pieces and now I ride on top of him as he crushes everything before us.

Without fear of his heart being punctured he uses every part he has to take them down, even though they're taller and some are faster, Ray out strengths them in a way that is irreversibly outmatched.

I ride on his back and spit explosive gobs at them whenever they form a formidable group, this makes so Ray won't get overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Blake and Veronica are next to use as we tear through the outer layers guards. Blake uses the thick foliage to leap from tree to tree slicing through the creatures at mach speed while Veronica uses a gun Blake helped her design to shoot large holes through them.

Once passed the outer layer the large facility looms before us, many years of experimentation and torture are in that place, but I swallow down that fear and think of all the people we'll save by breaking in.

In front of us are over a hundred guards, the guardians, unlike the berserkers we've been fighting, are large and brutish, they are only half as strong as Ray is but they can easily overrun him with numbers.

This is when phase two of our plan activates, launching myself off Ray's back I shoot into the air, once I'm high enough to hit terminal velocity I let myself plummet to the ground.

On the way down my stomach produces globs of what Blake called napalm and I shoot it all over the guardians, once covered I rub my beak together to create sparks and land hard into the goo.

A large explosion wracks my whole world as I go flying through the air. I catch myself though and start flying, once I do however, I notice the flames licking my whole body, instead of panicking I appreciate their warmth and let them go for a minute before molting my skin and feathers where the flames fall threateningly towards the ground.

Still in the air I take in the scene, after the explosion only ten guardians remain, Blake and Ray are able to take them with relative ease, but something else in the dark catches my attention, in a window of the lab I see Kelsie, behind her stands number 2.

She doesn't notice him because she is looking into a room with light, but the whole hallway is filled with berserkers ready to tear her apart, I mentally share the image with Blake and he says.

"I'll take Veronica and get her, help Ray and blow up the lab."

With orders in mind I plummet to the ground and help Ray, unable to see in the dark I remount him and give him orders, where certain guardians are and where he should strike. His large body follows my orders and the last of them are killed.

all around us are over a hundred corpses, some berserkers tried to join the fight but they were destroyed by the blast, now all that is in front of us is the lab.

I jump off of Ray's back and go in, ready for whatever faces me, but what I do face shocks me. The lab where I was made and molded is now home to thousands of new creatures, unlike guardians and berserkers, their clearly human, shockingly human in fact.

Thousands of large tubes hold these humans suspended in liquid. "So he perfected his recipe." Ray whispers behind me.

His recipe was to make perfect looking humans who had all of our abilities combined, the perfect super soldier able to infiltrate governments and kill millions within an hour.

Knowing I have to work fast I start making my spit into something Blake called explosion charges and place them all around the lab, Ray stands by the entrance and blocks the forgotten from getting in.

about thirty minutes in only twenty tubes lie outside of my explosion range, but in front of me comes a very very large monster. five times larger than Ray and it looks at me menacingly.

It's skin is pure scales while it's teeth are sharp and open wide ready to devour me, I run back to Ray and yell. "We have to go!!"

He asks me why then turns around and freezes in his tracks. "Goliath."

Charles and the strange creature fought as Veronica grabbed me and started pulling me towards the exit.

"What's going on!" I yell at her.

"There is no time to explain Aunt we need to get you out of here!" Just then I notice the bodies of those creatures that took Veronica to begin with scattered all around us.

We don't make it four steps down the hallway when several of those creatures block our path. Holding up a large gun attached to her hip Veronica shoots cutting large holes into every single one of them, they fall to the ground dead.

I keep my shock held in and keep following her, but when we get to an intersection I remember the way to Goliath, grabbing her arm I yell. "We can't leave without destroying Goliath!"

The sounds of battle now fully fill the hall, loud crashes and the sounds of swords hitting each other make it hard to hear anything. She stops for a moment confused, but then nods and allows me to take her.

Down the hall are multiple guards, but each one of them go down a single blast of Veronica's gun, once at the elevator I notice a long streak of blood coming from the other side of the hall.

"Theo's been here already, we need to hurry. There might still be time." I say as I push Veronica into the elevator. Once inside I type the code and hit the button that allows us to go into the lab where Goliath is held.

On the way down I ask Veronica where she has been and take a moment to hug her, relief fills me when I feel her in my arms, and the tiredness from the last few days wear's off in an instant.

When she pulls away she wears a large smile and says. "A young girl with extraordinary abilities saved me, you would love to meet her."

"I'm sure I would." I hug her again as the elevator finally stops and opens.

I walk in expecting to find Theo trying to wake him, but instead he's already gone. The wires that were attached to him, and the rock that held him in place are completely gone, destroyed and a large whole in the right wall tells me he tore his way to above land.

All that is there is a bloodstained Theo laying next to a computer, he stands fully healthy and able, there is a bloodstain on his stomach but the skin is smooth, unblemished.

Veronica lifts her gun to shoot him but with a wave of his hand she flies into the wall. I scream her name and try to run to her but before I even make it a step I'm being lifted into the air by my throat.

"Shame I couldn't have you as a wife, but we can't have Thoth finding you here and giving you his power." His voice comes out malicious, unlike the Theo I've known over the past few days.

"So eager for love you missed every warning sign concerning me, you're an idiot for following such emotions." His eyes are now completely black like his masters and he wears a wicked smile.

"Shame you don't believe in God, or else maybe Thoth would be able to find you." He laughs as he lifts me further.

As I lose consciousness I decide to do something I've never done, cry out to God. I whisper God and all at once his grip breaks and I fall to the ground.

When I hit the ground and look up I see a tall African man in front of me. He wears a long purple silk robe and stands in between me and Theo.

"Wh- how did you get here so quick!" Theo's voice comes out ragged and hoarse with shock.

"I was always here." A bolt of electricity comes out of him and hits Theo square in the chest sending him flying back, the moment that happens however he disappears.

Not wanting to think about the implications of what just happened, I run over to Veronica, there is a large gash on her head but her heart still beats.

Placing her arm over my shoulder I lift her up just to drop her. She's completely unconscious, just then a claw taps my shoulder. I whip my head back to see a small bird human. "Let me take her." She says.

So she does, she lifts her with ease and begins to fly her back into the elevator. I follow shocked and tired, but now something is with me, a presence, unlike any I've ever felt before.

Ray turns around and faces Goliath head on, unafraid he takes large leaps and swings at the monster. He gives me instructions to blow up the charges but I can't while he's in here, his normal skin would be able to handle the blast, but our armor can't, and if the explosion reaches the hole in his chest he'll die.

So I have to find a way to lure Goliath out, slowly a plan forms in my head and I begin to move. Waiting for Ray to come off of his head I fly up and scratch at Goliath's eyes and nose, trying to provoke him.

Ray tries to yell at me but his shredded vocal cords prevent him so I don't hear him, pushing even harder I shred one of his eyes, making him partially blind, he swings at me but his increased size makes him slower than me, so I'm easily able to fly back.

Flying back he shouts out in rage and begins to chase me. Ray jumps out of the way understanding my plan and I fly out of the lab through a small door that leads outside.

Once outside he comes barreling after me destroying the whole wall. He lets out a gigantic roar that shakes the ground, the berserkers and guardians panic and attack Goliath, but Goliath merely swats them away and keeps his focus on me.

Ray however takes a large leap from behind him and slams his arms hard into the back of his head, it doesn't make a dent but it distracts him enough to allow me to break away and let the charges explode. Once they have I link my mind with Blake's.

He's in an intense fight with 2, but he manages to get out one sentence. "Save Kelsie."

Immediately I open my mind and allow myself to see the Spirit, I follow Veronica's which leads me into an elevator inside the lab, going down I find Kelsie trying to pick up Veronica, off to the right the doctor lays on the ground seemingly dead.

I hesitate to help however, in front of Kelsie stands Thoth, and ancient drake Blake always told me about, the first prophet, the most powerful prophet.

He smiles at me and nods, then turns his body letting me get to Kelsie. I tap her shoulder and speak to her for a second, her hair is blond but streaked with dirt making it more brown, her eyes are bloodshot with bags under them and she's absolutely frantic, but she let's me take Veronica and follows me.

Thoth follows us as well, always standing by Kelsie, seeing into the heavenly realm the normal shroud of demons and darkness that is always present, is now replaced with a bright light, one that comes from Thoth, God's chosen warrior.

With him, we finally have a chance of victory. One that was never there before. I let my vision return to normal and look to Kelsie, she looks at me with intrigue as Veronica hangs limply over my shoulder, only one arm is used to hold her.

"How did you get so strong?" She asks.

"The doctor did this to me, the man who was in there." I say in response, but with that, she goes absolutely silent, her face seems regretful.

Once outside I see Ray still fighting Goliath, but after a moment Goliath's head goes up and he sniffs the air, then a loud ringing sound coming from where we left the lab emanates through the air.

Goliath, receiving orders from his master, goes back through the whole he came from. Ray comes over and takes Veronica from me, his armor is completely shattered and ruined, his heart is on full display for everyone.

Kelsie gasps when she sees him and goes still, but I nudge her forward. "Go with him, he's a friend." Hesitantly she does, and Ray takes them back towards our home following the plan, but I decide to look for Blake.

All around us dawn begins to break, the whole facility is in a heap of ash. The large man, Ray, carries Veronica as we go into the woods. I don't trust him, but the girl did, so I allowed him to carry her as we walked.

Hundreds of guards and those other creatures lay around us dead, some crushed, others torn apart, others mangled past the point of recognition. The sky holds an orange tint from the fires still burning.

Once in the forest I talk to Ray. "Who are you?"

He laughs mirthlessly and says. "I was once a successful general in the marine core." His voice is a hoarse and raspy whisper, listening I hear it clearly, several vocal cords ripped, a simple surgery could fix it.

"How long did you serve?" I ask.

"Ten years, I was a general, before then I was infantry." He says.

"So what happened to you here." A question that has been burning me since I see the girl comes out unprovoked.

"It was my fourth tour across the specific, we were on a boat headed towards the middle east to fight in Vietnam, the conflict had just started, but we stopped when we spotted this island.

Thinking we discovered new land for America, because it didn't show up on any map, we stopped and came here. My whole battalion was attacked from land and sea, our bullets did nothing to them, my company was over ten thousand men, and each one of them except for me and a handful of others were killed."

"That's horrible!" I say.

"There were only twenty of them. Each one took down a whole ship, only our anti air guns could hurt them, but by the time we found that out it was too late, and we were only a hundred strong myself included.

So they decided to capture us, and torture us, four long months of that and he finally transformed us. Everyone dies except me, I became this thing, soon after the girl and Blake rescued me."

"Who's Blake?" I ask.

"The one who rescued you with Veronica. He saved all of us."

"Who is he?" I ask, my scientific curiosity overriding everything else.

"He was the first one, the doctor created him by accident. They were originally partners, but when the doctor did something Blake didn't like they got into a fight. The doctor wanted to create super humans they could control, Blake wanted to heal diseases.

The fight escalated and Blake got injected with a very experimental, very dangerous serum. It burned off his arms and legs but his mind was made smarter and faster, the doctor gave him the arms and legs you see him with now, but Blake was smart. He made it seem like the doctor was in control and because of that the doctor kept working on him making him stronger and faster.

By the time the doctor realized it was Blake and not a mindless monster it was too late, Blake had stolen the girl from him and hid deep in the forest." His story is filled with ups and downs and by the end of it I can tell that he has much respect for Blake and the hardships he went through.

I go to answer when the bird girl lands in front of Ray, her eyes are filled with tears and in her talons is Blake's limp body. Ray sets Veronica down and wraps his arms around the girl, all you can hear when he does this is her small whispers.

"He's dead, he's dead, my daddy's dead."

He's hurt, he's hurt. The only thought going through my mind since I gave Veronica too Ray. I can feel it, I can see it, as clear as I can see the Spirit of God I know he's hurt.

Flying as fast as I can I crash into the burning facility breaking the ceiling. Dust surrounds me, but when it falls I see clearly, Blake has fallen, he lays on the ground and number 2 looms over him.

"Get away from him!" I cry, he barely has time to look over before I have crashed into him at full force.

He tries to stop me, he tries to move, but I'm tearing into him, he tries to fight back, he's fast, he's strong, but my rage is too much. Tears cloud my vision as his flesh tears beneath me, he hurt Blake, the only one to become my dad ever since my transformation, the only one that didn't look at me like a monster.

The Spirit moves and pulses around me in power and strength, it goes from white to red as my fury builds, I hear angels' armies cry out inside of me as number 2 is destroyed beneath my claws.

Then it's over, he's in pieces before me, absolutely destroyed. All that matters in Blake, I look over to see him looking at me faintly. His chest is slashed wide open where a green liquid mixed with blood flows out in an ooze.

I rush to him and hold his head. "Blake." I say.

He holds a metal claw to my cheek and says. "I need to tell you the truth about who you are." He croaks.

Tears rush my eyes and I say. "No Blake, I can fly you out of here, Kelsie can heal you. I can save you daddy."

He laughs and blood comes trickling down his mouth. "I remember the first time you called me that, it shocked me, because I thought you had all but forgotten who you were before being transformed, but I was wrong."

At that I go silent. He continues. "When you were first transformed I told you stories about Drakes, about a world above our unseen by us where the warriors of God are in a constant battle against the Spiritual forces of evil."

I nod. "I remember, you said if one of those warriors ever came here I would be able to see him clearly, because I'm a child."

"I lied to you. Truth is, you could see the Spirit long before you were transformed, this transformation only gave you new gifts to the ones you already had.

Your mother was a Drake Brie, and my wife. Only prophet Drakes can be seen by humans if they choose, she chose me, and we had you." He coughs and lets the news sink in.

My head is rushed with questions. "Who is she, is she alive, your actually my dad, why did you li-"

He holds up his arm to stop me. "What you are love, was once called a Nephilim, at one time in history there were many like you, but now you're the only one. Whether or not your mother is alive I don't know, but after your transformation you forgot who you were, I decided to wait until you got cured to tell you, but as you can see." He coughs again and his whole body contracts releasing a new flow of blood from his stomach.

"Her name is Sila, listen to me closely, you need to leave this place and find the Drakes, tell them about what has happened here, and God willing they'll make it before Goliath is awoken. I'm so proud of you daughter, you are half angel and half human, you are stronger than all of us."

I try to tell him Goliath is awake, but he speaks again in a wheeze choking out three words. "I love you." Then his body goes limp, and his Spirit leaves his body.

In that moment absolute peace overcame me, I know what I have to do, I know how I have to do it. I need to kill Goliath, on the whole way back to where Ray is I remember little. I hardly remember picking him up, I hardly remember spitting on the forest setting it ablaze, and I hardly remember telling them of his death.

All I do is done as an outsider of my own body, It's like my Spirit has been separated in order to protect me from my pain, but when I do come back, I'm in Veronica's arms, and she's singing to me, and I'm weeping.

"Ahhhhhh!!" My screams ring through the forest as the bat Ray gave me hits the tree I'm swinging at. I swing again and again screaming my head off in frustration, all the work, all the dreams, shattered in one day and now a little girl doesn't have a father because of my stupidity.

I go more, hitting the tree harder and harder until the metal bat dents and becomes useless. Throwing it to the side I fall to the ground and find myself speaking. "Why God, how are you here, how are you real, and now that I know your real why don't you help."

"How do you know he hasn't?" A deep heavily accented voice sounds behind me. Turning around I see the same dark man who struck Theo with electricity in the chest.

I try to be surprised but it doesn't work, instead tears come to my eyes. In a moment he wraps his arms around me as I cry. "It's ok child." He whispers in my ear. "I've always been here, you only needed to call out to God."

Pulling back I ask the question that has been burning me since everything happened. "How is he real? All the research I ever did about him never led me to him."

He stands up and holds out his hand, pulling me up he motions with his hand around me. "All of this nature here can be explained away by science, but what can't be explained is your ability to describe it as such, your problem Kelsie isn't that you aren't smart enough.

the opposite actually, your as smart as Solomon was, but you have been looking through the wrong lens. You left out variables, you found the evidence that best suited you and forgot the rest, not because it was intellectually, but because you hated God for making you smart, you hated him for not being able to be a kid, for intimidating every guy you ever met, but now that knowledge is going to save this planet and everyone on it."

I look inside myself and realize what he says is true. How many nights did I spend researching God? I spent 80 hours looking into his existence and made my conclusion, anything else I would have spent at least two weeks time to find an answer. "How can I do that?" I ask him.

He turns to me, in his eyes holds generations worth of wisdom, his head is bald and his clothes remind me of what an Egyptian Pharaohs' clothes are supposed to look like. "Tartarus has the ability to destroy this earth in three punches, the only thing stopping him is his human master, but his injuries will kill him soon, when that happens Tartarus will destroy the earth without hesitation. Only you can give Ray and Brie the abilities to defeat them. You need to finish their evolution process in order for them to win." He says.

My mind whirls as I think of his words, Tartarus, a Greek god. Evolving Ray and Brie, then it hits me that if I hadn't suffered growing up as I did then I wouldn't know how to fix them, but because of all the time I spent studying my mind already starts formulating ideas and theories.

I immediately start walking back to our little cave in a mountain, but then I stop and ask. "Who are you?" But when I turn around, no ones there, it's only an empty clearing, and a beat up bat.

"I won't do it Kelsie, Blake is dead, there is no point for us to fight anymore, I'm taking Brie and we're leaving!" Ray's whisper now turned into a frantic loud rasp echoes through the whole forest.

Kelsie's face gets red as she begins to yell back why he should fight, but I've already made my choice, I think to myself as they argue, my father lays dead wrapped in a blanket and here they are bickering.

I get up and walk away, they are so heated they don't even notice. I walk over the blanket that holds my fathers body and lift him up. Placing him delicately between my thin shoulders I grab a shovel and go a ways out of the camp.

After walking for a while I make it to a beach on the far top of the island, the sun is setting and it's gorgeous. When Blake first stole me out of that lab, this was the first place he brought me, the first time I ever lay my head on him and told him I loved him, the first time he became a father to me.

"It's hard to lose a loved one and no one else understands the pain." A voice says next to me.

I don't need to ask who it is, I already know. "That's why you believe and your Aunt doesn't." I say.

Veronica sighs and laughs, it's a choked laugh and in that moment I know she feels my pain more than any of them.

"My Mother and Aunt never really had parents, their father died when my mother was eight, she was older, and their mother died giving birth to Aunt Kelsie. Neither of them believed, they hated God for taking them, so when I was born that was passed to me."

She laughs at the memory, I look over and see her eyes are filled with tears. "It was so stupid that I came to Jesus because of her death, I grew up an unbeliever, I hated God as much as my mother, but when she died the only one who was there was God."

She pulls a necklace out of her shirt, on that necklace is a small white pendant, she opens it to show a picture of a pretty brown haired woman who smiles brightly into the camera, she continues. "A month after she died I was in my basement, I was so young. I had a rope hung on one of the raptors, it was knotted around my neck and I was on a stool.

I had rock music playing, my favorite band in fact, first to 11, and I was just about to jump but for some reason my youtube put on a song, it was a christian song, it said come as you are and it spoke of how heaven can heal any wound and I found myself broke. Choking on my own tears I cried out to God to anyone, and then he showed himself to me, and I felt a love come through me like no other. That day I dedicated myself to Christ, my Aunt never understood, but she was glad I wasn't dead.

She lifts her hand to my face and wipes it, just then I realize I'm crying. I notice a shovel in her hand and understand why she followed me. So all through the night, me and Veronica dig a grave for my father and put him in it, when were finished, I cry for hours, and she holds me, last time I cried was out of shock, but now it's out of true sorrow, but joy as well, because one day I see my dad again, but until then I'll finish his work and destroy Goliath.

"Please Ray we can't beat it without you!" I shout into the forest, all night we've been arguing and now dawn has broken but Ray is still stuck.

"What can you do Kelsie huh? Atheists suddenly turn godly right? Blake had the power, the blessing and anointing and he still couldn't beat that thing. What makes you any different!?"

"Because I have Tho-"

"Thoth my left butt cheek! You think because God gives you power once he'll do it again, you got lucky that Thoth showed up but now we're going to try and get ourselves killed trying to fight that thing!"

"Ray if you would stop being so d**n thickheaded then you would realize that I can change you and make you stronger."

"Like I would let you anywhere near me! Your the reason that thing is alive, your the reason were going to get killed, and your the reason Blake is dead!" His whisper, although quiet, still breaks my heart and for a moment I'm speechless, but before I can continue into him a loud voice comes from the right sound of the camp.

"Please Ray we can't beat it without you!" I shout into the forest, all night we've been arguing and now dawn has broken but Ray is still stuck.

"What can you do Kelsie huh? Atheists suddenly turn godly right? Blake had the power, the blessing and anointing and he still couldn't beat that thing. What makes you any different!?"

"Because I have Tho-"

"Thoth my left butt cheek! You think because God gives you power once he'll do it again, you got lucky that Thoth showed up but now we're going to try and get ourselves killed trying to fight that thing!"

"Ray if you would stop being so d**n thickheaded then you would realize that I can change you and make you stronger."

"Like I would let you anywhere near me! Your the reason that thing is alive, your the reason were going to get killed, and your the reason Blake is dead!" His whisper, although quiet, still breaks my heart and for a moment I'm speechless, but before I can continue into him a loud voice comes from the right sound of the camp.

"Hey!!" Brie is yelling and Veronica is next to her, both their faces are kissed with the streaks of tears but each of them look stronger than ever.

"Are you both idiots." She stomps her little body into the middle of us and says. "I'm eight and I have more sense than you dopes."

Both me and Ray are absolutely silent and slightly dumbstruck at the little girl's words.

She turns on Ray. "Don't you ever dare blame someone else for my fathers sacrifice, he made it willingly and he would do it again. If your so scared of Goliath then go, I have no problem fighting him on my own if that means I honor my fathers legacy."

I allow a small smirk to come to my mouth but after a second she's turned on me. "And you! Set aside you pride for one second and seek to understand Ray, you two have been going in circles all night and your trying to dissect every one of Rays answers and make it logical but it isn't, Ray is afraid Kelsie, and instead of affirming him and encouraging him you've been calling him weak and stupid!"

Feeling scorned I say nothing but look to the ground, the little girl's words pierce me in a way I don't suspect, and as a result I can't look at her as an unusual conviction takes over me.

"I'm not gonna fight him again." Ray says in a whisper, I look up at him incredulously, but Brie seems unfazed.

"Then go." She says.

She waits as he leaves into the woods then she comes up to me and says. "How are we going to defeat the daddy killer?"

"Veronica?" Without even asking, Veronica is next to me with something to write on and something to write with, and I tell them both my plan, and how we're going to achieve it without Ray.

As I go through they both nod and understand, Brie's eyes get big during one part but she keeps her composure. At the end they both seem hopeful and we put the plan into action.

Brie and Veronica get set near the facility as I do, I'm gonna distract Theo as Brie uses her animal call and the power of her Spirit to call every animal on the island to attack the facility and it's sentinels, once that's done and their distracted we'll use the distraction to sneak into the lab.

I wait outside the facility and call out. "Theo! I want to talk to you!"

After a moment of wait Theo comes out of his tower with two guards flanking him, and next to him is a stitched up Charles, Blake's killer.

I use my words the best I can, flattering him and trying to convince him to let me come back and make Tartarus stronger, I know of course he's playing with me and he'll kill me when I get in there but I need him to be outside of his lab when this distraction comes.

Then like clockwork Brie makes her call, and the animals of the forest come out to rush Theo and his guards, but Theo is ready and right behind him bursts forth an army of his creatures, Tartarus included.

There was a loud crash as the animals of the forest collided with Theo's creatures. In a second I was lifted high above the battle scene by Brie, her talons tightly secured over both my shoulders. My hands are holding onto her legs strong, looking down Veronica is on top of a large lion that jumps and runs through the battlefield towards the facility, she knows her job and it makes me proud watching her.

The exact moment I realized Brie could control animals was during my argument with Ray, I watched as the squirrels in the tree turned their heads in attention towards her, how wolves dared to get in range to listen to her.

Ray told me a few days prior that Theo imported millions of animals to this island to feed his creatures, that his creatures alone kept the wildlife here in check, they were more than an apex predator, but now with all the animals attacking, we stood a chance.

All except Tartarus, his large frame tears through the animals in front of him, Theo is no longer on the field and neither is Charles. If my plan works however then Brie will be able to take Tartarus herself, but it's a big if.

Brie takes us through a large whole in the ceiling, no doubt from Tartarus, and I lead us into one of the biology labs in the far part of the facility.

Veronica is already there, her large lion standing next to her ready to defend her, the lion's head reaches hers. Looking over the room I see a single large three human sized tube with multiple smaller tubes connected to it, throughout the room are multiple chemicals.

This is where Theo made Blake, the only place in the facility with the power to bring evolution. With my direction Brie gets into the tube and Veronica brings together a number of chemicals needed for her specific molecular structure.

The whole process is to accelerate her microevolution to bring her to full adaptation, based on the chemicals we give her she will adapt to the circumstances that I create. In short I'm combining enough micro evolution's to bring a macro evolution.

She won't change, her original base DNA will always be there, her species won't change, but her abilities will become greater, and her mind will mature quite a bit.

Using multiple monitors I set up the chemicals to bring about the perfect reaction to change her. Veronica hooks up the right tubes and finally I hit a large switch releasing the chemicals and powering up the machine.

"I will be sure to make good use of that formula once you're dead." I gasp and jump around. Inside the doorway stands a bleeding Theo, there are large claw marks all over his body, and next to him Charles doesn't look much better.

The Lion next to Veronica attacks them, but within a split second Charles's hand turns into a sword and the Lion's head is cut clean off. Veronica falls to the Lions limp body caressing his fur, tears fill her eyes and she looks up.

"You monster!" She screams at him.

Theo shrugs and a small smile comes to his lips, but it quickly turns into a snarl.

"I could have given you everything Kelsie, if only you hadn't walked in during my talk with the dark one, I would have spared you, I would have proved his worth to you."

I try to have him drag on more but he follows my glance over at the timer until Brie's transformation is complete, he lets out a hollow laugh and says.

"Kill them." He says to Charles.

Charles jumped in the air and his leg turned into a long sword, he flew towards me and I rolled out of the way. Grabbing Veronica I turn to run around the tube, putting it in between us and him.

He goes for another kick but Theo calls out. "Don't destroy the tube you idiot." He stops dead in his tracks and instead jumps over it.

Landing in front of us I put my arm around Veronica keeping her behind me as Charles looms over us. He holds up a metal arm but right before he runs us through a large hand grabs him and throws him across the over side of the room.

In front of us is Ray, his heart is exposed and his hair is a mess, but he's here, defending us. He turns around and keeps fighting Charles, Theo goes to run, Veronica tries to stop him, but knowing Ray can't defeat Charles alone I grab her and prevent her.

"We need to help Ray." She looks at me in anger, but after a deep breath she nods and grabs a chemical off the wall, it's an acid.

"That's my girl." I say as she beams at me.

We move to surround Charles, Ray is in defense mode keeping those swords from puncturing his fragile heart. Veronica goes to inject the acid but Charles's enhanced battle reflexes knock it out of her hand.

I barely catch the vial before calling out to Ray. "We can't get in close enough!"

He looks to me for a split second before nodding, then he exposes himself, allowing both of Charles's sword arms to puncture into his chest.

a large wheeze comes out of him but still he wraps his arms around Charles and squeezes him against himself. Taking the opportunity Veronica stabs the needle into his neck, releasing all the contents of the deadly acid.

Within a second his skin starts to fizzle and melt from the inside out, and after a few seconds all that remains is two swords in Ray's heart. He goes to pull them out but I stop him.

He looks at me in confusion, but if my timings are right. Ding! The large tube opens up and a 12 year old looking normal girl falls out of the tube.

Veronica seems dumbstruck for a moment but I yell at her to move her, she gets her sense back quickly and moves Brie from the tube. Placing his weight on me I walk Ray over to the tube and put him in.

Once inside I pull the swords out and he gives a loud gasp, then I shut the tube, put in the right chemicals and pray.

Once that's done I run over to where Brie and Veronica are, taking the small girl into my arms I pull out a premade mixture I made to wake her up.

Holding it up to her nose her whole body jumps awake, her eyes open bright and she holds tightly to my arm. Her eyes are dilated but it takes her only a second to recognize me.

"Kelsie?" She says, then her eyes go big and her hand goes to her throat, her voice is no longer that of a small girl, but it's now that of a young woman.

Tears come to her eyes as I help her up, and bring her to a large mirror in the room. She looks at herself and covers her mouth suppressing tears.

No longer is a tiny child with talons for hands and a beak, but instead is a taller girl with long pretty red hair, green eyes, and normal hands. She sobs, but when she does a large glob of fire comes out of her mouth and melts the mirror.

She gasps and stops, holding up her hand she flexes and large claws made of metal come out of her finger tips. Her mouth grows wide as she feels her back, her clothes now torn up because of the transformation she turns around, and reflected in what's left of the mirror are large eagle wings folded tightly to her back.

They blend in perfectly with her body, only reason we could see them is because she was ruffling her feathers. She turns and smiles at me, then she closes her eyes and her mouth becomes a beak once more, this time much stronger than before and supported by rows of serrated teeth.

She turns her mouth back to normal and hugs me, she now stands at the same height as me, tears fall down her cheeks. "Thank you." She says.

While hugging Kelsie I quickly realize that I am very naked. Blushing slightly I pull away and turn to Veronica.

"Do you have any extra clothes I can wear?" She laughs and says.

"My suitcase is still here from when I came, follow me, I need a change too." She adds.

Following her out into the hall I realize how hard walking has become. My body is now fully developed, I look younger only because of the Nephilim blood in me, but I can feel it, I'm an adult.

The Spirit is still around me stronger than ever, it pulses with the beat of a heart, and dances around me as I get used to my new form and height. Like dang, I grew like three feet within thirty minutes.

"How does it feel?" Veronica asks, she watches me, noticing my inability to balance myself.

I laugh and say. "It's odd, going from girl to woman within such a short time is throwing me off, the only thing that feels normal is the wings."

Listening to my voice and the way I talk I realize very quickly that whatever Kelsie did didn't just accelerate my physical growth, but my mental growth as well.

She laughs again. "Don't worry, I'm sure once you get some fitting clothes you'll be feeling normal in no time."

"I hope." I say, looking at Veronica and then back to myself I realize we're the exact same size and build, I wonder if Kelsie did that on purpose. So I asked her.

"I did that on purpose." She replies. Shocked, I ask her why and she says.

"From years of being eight your normal body no longer had any growth hormones in it, so we had to replace them with someone else's, because I'm 19 and not done growing yet we used mine, the red hair was because you told me one night that you thought that was the prettiest hair color.

Besides that and a few other details, such as your eyes, mouth, and hair, you're an exact copy of me."

"I'm glad it's you then, because you're very beautiful." I say unsarcastically. She laughs and thanks me.

It's then we reach the room where she used to stay, inside is a large bed with a bag in front of it, she reaches into it and pulls out two outfits, handing one to me I ask.

"What of my abilities?"

She throws her shirt to the side and says. "Your abilities were always growing and developing, being able to change from human to your battle form was always in your genetics but it was in it's weakest stages. That was all there, that's why your abilities are more developed, same with Ray, but we don't need to grow him humanly just his abilities."

Getting one a pair of blue jeans I say. "You're just as smart as your Aunt, aren't you?"

She pulls on a fresh shirt and says. "No, my Aunt creates the equations needed in her head within seconds, all I'm good at is explaining what she has already done in her head. I'm essentially a translator for what her brain naturally does."

I put on a tight yellow shirt and say. "That's amazing."

Once we're both fully dressed she looks at me and says. "Ready to finish your dad's work?"

I feel a slight pang of sorrow at the mention of Blake, but it feels like a very distant memory, and in a sense it is, but looking at her with determination in every part of my spirit I say.

"I'm more ready than ever before."

I wait in anticipation as the tube lets out a puff of steam and opens. Unlike Brie, Ray doesn't just fall out. His crouched figure takes a step out and he stands to his full height, which has changed from six feet to ten.

His face is no longer scrunched in but strong, his jawline is now that of a very powerful man, his arms now only reach his hips which taper down into long strong legs.

Thankfully the shorts he had on stay intact. His teeth are no longer serrated and his chest is full, his heart no longer exposed for attack. His eyes are bright blue and his black hair falls shaggy around his head.

"Is it just me or did you become much smaller." Like Brie once he finished his sentence his eyes got big. His voice no, longer coming out as a whisper, sounds full and deep like that of a grown man.

"Follow me." I say to him.

I led him out of the room where he now has to bend to get out, and lead him to the other side of the hallway. This room, much like the other one, has a large mirror in it.

He takes a look into the mirror and admires himself. "I am no longer a beast." Is all he says.

"Ray is that you?" Bries matured voice says from the doorway

Ray turns around and gives a bewildered look. "Is that you?"

Brie runs up and throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck he holds her tight. "I didn't think you would come back." She says in a wobbly voice.

"I couldn't let you fight this battle alone Brie." She pulls away with tears in her eyes and kisses Ray's cheek before fluttering down on her wings, the shirt she's wearing has two holes in the back where her wings come through.

"It's time." I say, and leading them outside we all see the battle, it's pretty much over. All of Theo's creatures lay dead in the field, but almost all the animals have been killed as well, all that remains is a small group of lions who fight valiantly against Tartarus.

Brie calls out with her mind and the Lions retreat into the woods. Tartarus goes to chase them but Brie sends a large gob of acid at him. The back of his neck sizzles as his large thirty foot frame turns around and takes in our small group.

His eyes focus on Ray and go narrow. "A worthy opponent." His voice booms across the area in a malevolent ring.

Ray moves to face him but Theo comes from seemingly nowhere and yells out to Tartarus.

"We have to leave now, we can fight them another day with more of an army. You need to get me to safety!"

Tartarus ignores him and takes a step towards Ray, but Theo won't take no for an answer. He runs in front of Tartarus and throws out a hand trying to do to him the same he did to me.

This time Tartarus laughs at him. "You have fulfilled your purpose tiny human, now it's time for you to die." In one motion he lifts up Theo and drops him into his mouth.

Resisting the urge to throw up as I see Tartarus swallow Theo whole, Brie grabs me and Veronica and pulls us to the side.

"You two have done enough, let us handle Tartarus." She says. I hesitate to answer as Tartarus and Ray circle one another sizing each other up.

Brie grabs my face and turns it to focus on her. "You've done all you can, if we win we win, if we lose we lose, either way I'll be praising God, as my father would have done."

I nod as a Lion comes from the woods behind us. Brie walks up to the beautiful animal and, placing her hand on him, heals his wounds, but not only that the Lion begins to grow larger.

Once the Lion is large enough Brie picks us both up easily and sets us on top of it. Using her mind she sends the Lion away, and the last thing I see before the woods engulf us is her looking up, and her wings propelling her into the sky.

Once in the air Goliath's full size stuns me. His whole body, covered in fur, attacks Ray blow after blow. Ray, now much stronger, takes every blow meant to destroy the earth and strikes back.

Circling the area I allow my eyes to become that of an eagles, searching the ground and the surrounding forest I look for small animals. After I have found roughly 100 I reach out to them with my mind, giving them one command.

Once they are commanded I dive to the ground letting up just before I hit the earth. Flying swiftly around Goliath's legs I produce a sticky flammable substance in my stomach.

I use this substance to pin Goliath to the ground, once pinned Ray is able to jump and get a few punches on him, but the real reason I gooed his legs makes itself known as the animals climb up the goo, now hardened, with ease and reach his eyes.

"Grab his arm!" I cry out to Ray, he grabs one arm while I grab another. With our combined strength were able to barely keep him from swiping the animals off his face.

He lets out an earth rumbling scream as the animals peck and claw his eye out. He opens his mouth and a torrent of fire comes straight towards me, I'm barely able to fly out of the way.

Ray however gets a face full of flame and falls off hitting the ground with a large thud. Goliath was too late however, because one of his eyes were torn out completely and the other one was severely scratched.

But I see the flaw in my plan the moment his scarred eye begins to heal, but then another idea comes into mind. I fly high into the air and in my stomach create a weak acid, just strong enough to counter his healing.

Using the acid I spit it into his eyes and all over his face coating him. The acid digs into his healing ability keeping his wounds from shutting. He howls in pain and swings at me, but I'm too fast and drop lower to the ground as his swing hits a large tree that was behind me.

Ray stands back up and slams into Goliath, he stumbles and falls to the ground. Once he's on the ground I spit flames onto the goo still on his legs and it lights up into a large fire.

For a moment it looks like he might go down, but slowly he rises as the fire engulfs his whole body. He smiles at us before taking a large clawed hand and tearing his own skin off.

Beneath his layer of skin and fur seems like stone, grey cracked leathery skin shows itself. He swings at Ray and Ray's whole body slams into the ground leaving a crater behind, but Ray gets up refusing to back down.

Goliath hits him again and again trying to break him, but Ray proves himself more resilient than Goliath. I take this moment to look for a weak point on Goliath and find it, in the middle of his back is stitching.

I land on his back and tear into the stitching, with claw and beak I tear it open to reveal his organs, but when I try to tear into his organs I burn myself. His blood Comes out a gold color and is hot to the touch.

Then a new idea comes to me, but before I can try it a large hand grabs a hold of me. Goliath holds me in front of him and laughs, I look behind me to see Ray trying to get up.

Goliath squeezes me in his hand, my left wing snaps and I cry out. He laughs and says.

"The drakes themselves couldn't defeat me, you really think a nephilim half blood could?" He opens his jaws wide and begins to lift me up.

I look up to the sky where large dark clouds form, then out of those clouds a thunderbolt hits Goliath in his good eye. He cries out and stumbles back, dropping me.

I took a breath I didn't know I was holding and took hold of my wing. By the time it heals the battle will be over, I need to try something else. It's then I remember the large reactor core in the middle of the lab, it powers this whole island, Blake told me about it long ago.

I look back to Ray and realize he won't be able to help me, it's no wonder either, he took enough punches to demolish the earth forty times.

I call out to Goliath. "Hey world breaker! I thought we were fighting, don't wimp out on me now!" Goliath stands breathing heavily looking my way, his eye is charred and is open just enough for him to see a blurry image of me.

I run taunting him into the facility again, he follows breaking the building behind me, as I run I retrace the map my father had me go through every night and head towards the center of the lab.

Once in the center I see it, a reactor the size of me sits connected to a ton of wires. Wires that if, ever disconnected, would cause a small nuclear explosion.

I taunt him more to a position directly in front of the wires. "Bet you can't hit me tiny Goliath."

He growls loudly and swings both arms at me, but his lack of depth perception allows me to easily slide under his legs, taking the reactors I cut the wires and jump with it throwing it into the hole left in his back.

As quick as I can I run, but before even a second has gone by there's a boom, and everything goes black.

Once the nuclear explosion went off I made it very clear to Veronica we couldn't go back, we had to wait here for them. Since then two days had passed and she was very frustrated.

Understandably so, I was getting worried too. The pride of lions that Brie had protect us have been bringing food for us to cook every day, but besides that it's been utter silence, until today.

Out of the smoke and fog that rolled in ever since the blast, comes a large figure. After a moment I recognize Ray.

"Veronica!" I scream out, she comes running out of the tent and gasps.

"Ray, are you ok?" She runs up to him but stops, once I walk up and see him closer I understand why.

His skin smokes and sizzles as a gold liquid sticks to his body. Once in front of us he falls to his knees to show a very ragged Brie, her body is covered in blood and her right wing is broken, but besides that she seems ok, no golden liquid is on her.

"I was barely able to shield her from the blast, when I woke up she was in my arms, and we came back."

Ray's eyes are heavy and he looks like he's about to collapse. "Come here Ray."

I go to help him up but he stops me. "This liquid will burn you." He says.

I look at the liquid on his body for a second before realizing what combination of chemicals it is. "Veronica bring me bark from a pine tree."

It takes her only a second because of all the variety of trees on this island, using the pine bark I scrape off the gold substance and it falls to the ground, dissipating harmlessly into the ground.

He takes a deep breath of relief and allows me to help him into the cave where a large bed made of thick leaves waits for him, climbing in he's asleep in seconds.

Walking back out Veronica is hunched over Brie, she's trying to straighten her wing but her hands shake and tears are in her eyes.

I move her hands to the side as she whimpers about Brie not being able to live her life yet, she talks about how too much responsibility was given to her, how she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she died.

I stay silent till she finishes, then when I do speak I give her mind a task. "Go into the woods and find me thick sticks, make sure they are straight."

She sucks in her tears and does as I said, while she's away doing that with a calm and steady hand I set the bones in Brie's wings. Once Veronica gets back I make a cast using the sticks and a spool of rope I made out of fibers the day before.

Once the cast is made and placed on her I flip her over, I have Veronica give me a balm I made earlier in the day and I apply it to all her cuts. Then I carry her into the cave and lay her on a separate leaf bed.

Once she's there I turn back and Veronica is shocked. "You were prepared for this?"

I take her into my arms as she chokes a sob. "Expect the best, but always be ready for the worst."

"When will they wake up." She asks betweens sobs.

"Ray will wake up tomorrow, Brie the day after. Don't worry Veronica, they will be ok, everything will be ok." She sobs into me for a while longer before she too falls asleep, the darkness begins to creep into the day, and I find myself praying.

While I pray Thoth comes to me once more, and that whole night he ministers to me, revealing things about God that will not be uncovered until the end of the world.

My whole body aches when I open my eyes. The small light coming from the mouth of the cave is enough to cause my head to pound. I close my eyes again and listen.

"She's doing ok Veronica, it's only been a day." It's Kelsie's voice.

"She was just an eight year old girl less than a week ago, I'm just worried about her Aunt Kelsie." Her voice starts off strong but ends in almost a whisper.

"I know Veronica, just give it another day, go help Ray with his recovery and let her sleep." Once Veronica's footsteps have left Kelsie sits besides me.

"Go back to sleep Brie, when you wake up again tomorrow you will be fully healed."

I follow her advice and allow myself to daze back into sleep.

The next time I open my eyes my body no longer aches, my wing doesn't feel broken and my head isn't pounding. I rise up slowly and testing my legs I find it easy to stand.

I walk out of the cave to see Veronica and Kelsie lounging on a few lions while Ray eats a large meal made out of some poor deer.

Once Veronica sees me she jumps to her feet and tackles me in a hug, with my strength fully back I hug her tightly. For the first time I hit with a feeling of having a true sister.

"What's out next move?" Kelsie asks me.

I let go of Veronica and say. "You're asking me?"

Ray ruffles my hair. "You defeated Goliath, figured you might as well chart our course, what is the Spirit telling you." He asks.

I look at the Spirit around me for a moment and an impression comes to me. "We'll go to the drakes, we'll become soldiers for them and help them."

"Sounds great!" Kelsie says. "But how do we find them?"

"We ask Thoth." I say.

Reacting to his name Thoth makes himself seen, Ray and Veronica seem shocked but me and Kelsie have seen him before. I walk up to him and hold out a hand. "Thank you, if you hadn't struck Goliath with that bolt of thunder I would have lost."

"It was your prophecy to defeat him, it was mine to smite him." His voice is heavily accented.

"So where do we go to find the drakes?" I ask him.

He smiles at me and says. "Nephilim are supposed to be outlawed you know."

"Do you know- her?" I ask, unable to ask the full question.

"Your mother died a few years ago, but I can take you to your uncle, all of you." He turned to the others.

"But I must warn you, if you come to our world and help us with this battle, only Brie and Ray will be able to come back to earth to fight. The rest of you will be protected during the tribulation and will be prohibited to leave."

Kelsie holds out a hand to him and says. "I've had enough of this world anyway."

Veronica and Ray grab on to him as well, and in an instant were brought to a new world, I look around and it is beautiful, all around us are new creatures and plants.

Dinosaurs walk the ground freely and Thoth points at a large castle in the distance. "Welcome to Imprenda, Brie you and Veronica will be taught how to fight there, and if you wish Veronica I can make you nephilim so you can fight with Brie."

I give Veronica an excited look and she beams at me. Thoth turns to Ray and Kelsie. "Kelsie you will be given a lab and if you wish a husband, and Ray you will be added to our ranks as a soldier."

He paused for a moment before giving a large smile. "Welcome to God's world, where his warriors train to take on the spiritual forces of evil."

In that moment a film lifted from our eyes and we could see hundreds of warriors around us, ready to welcome us.

This was the day our new lives began, the day when we would contribute to heaven on earth. To God be the glory.