The warm breeze swept across Anthony's face as he opened his eyes. This was his second time to this place; the home of the dead, the place no mortal could ever visit. Except for the Disciples, like he. He wasn't alive though, dead again; at this rate he had already beaten Jesus's record for needing resurrection. That is, if he was still allowed to go back. He needed to though; he had messed up, no messed up wasn't enough to justify what he had done; he had royally fucked up. His planning had been off and he and his team had paid for it. At least his death had been quick, unlike those his team was going to experience.
He walked through the crisp grass and he was aware of the people around him. They were happy, they were free. This is where people went to live after Death. And it was beautiful...he didn't want to know where the evil souls went. Though one day, if he kept this up he would be joining them. Such was life though. A small girl, obviously one killed very young, or perhaps a disease, gave him a flower, "Welcome to Paradise," she said smiling, "You look too sad to be here."
Anthony smiled, though just a little and took the flower, "Thank you, but I've already been here. None the less I love the flowers here, let us sit and talk for a while, I'm not anxious to go where I need to go."
The girl gasped, "You've been here before? That means you've crossed once already, why didn't you stay that time...and why are you trying to cross again?"
Anthony sighed, "Because my team needs me, the War is still going on down there and I'm there to get Earth through it with as little pain as possible, although I sometimes wonder if I'm doing it right. People have died working for me, good people too; I've also had to kill, hell I don't even know why they let me up here, I'd be much more suited to the Nether."
The girl laughed, "The Mother knows where we belong silly, she wouldn't let a bad man up here, just as she wouldn't send a good man to the Nether, you must be doing an alright job if she's kept you around thus far. Tell me though, why do you, a non-Earth being come here with Death and why do you believe that people deserve Earth after all we've done?" she looked sheepishly, "Sorry the wings gave it away..."
Anthony looked at her, "Because I'm nothing anymore; I'm a demi now, tasked with saving it. I believe they deserve to survive because under the hatred, under everything, we get someone like you, who manages to convince me that not all is lost, and if that takes me to the Void itself I will go there for people like you."
The girl all of a sudden hugged him, "I believe in you Anthony, but you need to go cross now," she let him go and tried to shove him towards the centre of the meadow, "Good luck."
Anthony began to walk again, expecting two more to visit him, because he knew how this place worked, especially if you thought of crossing. They questioned your resolve, you duties and your soul. Because nothing ever came without a price.
The trucks stopped in front of an inconspicuous building, the same one they had watched the team stumble into only days before; they had their orders, they had the anger of the last squad of them being massacred and they had the means to destroy this place and secure Eden.
Charges were placed on the door, they could hear the Mythos on the other side massing, how could they not have heard them pull up with the kinda hearing they had? So it was time to engage. The leader, only identifiable by the barcode on his jacket made the signal and the blast ripped the doors right off their hinges. They had their first casualty almost immediately as a vampire lept onto a man and tore his throat out. She was brought down immediately with a barrage of silver shots. It was nice that both Werewolves and Vampires had the decency to die with silver, saved time changing ammo types.
They continued through the halls opening fire on anything that moved, man woman, child; it didn't matter, they had to die; a final statement to the Mythos before the UN finally eradicated them. They were sending the message that deviants from the proper norm were not tolerated and they would be destroyed.
Finally they hit the Garden and found the Tree. This was their objective and many of the soldiers gasped at the gold around them, the carvings of the Fall of the Mythos, the plants, delicate gold themselves, bearing fruit that looked like a work of art within itself. A man tried to pick one of the berries and flinched as the leaf moved to stab him with its delicate but sharp body. He shrank away from the plants and the group huddled together to avoid more of the Garden's wrath.
The Leader shook his head and looked up at the Tree, "Alright you boys know the drill, we're here for the Apples and then we're out, get to it," a couple of the lower ranking recruits were sent forwards and gingerly touched one of the Apples, waiting to lose a hand, or perhaps another body part. Fortunately nothing happen and the soldier tried to pull the Apple off. It was to no avail though as the Apples stuck fast to their branches.
"A human cannot remove the Apples," a voice said behind them and the soldiers all spun around to see Lucas standing at the door that they had entered in, "No one but the Mother herself or a Mythos can retrieve the Apple from the tree. There is no Mythos that is worthy of that honour in any part of this city though, not anymore at least, not since you took them. I'm the only one who can help you," he laughed, his cold demeanour bringing chills to the soldiers.
The Leader stood forward and pointed his gun, "Give us the Apples then and we won't shoot you, just drop the gun and we'll let you take the Apples and bring you to the UN with us, you will be spared...I swear."
This only caused the volume of Lucas's laughter to rise as he put the gun to his head, "You don't really think that I'd really fall for that 'you have my word' gig, no human soldier I've encountered has ever followed through on that and I've been around for a thousand years so don't try that on me, because the last time I believed that, I was killed," he sighed, "I don't think I'll cross back on this one though, I've done my work, there will be others to carry on I guess. For now I leave you with this message, you're fighting the wrong war humans, there is a much larger one coming and unless we ally, you will die as we will. Food for thought," he pulled the trigger, the bullet ripping through his skull causing him to dissolve into ash before he even hit the floor.
"Fuck!" the Leader said, kicking the pile of ashes that had once been Lucas, "Well call the convoy, tell them to turn around, we're gonna need one of them."
His radio crackled as if on cue, "No you don't need them Barren, they are coming to London and that is final, the Apples can wait until after our meeting, for now I want you to investigate this faucility, I want to know what this 'Mother' is before anything else happens," the curt voice left the radio and the men prepared their rifles, "Lets go hunting boys," the Leader said as they journeyed back into the basic complex.
As the group that had been Anthony's team stood huddled in the back of the truck muttering amongst themselves, one of the soldiers looked at them through a grate. He heard Eryn's weak, "They're gonna kill us," and he laughed, "No, we're not going to kill you honey," he licked his lips, "We might kill the others, and we are going to kill that scum of a soldier that associates with animals like you but no we aren't going to kill a hot little piece like you. No we're going to train you, like the dog you are and then we're going to enjoy you, its lonely in the prisons and we could all use a pet to make us feel better. How does that sound?"
