31/XXXI. Rescue The Perishing (Remastered)

Jonathan picked up the phone as soon as he composed himself, and called the police and ambulance – after all, he wailed all night and cried his hearts out.

He’s not a trained doctor, and of course, there would be mysteries left unsolved to the professional eyes.

Just as soon as the authorities and emergency arrived, Michael teleported his way out of there back to Arthur.

The next memory that Arthur received were pretty ordinary, the other people involved in the list of suspects committed only petty crimes.

“Is it all… done?” The clicking sounds of Johnny typing inside their bedroom dissipated as Arthur regained the clones’ memories.

The jolt of pain that he didn’t felt earlier now stung his heart.

SFX: Cough, cough, cough

He coughed out blood again – this time more subtle than violent the first time. He bled internally – at least that’s how he interpreted things when he reached his physical limit.

His breaths sounded heavy as the hour pass by, silence enveloped the room as Johnny grew concerned for his brother’s health.

Another towel lost its snow white appearance as Arthur grabbed one from their bedroom table and wiped off the blood off of his mouth and lips.

“The bleeding already stopped. I’m going to be fine.” The words contained anguish as he turned the towel inside out and wiped the blood off of his hands.

Some of it already dried out as he went through each clones’ memories. Blackened, stiff, and has a metallic smell and taste to it due to the iron in the blood. Surprisingly, the bled clotted by itself internally.

“Art…” His weak shaking voice irritated Arthur much further.

Whatever Arthur said, Johnny’s ears couldn’t just accept it. Any words of reassurance that he’ll be fine moved past his twin’s mind – he only thought of how he can help Arthur without aggravating him further.

“I’ll be fine.” He just was tired all over.

He tried to stand up with the support of his arms out on the floor, with one knee bent. He pushed upwards, and flailed to the bedframe.

He put out his arms just in time to cushion his fall.

“ART!” His frantic shout echoed through the mansion and woke up almost all of its residences.

Matthew came running up the stairs into the bedroom and quickly barged in the door to see Johnny with a laptop on his lap, and Arthur plunged into the foot of the bed with blood smears on his lips and mouth.

“YOUNG MASTER!”

Matthew’s frantic scream woke everyone up in the mansion and he immediately picked up Arthur from the foot of the bed down to the living room and called the emergency service in London – 999.

“Wha- I’m gonna be fine.” Arthur normalized his breathing and grabbed Matthew’s arm while he dialed 999 on the phone.

Edward, Eddie and Jackson soon followed the two to the living room to check on the commotion.

It wasn’t the first time that something like this happened, and certainly it won’t be the last.

Feeling weak and vulnerable was a first on the angel that was the Captain of everyone. All angels relied on him, even his twin, Samael, looked up to him, and now, he can only rely on humans as a human himself.

Is this how Father felt when he became human years ago?

Truly one of the baffling mysteries to the angels as to why the God Almighty brought down himself as human but as a God at the same time, and lived humbly amongst the poorest people only to bring them to the kingdom of God up high.

The concept of love and caring were known by the angels as a concept only. Michael and Samael were the exceptional ones to have experienced giving love and care to the new fledglings as they were the first creations of the army of God.

“Are you sure you’re alright, son?” Edward took a deep breath and knelt in front of Arthur as he sat on the couch and looked at his eyes at head-level.

“I’ll…I’ll be fine, father.” He answered without hesitation.

Arthur’s breath normalized, but his inhales still contained deep breathes. He’s trying to suppress the pain in his chest.

True- the angel of mercy does not lie, he doesn’t deceive, there are times that silence is the only thing he can do in response, in this case, he truly knew the limit of his body.

“Alright, everyone, get back to your beds, make sure you are rested for tomorrow!” Edward shooed everyone out of Arthur’s sight.

He knew full well Arthur’s character. He wouldn’t say a thing if he did not need help. But still, he was still the child’s father, and he still wanted to help even if this was the case.

“Come on, we’ll carry you to your bed as well.” He continued.

“I’ll… I’ll be fine on my own.” Arthur insisted.

He sprang up to his feet and slowly and almost painfully treaded the pathway and staircase back to their bedroom on the second floor.

That night was one of the longest nights Arthur had.

It was a nightmare indeed…

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“Michael, are you really going to believe Sa- Lucifer?” Raguel, the angel of justice came along as they landed down on Earth.

“I don’t know what to say, but, every time he speaks, I know whether it’s the truth or a lie.” Michael transformed into a human and entered the physical realm.

He swished his hands from his chest up to his waist, and his armor turned into a robe fit for the current era.

“And if it still is the case, why are you so worried about the chosen of God?” Raguel followed and entered the physical realm as well with his original form.

Michael scanned every little breathing thing and person in Bethel, and checked on the camp of Abram, indeed, there was a slave missing – it was a girl, a maiden.

And soon, the two of them went on a quest to ask the shepherds, “Have you seen Hagar?”

Where can she be?

“Michael, can we…” Raguel trailed his words as they wandered the plains.

He knew that Michael was as frustrated as he was. Raguel can see the irritation in Michael’s face.

Michael was there when Jessiel gave God’s blessing to Abram, he heard everything, he knew how Maloriel gave that curse as well.

“Can we go home?” He protested, at least, in a non-violent way.

“No, we have to find her.” His eyes were as fierce as a lion, seeking only to achieve what he wanted to do when he came down from the heavens – look for Hagar.

“You have the wisdom of God, why don’t we directly ask Abram about his maiden servant?” Upon hearing Raguel’s words, Michael stopped and appeared down with his spirits, too fast for that kind of change in him.

“Were you afraid?” Afraid of Abram’s answer. Raguel didn’t continue that question. He knew Michael would get what he wanted to say subtly.

“I...” Michael paused.

That pause seemed to be too long to be unnoticeable.

This wasn’t the first time that Michael would be disappointed of the humans. He loved them as much as God loves them.

He hated sin as much as God hated sin.

He smiled with the humans as much as God’s heart flutters when righteousness flourished in the lands.

He took a deep breath and continued, “I am.” He rightfully admitted.

The day turned into afternoon, and the afternoon turned into sunset, but the two were not able to locate Hagar at all.

They didn’t go to Abram after all.

“Where could she be?” Michael was rolling his eyes as he sighed and stared at nothingness in the midst of the plains as he settled down and sat on the ground.

“We are never going to find her like this, let’s just ask Abram!” Raguel dissented to Michael as the light from the dawn touched his face.

The whole day was tiring for both of the Archangels – the plants and the elements wouldn’t help them, it’s as if God concealed her spirit somewhere, somehow in the physical realm.

Only Michael can imagine what God has planned for the girl.

“There are still places we can check, come on.” Michael dragged Raguel around the plains and through the wilderness, up the mountains, and the skies and there, he spotted a woman by a fountain on the way to Shur.

“Is that-?” Raguel’s words popped the tensed balloon.

Michael’s shoulder soon softened down and loosened up as he approached the fountain with his wings out and about and his glorified state.

The woman was washing her face in the fountain, her lips swollen, and her eye bludgeoned, visually abused and traumatized.

Michael can hear two heartbeats as the woman was pregnant with child.

He squinted his eyes, uncaring about any other living thing on the earth.

Hagar… Hagar… He longed to call her sweet name.

He reached out his hand, about to tap her shoulders when he heard hiccups, from her crying. At the reflection of the fountain was her glistening tears running down her cheeks.

His glory reflected on the water and as soon as Hagar opened her eyes, she knew she was speaking to someone holy and divine.

“My lord.” She faced the being, but kept her head bowed down.

Her eyes to the ground, what he can only see was the glory of the angel up to his feet.

“Hagar, Sarai’s maid, when did you come here? And where will you go?” He turned his head, still looking underneath the long hair of the maiden.

He wanted to talk with her eye to eye.

“I have fled from the face of my master, Sarai.” She turned her head the other way and avoided the gaze of the angel.

Hagar, a young slave from Egypt, came as one of the presents of Pharaoh to Abram, little did she know that following Sarai’s orders would garner the hate of her mistress.

The angel approached slowly and carefully. Every step, Hagar flinched, shrinking like a snail that’s going back inside its shell.

“Do not be afraid.” His warm words comforted her.

He offered his hand, as he drew closer and closer, but still, she wouldn’t take it.

He bowed his head and turned his back on the slave, but as he tried to leave, Hagar spoke quietly, faintly, but showed that she had determination to overcome her fear.

“The m-m-m-mistress Sarai g-g-gave me the name.” She stuttered, gathering the last of her courage to talk to the angel of the Lord.

“Hagar.” She enunciated, looking intently at the back of Michael’s head.

He can hear the fear, the anger, resentment, and the love-hate emotion of Hagar into her shaking tone of voice. She lifted up her eyes to see the back of the head of the angel.

“Do you know what it means?” Michael answered, in response to her courage, he stopped, and turned around to directly look her in the eye.

The tears in her eyes poured out once again as she stepped out of her box and walked closer to the angel of the Lord.

“It… it means forsaken… forgotten.” The distance between them were only a foot long, and Hagar’s eyes continued to swell as tears fell out.

She answered simply, expecting confirmation to what he already knew.

“The Lord never forgot you. He has never forsaken you.” Michael gently wiped the tears in her eyes, running his fingers down her face, and caressing her cheeks.

The words echoed in his heart as much as it rocked Hagar’s whole being.

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“You were never forsaken…” The last words he remembered from that night long nightmarish evening.

Arthur’s face glistened in the sunshine as the light hit their room, his face reflected tiredness, cold sweat ran from his face to the back of his ears, but there was something more – a tear.

He opened his eyes and felt the cold shivers down his spine. He touched his face, only to feel the trickle of his tears down his cheeks and remembered Hagar at the fountain on the way to Shur.

“Never forsaken, never forgotten…” He remembered Greg, forsaken by his so-called friends, forgotten by the people he tried to help, but God sent him there – even if it was the last of the man’s breath, God sent an angel to comfort this man’s soul.

He can communicate with the angels with his telepathic powers – Oracle, but this time, he wanted to confirm something with his brother – face to face.

“Zmanel… where are you?” Michael thought and sending across his message to the angel of time.

“*Gasp*, Uhhh… Captain?” He got the scare of his life – he only ever get to hear Michael’s voice through his head about a thousand years ago.

“I need to talk to you. I need you now.” Michael demanded the presence of the angel of time.

“Can you just teleport to my location? I’m still out collecting souls of men.” He grumbled to himself, complaining to his everyday chores in the physical realm.

“Come here, at once.” His stern words seemed to be delivered strongly to Zmanel, he controlled the flow of time in the spiritual realm and showed up on Arthur’s bedroom.

He materialized as a ray of light – a Principality.

“What you do require of me, Captain?” He humbly and wisely spoke – trying to not agitate Michael anymore.

“What has become of Greg’s soul?” Arthur’s mouth moved and vocalized. Johnny was still asleep on the other side of the bed, and the spy on the other side of the window looked intently through his binoculars.

“Sir, he seemed to be talking to some… thing, or some… one?” He squinted his eyes and looked everywhere in the room. No one was alive and breathing and awake, other than Arthur.

“Just keep on monitoring him. You are the one in charge of reporting his every move.” Mayer answered through the radio signal.

“Yes, ma’am.” Dedicated his whole entire career in spying on the most brilliant man ever lived – a twelve year old boy.

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“He… reunited with Father up at home.” Zmanel paused and stated what he did with Greg’s soul – hinting a sorrowful tone.

The angel of time grieved for this man as well – he was one of the righteous ones, one of those with connection with the God Almighty, one to look up to and respect, even within the angel-dom.

“Thank you.” Michael’s first words after hearing that Greg is at Heaven now, surprised Zmanel a bit.

“I was just…” doing my job He wanted to continue, but as he looked at Arthur’s, no, Michael’s eyes, he can see relief as Arthur exhaled and softened his gaze.

“You’re welcome.” He simply replied and sweetly smiled.

“Have you ever been attached to the souls you were collecting?” Zmanel thought the questioning would stop, he wanted to keep the pestering to a minimum, but he also wanted to respond to that question.

Of the thousand eons that Zmanel has been guarding the time continuum and collecting the souls of men to guide them where they belong in the afterlife, this has been the first time that he was asked this question.

It’s a given that angels are naturally drawn to the things and creation of God and there are times that the righteous ones cause happiness and rejoicing in the angel-dom, but as history unfolds and the population of men increased, it was a common occurrence to find evil and darkness in the hearts of the people.

“I try to keep my distance.” He looked down, smirked and frowned, and exhaled. The angel of time appeared exhausted in flying in day and night, seeing violence in death, and heartbreak in one swoop.

“And by keeping distance, are you still hurt?” Michael understood what the Principalities are going through day in and day out. There’s no rest.

“Still?” He didn’t want to admit it to himself.

“When we usually are sent to an errand down here, I…” Michael inhaled deeply and gazed into Zmanel. “…get attached to some of them.” He continued.

“Even if I wasn’t, my heart breaks whenever I…” He exhaled. They’re both exhausted. Michael put his hands and pressed it on his eyes and let out a sigh.

“Looks like we both need a vacation.” Zmanel grinned and joked as to lighten the mood.

“Looks like.” The angel of mercy simply agreed.

The angel of time went on his way as Arthur kept his mouth shut after that. “I’ll be on my way.” The Principality whooshed back to the spiritual realm and back on collecting the souls of the dead humans.

Michael just nodded as Zmanel disappeared from his very eyes.

Arthur sprang up to his feet and walked across the room to their study tables. He lifted the calendar to check the last week of December 2009.

“*Yawn* You’re up early?” Johnny moaned silently as he rubbed his eyes open trying to wake up to the sight of his brother across the room.

He sat up the bed and adjusted his eyes to the light of the sunshine in the room.

“We need to find this guy. Two days has already passed and he has yet made a move.” Arthur picked up a highlight pen from his study table, and marked an X on the twenty-second day of December 2009.

“Only three days before Christmas, huh.” Johnny turned sideways from the bed, and flop his leg and feet right into his sandals.

“Are you worried?” He followed up that with a question and turned his head to Arthur.

They have the most brilliant minds in the whole world combined in this small mansion, and yet, for some reason, this guy, is good at not leaving any traces of himself.

“I am. I narrowed down all the suspects to three.” He scribbled on his notepad and threw it at the foot of the bed.

“These three?”

“They have the right connection, a boatload of cash, and-“