33/XXXIII. The Golden Daybreak (Remastered)

It was a strange night, indeed.

The night sky blurred the city lights from outside their small mansion. As the midnight drew nearer and nearer, Arthur, Johnny, Jackson and Eddie wasted away in gathering evidences and information about their suspects.

“I’m going in.” Arthur vehemently pointed on the picture on the cork board. Directly pointing at the photo of the first suspect, Jones Williams, he asked the gang to guard his body.

A weird request indeed, but amongst the crowd in that living room, Eddie was the only one unsuspecting and unaware.

Going in? Where? He thought to himself.

“I’m going to use Oracle. I will try to use it.” Arthur’s words didn’t make any sense, but Jackson and Johnny, and Matthew just nodded along.

What do they know that I don’t?

His continuing questioning and puzzled mind reached Arthur’s directly through the power of the Oracle.

Arthur directly stared into his eyes, and spoke telepathically, “This is Oracle.”

Eddie gasped as he received the message through his brain.

He felt a tingling sensation entering his brain and alas, he heard Arthur’s voice, not through his ear, but through his brain, directly.

He fell back to the carpet, his eyes widened and the hairs on his skin all stood up, ringing, his ears can hear a sharp ringing tone, it was the first time he experienced true fear, not of Arthur, but of his so-called abilities.

“What happened?” Johnny offered his hand to help Eddie get back to his feet.

His pupils dilated, and his hands were visibly shaking. “I told him about Oracle through it.” Arthur answered, inhaled, and walked nearer and nearer to his brother.

The fear was a common factor.

Arthur decided it was the right time to break it to Eddie – that he was not just a human.

“You’re a genius and you have that ability – what are you?” Eddie asked as Arthur stretched out his hands along with Johnny.

“You’ve known me for four years, stay close and you’ll find out.” Arthur smirked and replied to him. Jackson and Matthew just smiled as Eddie darted his eyes to them.

“They already know about this?” Eddie appeared to stop shaking, he took both Johnny’s and Arthur’s hands and got up easily to his feet.

Eddie only came to their lives four years ago, and Arthur stepped back in revealing everything especially when Edward’s job was too shady to be trusted and he knew that their mansion would be heavily monitored, not only by the Secret Service, and MI-7, but also by the Interpol where Edward was employed in.

“Matthew and Johnny were with me all the time in my life, and Jackson… I had to interact with her mother, that’s how he knew.” Eddie looked at Jackson, and he just nodded at him springing reassurance to the doubting young man.

“So, how are you going to use Oracle on him?” He put his hands to his waist still doubting the abilities of his half-brother.

“I already have a clone stationed at the production company. I’m waiting for him to go home.” Arthur went back to the board, and checked the distance of Jones Williams’ home address to the Greenwich Pier.

“Clone… hmph* hahha… right.” He scorned Arthur’s reply.

He smiled, grinned, and even laughed, but soon, the smile on his face got wiped out as he turned his head to Johnny, Jackson, and Matthew who was looking serious as the time ticked away.

“Are… you… Is this a prank?” No one was simply answering.

“I used it on you firsthand and you’re still doubting me?” That voice again! Inside my head!

“Stop doing that. Alright, I’m not doubting you again.” He said lightly, just to end the conversation, but he didn’t know that he’ll bear that statement up to the end of his life.

“You, what about you?” Eddie turned to Johnny, trying to find out if he has abilities as well.

“We’re all human. This one, he’s an exception.” Johnny pointed his thumb to Arthur as he smiled to Eddie, carefree.

“We will need to move out tomorrow as well, if I need additional help.” Arthur faced the team, with sincerity in his eyes.

A few moments later…

“He’s going home. Let’s get ready.”

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“I’m going home. Thank you.” Hagar smiled sweetly back to Michael as soon as he blessed and named the child that she was carrying.

“God will keep you safe.” Michael instructed the two angels to escort her. Jessiel and Maloriel followed Hagar back to Abram’s camp using their original forms, while Michael disappeared into the spiritual realm.

He glanced at his reflection in the fountain on the way to Shur. The river that flowed beside it glittered and shone as his glory glimmered in the spiritual realm.

A dark presence slowly enveloped the lands, but the brimming light from Michael contrasted the darkness that approached.

“Sam.” Lucifer softly landed on the spiritual realm near the river, and approached Michael.

“You met Hagar?” He asked Michael, smiling as he treaded closer and closer.

“Hmph…” Michael simply nodded and got his eyes back to his own reflection in the water.

“Aren’t you disappointed?” Lucifer patted Michael’s shoulders, gazing into the fountain as well, joining Michael in checking their reflections in the water.

Samael always desired that Michael lose his hope for the humans. Disappointments were the starting point of his grand plan.

“A bit.” He softly answered. His voice coarse, cold, and yet, warm and gentle.

Michael knelt and ran his fingers on the surface of the water, creating a ripple effect and erasing his reflection in the clear waters.

“I told you, humans - they’re just a waste of your time.” Almost a thousand years has passed since the Great Rebellion, but Lucifer still tries to coax Michael into joining him.

Michael had an empty look in his eyes, and stayed completely silent. He didn’t retort, nor protest.

“This is the first time. You’ve taken a silent approach. Does this mean you agree with me?” The devil sneered at the Captain of the Host of Heaven - tempting him to hopelessness and despair.

The angel of mercy only squinted his eyes and looked at his twin beside him. His face told a thousand words, but his mouth won’t open and say them.

“What?” Lucifer grinned and chuckled, he looked at Michael back directly to his eyes.

Michael saw through the charade that Samael has been doing fooling himself since day one.

It was not that the Captain of the Host was afraid to fight against God, it was that he knew that it would be pointless even from the beginning.

Samael continued to fool himself with thinking that he can become God, that he can become one that sits on the throne, and that he can become what the Almighty was not, at least that’s what he’s been telling himself.

“Hmph…” Michael diverted his gaze back to the fountain and smiled bitterly.

“Is this truly what we’ve become?” He averted his eyes to the reflection of his brother, as he sighed deeply.

“What did we become, brother?” The tempter once more questioned him cleverly. His play of words cannot fool Michael.

He played with the ripples of the water, and formed bubbles atop the fountain.

“Two sides of the coin.” Lucifer shut his mouth on that one.

He has no retort, no comment, no sly statement to give. He knew Michael was serious this time.

“Can we never reconcile?” Michael added as he sweetly and bitterly smiled and faced his brother at the edge of the fountain.

“Hmph…” Lucifer only smirked and disappeared into the darkness.

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Arthur situated himself in the midst of the gang, calming his heart and his spirit, and slowly closed his eyes.

“Michael is now following him closely and checking for a time when he’s alone.” His lips opened and words came out of his mouth.

“Guard my body.” Eddie, Johnny, and Jackson encircled Arthur’s body on the carpet of the living room.

“He’s alone. Let’s do this.” Arthur’s consciousness synced with this one’s consciousness and soon, he opened his eyelids only to have white pupil and iris.

“The Oracle.” Eddie got startled as soon as it started.

This is the first time he’s using the “Vision of Life” power – a more advanced version of the Oracle, a telepathy seeing the past and the future of a person using direct contact, or using a person’s cherished object.

In this case, as soon as Jones rested on his couch, Michael directly held his head and entered into his consciousness.

He performed it on Raguel once near the Euphrates River, this should work fine with a human.

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“W, you need to disappear from the world. This is for the safety of the other members and also for your own family.” A voice spoke, with deep, coarse voice, he threatened Jones Williams.

Michael’s perspective on the vision of life was the same as Jones’.

Jones’ looked around, in the dark room, only a dim light in the center of the room that swung violently, directed vision inside the room.

Several people sat around a table, all in rugged clothes. Guns and pistols laid out on the table, including grenades and man military grade weapons.

“This must be Abaddon.” Michael thought to himself.

All of the men were wearing masks halfway to their faces, but halfway the meeting, they removed it.

The dark room has been swinging back and forth and felt like they were inside a boat or a yacht.

“JP, I need someone who can take my place with the same height, weight, and facial features.” Jones approached Jamison after their meeting inside the washroom.

“I’ll make sure to check my connections and if there’s someone who can replace you as a dummy.” Pauls answered him quickly.

“Thank you, brother.” Michael was pulled out of that memory, he selectively checks the one involving the Abaddon terrorists.

Another memory showed…

“W, this is Andy McCrain. He’s got the same height, weight, and facial features. For an amount of $50,000/month, he’s willing to live your family life while we move and disperse.” The three men met in an unfamiliar place. There were coals everywhere, and there was the ocean on the west part of the picturesque view.

“This maybe the north – the Greenwich pier!” Michael observed and listened intently.

“We will be dispersing and living ordinary lives now, be sure to be safe and secure. The others will create fake identities and change their faces, the others will hide in the mountains for a while.” The leader of the Abaddon told his key people to disperse and erase their terrorist past.

“W, you are the most wanted of all of us. It will take time before you can integrate back to society. Be sure to hide while Andy lives your family life.” He continued.

“I’ll make sure to take care of your family, while you’re gone.” The doppelganger spoke as if they’re brothers – twins to be precise.

“Take care of my family.” Jones turned to Andy and shook hands.

Another memory popped up.

“W, your wife… I have been seeing her less and less these days!” Jamison talked on the phone.

“What? What’s happening?” Jones prepared coals to be shipped on the pier.

“I’ll make sure to ask your wife once I see her again.” JP tried to reassure Jones while he’s on hiding.

Whatever JP did, another memory popped up that continued the story…

“Jay, it’s Cecil. I… I need help. Will… he’s been… he’s been different ever since you all came back from sea that day. It’s as if I don’t know my husband anymore… He’s been hitting me and the kids, please… please call me back once you receive this.” JP received Cecil’s call as soon as he confronted W on the pier and talked to him about what’s happening with his family.

“Andy, we need to stop Andy.” Jones wanted to rescue his family from Andy’s abuse.

“This will prolong…” JP tried to convince Jones to keep quiet.

“I don’t care, I’d rather have them without a me there, than them thinking I wanted to hurt them in the first place.” W begged JP to interfere.

Soon, the police were called, and medical test were done. Andy was sentenced to ten years for battery and abuse of Will’s wife and children, but he kept his mouth shut about the Abaddon case.

And another one popped up…

“W, you’ve been hiding out here for too long.” JP visited one of the container in the empty closed down pier.

“I’m… I’m a wanted criminal, besides, I’m already in jail, right?” Jones winked at JP as he brought Jones takeaway food from a fast food restaurant.

“Once Andy is released, I will arrange a fake identity for you, we’ll make sure to integrate you into society as soon as…” JP tapped Jones’ shoulder telling him to hang on.

“I’m not in a hurry. I just want to get back to my family. I’ll make sure to inform them of what happened, at least, this way…” JP smiled with Jones’ positive attitude.

“Just hang in here.”

As Michael rifled through Pauls’ memories one by one, the man seized continually, bringing foaming saliva out of his mouth and his eyes rolled back.

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Arthur stayed in a trance with his original body inside the mansion.

Johnny already tried to close his eyes, but to no avail. Jackson picked up his eye-drop and put some in Arthur’s eyes as it would not dry in the course of several minutes.

Soon, Arthur’s nose bled and his hand shook visibly.

“We need to wake him up.” Matthew became visibly distraught by what he was seeing.

“Is this normal?” Eddie has been panicking ever since the eye opening.

“Nope, but this is the first time we’re seeing this.” Johnny just stood still – panicking inside.

“Arthur, Arthur, wake up! WAKE UP!” Jackson started shaking Arthur’s rigid body but it wouldn’t budge.

“Water!” Eddie’s sensible thinking save them time.

Matthew hurriedly got a glass of water from the kitchen room and immediately splashed it directly to Arthur’s face.

Of course, he woke up immediately.

“*Gasp!” He panted and panted. He gasped for air.

His eyes flushed the color of icy-blue as he faintly closed his eyes, and touched his bloody nose.

“Arthur!” Johnny grabbed him by his hand and hugged him tightly in his arms.

“Please, please, please, I beg you, don’t you dare do that again!” His tears nearly fell of his eyes.

“I won’t.” He looked at Jackson’s, Matthew’s, and Eddie’s worried faces. “I’m so sorry to worry you.” Their faces of relief became a saving ground for Arthur.

Matthew quickly picked up a towel for Arthur’s bloody nose.

“Is that normal?” Jackson asked him directly.

“I actually don’t know, it maybe because of this weak human body. This…” He fluffed the towel against his face and nose.

“This was a first for me.” He continued.

Jackson and Matthew just looked at each other, worried, for one, for this revelation.