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Angel In The Attic	By : fusedtwilight Category: X-men Comics > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 5328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own X-men, it is the property of marvel comics and in no way do i make a profit from this fic.

Chapter List
- 20
- 21
- 22
Angel in the Attic
Chapter 21

Fusedtwilight: Thanks to my beta Lisa and my readers.
This chapter Michael trains with Adonai, learns more about his people's culture, gains a new weapon and crashes a dance.

Michael took a deep breath, sweat ran down his face.
He finished doing his pushups, having made it all the way to one hundred.
He stood up and began to stretch, ignoring the burning in his arms.
It had been nine days since his family died and he was still training. Every day was the same, wake up early, do some warm up training using the vambrace to project his angel fire. He was finally able to project his angel fire just enough to send a person flying back if they were close enough, or cover his body in it to burn anyone who touched him.
He still wasn't able to create the destructive blasts he had been able to create before. But just as Adonai said, his body was learning to adapt to the vambraces effect and training would allow him to draw upon more power. Then when he did take them off he would be capable of techniques he hadn't before.
Adonai walked in then, barefoot and shirtless wearing only a pair of sweatpants.
"Good, ready to begin then?" he asked.
"Always," Michael said.
"Good attitude. You are making good progress with your angel fire. Today we will mostly practice hand-to-hand and some sword training."
He touched the wall and a bigger door slid open, revealing a whole section of swords, axes, daggers, spears and other such weapons.
At the center of all this was a suit of armor. It was silver and has the image of a lion with a pair of bull horns. There was something disturbingly familiar about that image.
The armor was very big; Michael would guess it was Adonai's because he was the only one it could possibly fit. The arms of the armor were holding a sword. It was like a Claymore with writing inscribed on the blade. The hilt was in the shape of golden wings and the pummel was white with a diamond at the end of it.
"Pick a weapon, any weapon," Adonai said.
Michael went to touch the blade, not to use it of course. He was just amazed by how long and big it was. You either had to be really strong or really big to even swing it.
But before he could even put a finger on the hilt Adonai's hand shot out and grabbed his wrist.
"Except that sword," he said seriously. "No one touches my sword unless I am running it through them." He smiled a sinister smile and Michael wondered how many other people got to touch the sword. And by touch he meant run through.
He had this sudden image in his head of Adonai in that armor wielding that sword against an army of demon mutants. It was both a thrilling and terrifying idea that he had no doubt in his mind was true.
He could see him chopping the head off of an opponent's body and yelling with feral joy.
Michael had fencing lessons at the school and liked to turn his angel fire into a flaming sword. He picked up a long sword off the wall and gave it a few twirls.
"Impressive," Adonai said.
"Took some lessons at the school. I figured out how to make my angel fire into weapons. I read about mutants who could control fire and shape it into things, so I figured maybe I could."
"Very smart, a warrior must always be adaptable. He must learn how to use his abilities to the best of his shall we begin?"
They walked out onto the mat and took their stances.
"Shouldn't we be wearing protective gear?" Michael asked.
Adonai just smiled and struck, the sword just grazed the middle of his left arm, drawing just a little blood.
"Pain is a good teacher. Fearing the blows will make you work hard to avoid them."
"I thought a real fighter knows no fear!" Michael exclaimed.
He thrust his blade forward, but Adonai easily parried it.
"Please, fear is a warrior's best friend. It keeps you on your toes, keeps you from being stupid and making a mistake. But fear, like any emotion, can be deadly in excess. A true warrior masters his emotions."
Michael managed to just nick his arm. It didn't draw blood but still it pleased Michael to know he managed some kind of blow.
But then Adoani brought his elbow up into Michael's face. Michael saw white and fell to the ground. He could taste the coppery taste of blood in his mouth.
He glared at Adonai who just smiled. "Though I am partial to anger."
Michael healed his lip. It was not the first time Adonai roughed him up and it wasn't going to be the last. He warned Michael that the training would be tough, and he hadn't been kidding.
There was not a night that went by where Michael didn't feel sore or tired. His physiology was more enhanced then a human's, but even he had his limits and he was constantly pushing against them.
They continued to practice but sadly Michael didn't get another hit. Adonai, however, managed several blows that left Michael with numerous cuts that were shallow but still stung like hell.
"Alright, that is enough," he said.
"So, how did I do?" Michael asked.
"Not bad. You have good skills with a sword. Now onto hand-to-hand," he said.
Michael groaned. He always hated this one. This was where Adonai would teach him some wrestling techniques. Which Michael was at a bit of a disadvantage, seeing how Adonai was seven-feet tall and built like a caveman.
It always ended with Michael being tossed around like a rag doll.
"Remember, use your size to your advantage," Adonai said.
They circled one another and Adonai went to grab for him, doing as instructed Michael, ducked and got behind him. He wrapped his arms around his waist and went to throw him over his shoulders. But Adonai merely wrapped his legs around Michael's chest and then Michael found himself with Adonai pinning him to the ground, sitting on Michael's chest.
"I see you have been learning how to use your enhanced strength," Adonai noted.
Michael was having a tough time trying to breathe. Adonai was a heavy guy after all, and he was practically sitting on Michael's chest.
"Now, let's try again."
They got up and continued to practice.
After an hour Michael lay on the ground, gasping for breath. His body was screaming in pain. He pushed it aside, healed himself and stood back up.
"I...I...I am ready to continue," he said.
"No you're not, you need a break," Adonai said.
"No I don't, I am fine," Michael said.
"Kid, I like your enthusiasm but even if you heal your body's physical injuries, you still need a moment to rest. You are doing great, believe me."
He led Michael out of the training room and into the hallway. They took the elevator to the third floor.
"So, I decided it was time you got to know your roots. See the little bit of history we made as a people," Adonai said.
They walked down another hall, passing a few other doors, all with keypads. Adonai walked to the one at the far end of the hall and typed in a bunch of numbers. The door opened and they walked through.
It looked like some kind of museum. Weapons, armor, statues, clothes and other antiques in glass cases were everywhere. He spotted other stone slabs like the one the X-Men had tried to recover, and like before, his brain began to translate the writing so he could understand it.
"This collection took me years to make. It is the last remnants of the Cheyarafim. We were just starting to branch out when the war happened. Had it not been for those bastards, we would have continued to expand. But they were a mighty foe and our war with them took all our time and manpower."
"What was your relationship with humans like?" Michael asked.
"Indifferent, though every once in a while my children would take one for his or her mate. But we were more concerned with ourselves and our own development. Humans who did encounter us believed we were angels, and although we did not actively encourage them we didn't try and disprove it either. But every once in a while some fool would decide to raise an army and try and attack us to claim our treasures and weapons. They would be quickly reduced to ash."
Michael was inspecting some of the weapons. He remembered reading in the report about the incident with Havas, that the weapons and armor they found had no sign of decay, over a thousand years old, but no rust.
"This isn't normal metal is it?" he asked.
"Ah, I am glad you spotted that. We possessed a very unique metal called firamanium, I acquired it during my travels to the burning worlds," Adonai explained.
"Isn't that the realm of the empyreal spirits?"
"Yes. I made a deal with them I would make a gateway that allowed them passage into our world. I traveled to their dimension and they gave me the firamanium to help in their task. Come, I will show you."
They walked to the end of the room. There was another door made from a thicker metal. Adonai had to type in another pass code, but he also had to do a hand print, retinal scan, and voice key for the door to open.
Security was tighter in this room. Michael spotted dozens of cameras on the walls.
Adonai had a small army living at the mansion, mercenaries he hired to guard the mansion. Michael had seen them patrolling outside the grounds or wandering the halls. They didn't bow to him like the help did, but they would nod.
Everyone knew he was Adonai's heir, that he was being trained to not only take over his legacy but Paradise Inc. one day. Which meant eventually they would all be working for him.
So of course they all gave him a lot of respect.
The new room was a little barer. But there was a large sarcophagus against the wall, a painting of a woman with long black hair, silver wings and blue eyes with flecks of gold in them hung above it. Red flowers were tossed around the sarcophagus; Michael caught a whiff of their sweet scent.
There were a few other items, more weapons, texts and armor.
"These are the weapons of the elite warriors. All of our armor and our weapons were made from firamanium. But a weapon of the elite was different. A bit of their power was infused into their weapon, making it much more formidable. That is why they are kept in here; their masters may be dead but their power remains in their weapons," Adonai said.
They walked to the center of the room, where on a pedestal, sat a large chunk of rock and metal, like some comet from the heavens. It was a mismatch of green, blue, red, and yellow; it looked as if someone had thrown paint on it.
"This is firamanium. Not as durable as adamantium and vibranium, but it never rusts and it's an excellent conductor for mystical energies."
"And you used it to make a gateway for the empyreal spirits? So what happened? Illyana said no one has heard from them in thousands of years. Not even their own followers," Michael said.
"Well, the deal was I would make them a gate. Not that I would open it for them," Adonai said. "I came into contact with them several more times over the years and I soon realized they had a plan for once they came into our world. I also realized their power was far greater than my own and I feared their so-called benevolent intentions weren't as innocent as they led me to believe. It took us decades to come up with a way to build a gate. But once we did we never opened it. Man, were the spirits pissed."
"Where is the gate now?" Michael asked.
"I don't know, it was lost at some point during my slumber. But no worries, the gate can only be opened from our side and I am the only one who can unlock it."
The rest of the tour he spent showing Michael all the items and their history, and the role they played in the history of the Cheyarafim.
"Here is one of the items I think you will be most interested in," he said.
He stopped in front of a case, sitting on a purple silk blanket was a gold crown and next to it was a silver diadem.
"My wife and her crowns. We wore them as we ruled the Cheyarafim. Once I am gone all this will be yours. You will be the sole caretaker and guardian of the remnants of a once proud and mighty people," Adonai explained.
"It all seems so surreal, everything that had happened to me. How did I go from an attic to this?" Michael asked.
"I know how you feel. One minute I am just a lowly mercenary, and then I am one of the most powerful beings on earth with his own kingdom. Now I am a businessman with a multibillion dollar company," Adonai said.
Adonai walked up to him. "By the way, how have you been? I know the funeral was difficult for you."
Michael flinched as if he had been struck.
His family's funeral was a few days ago. Adonai had taken him there, and a bunch of his friends had shown up as well, to lend their support.
Warren, the Professor, the Champions, Jay… Angie told him Anna had contacted them and gave him a letter from her. She wanted to come but her family still had her on lockdown.
He gave Devon a cell phone to give to Anna for him. It was a gift from Adonai to give to her so Michael could talk to her without her parents looking at her cell phone bill and seeing their calls.
None of the other people at the funeral talked to him; in fact, they kept a good distance between him and themselves. But there were plenty of times he would catch looks of disgust and outrage directed at him.
He was glad he still had his telepathy blocked. He was sure he would hear their thought accusing him of being at fault for his family's deaths.
When it was time for him to speak, to say his last words for his family, he almost broke down.
His parents and siblings were dead. What was he going to say? How it was his fault? How he was going to avenge them? How he wished it were himself and not them being buried in the ground?
But he managed a speech. Talking about how although his family had faced many trials, they had gotten past it all. How they managed to overcome the petty issues that tear apart other families. How he would miss them all every day until he died.
After everyone else had their say and began to leave, Jessica, Tonya, RJ, and Jim went up to him and gave their condolences. They were the only ones who spoke to him, or even offered him pity.
He spoke with Warren and the others and reassured them he was okay, that his training was going well, though he did leave out the multiple broken ribs he had gained from the training.
He couldn't stop now, he would not. He had to become stronger, he had to earn the title of alpha mutant.
"I am fine," he lied.
"Bullshit. Your family died right in front of you. You are far from fine."
"Then why ask me if you know the answer?"
"Because I wanted to hear your response. I remember how I felt when my wife died. I almost lost it. I was utterly devastated. But then I snapped out of it. I remembered my wife would not want me to waste away. She would want me to fight on. For her, for our people, so I directed my rage and pain at the Neyaphem. And then they cast that damned spell and I woke up to find my kingdom gone. For the first time in hundreds of years I was alone. Hell, I had less then I had when I was a human, at least I was a part of a group."
"How did you endure all the loss?" Michael asked.
"Oh, I broke some shit, that helped a lot. I drank a lot of alcohol. That helped too and I wanted so badly to end it all. But then I had that vision of you and I was determined to ensure our legacy survived."
"Adonai...will I become immortal?" Michael asked.
"If you are truly like me, then yes. Why?"
"When did you become immortal?"
He got a thoughtful look on his face. "I am not exactly sure how old I was. None of us did. Rashid didn't exactly care for birthdays. I believe I was in my twenties. It happened many years after I became a mutant. Asherah and I went through a metamorphosis. Our bodies were enveloped in angel fire wrapping us in egg-like forms. After a few days we hatched and our wings had gone from white to gold for me, and silver for her, and our powers were fully unlocked. After that we ceased to age,"
"It just seems...daunting. All my friends, they will age and die and I will remain the same. What will I do with my life?"
"Whatever you want. You want to keep fighting for mutant rights, then do that. You can do anything you so desire, go anywhere you want, learn whatever you want. It is your life, do with it as you please."
Michael knew Adonai planned to give him the company. But he had been so busy thinking about training and the loss of his family, he had not thought much of what he would do with Paradise Inc. He didn't know much about the business world. Maybe Warren could help him out?
And with all the money he would inherit he could really help the X-Men out. Sure Xavier and the other members of the team who had deep pockets and good connections helped keep things afloat. But when you run a super hero team you can never have enough money.
"Thank you Adonai. I appreciate all this."
"No problem. Now, let us get back to your training."

Back at the mansion the Champions were training in the Danger Room.
Franziska was with them, having taken Michael's place on the team. She wore the same uniform; only hers showed her midriff and left her arms bare.
Devon had taken one look at her and ran up to her, his hands on his hips. "Damn baby, you fall from heaven?"
She just smiled and flicked him away using her telekinesis.
The walls were shooting discs at them. Angie spun around in a mini-tornado and would throw the discs at the wall breaking them. Rickard used his power to cause them to implode before they hit him, Devon just dodged them and Franziska used her power to shield Wayne, Jacob, and herself from them by making a telekinetic shield.
All the teams had been training a lot since the incident with Bastion. The X-Men were planning on going to his base in South America to take him down. But they were keeping the teams prepared in case he tried to attack.
The Champions were training as hard as they could; they knew Michael planned on going after Bastion, and there was no way they were going to let him do it all by himself.
When the time came, they would be ready as well.
And they were all sure when it was the time to fight, it would be one hell of a battle.

"This technique is called the fist of God," Adonai said.
"Let me guess, you named it yourself?" Michael asked.
Adonai smiled. "Of course. Now pay attention. Normally when we use the angel fire, we project it out of our bodies. But the way this works is we focus it on a specific area. In this case our fist."
He held up his right hand and formed a fist.
"You channel everything you have into it; angel fire and physical power, and when you strike your opponent it will take them out. However, this has a few drawbacks. The first and foremost is, it leaves you vulnerable to attack while you charge it up. Second, is the amount of time it takes to power it back up. The longer you take to put some power into the attack, the more damage it will cause. I once used this technique to cause a volcano to erupt. The final drawback is, after you use it, it leaves you weak."
Adonai took a stance and raised his fist. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His fist began to glow on and off, pulsing like a heart growing brighter and brighter.
"Now you try," he said.
Michael raised his fist and concentrated. He made a fist and began to focus his angel fire into his hand.
"Keep breathing, the key is proper breath control. Your hand will begin to feel heavy as you pool your power into it," Adonai said.
Michael focused and continued to pour as much of his power into his fist. Like Adonai said, his hand was starting to feel heavier and heavier. But it wasn't glowing as bright as Adonai's fist.
"Okay, good. Now I want you to hit me with it."
"With pleasure," Michael smiled. Eager for a little payback for the hell Adonai had put him through (not to mention the broken ribs), Michael brought his fist back and went to punch the giant in the gut.
But Adonai brought his wing up in front of him. Michael's fist struck it and there was a small flash of light as his fist connected with the golden wing. But nothing happened, the wing didn't break (as Michael hoped it would), and he wondered if he didn't put enough power into it.
Adonai pulled his wing back. "Good, now let me show you the true might of the fist of God."
He brought his fist up and struck the ground. There was a massive explosion that almost blinded Michael. A tremendous wave of angel fire erupted from the ground where Adonai struck.
Before Michael could move, the wave struck him and sent him flying into the wall, face first.
He slid to the floor, looking like a bird that flew into a window.
"And that is just a sample of the power of the fist of God," Adonai said.
Michael stood up, the world was still spinning.
"You jerk! You could have killed me!" Michael yelled at him.
"Oh, don't be a drama queen. I was merely giving you a demonstration. I didn't even use it at full strength," Adonai said.
He cracked his knuckles.
"Now, I want you to practice this technique."
"For how long?"
"Until you pass out."

Jean sat on a bench in the woods on the grounds of the mansion.
She used to come to this spot with Scott a lot when they were younger.
Those were the good days, when they were still young and full of hope and innocence.
When did it all go wrong?
The Phoenix?
Apocalypse?
How did they go from being madly in love to slowly drifting apart resulting in him having an affair with Emma?
She sensed him long before she heard the sound of his feet hitting the ground or felt him sit next to her.
"Jean," he whispered.
"Scott," she said.
There once was a time when he would wrap his arm around he and she would rest her head on his shoulder and they would watch the scenery in a silence that was more profound than words.
But now they sat apart, looking anywhere but at one another, the once warm feeling long gone. It was the first time they had talked since the...incident.
Jean had sought out Scott to talk to him about what Adonai told her when they fought. She found him in their bed, asleep, but she sensed some odd telepathic readings. She went into his mind to find him and Emma together.
It all went downhill from there. She confronted Emma and quickly reminded her that pissing off an omega level mutant was ill-advised.
She quickly beat her in a battle of the minds and made her relive her most painful and regret-filled memories, humbling the once-proud White Queen.
Scott had left the school for a couple of days then to get his head on straight. He knew they would have to talk.
"Are we going to talk?" he asked.
"You tell me Scott. I don't know what to say," she said.
"I am sorry," he said.
"Why didn't you come to me sooner, Scott? We could have gone to therapy or something," Jean said.
"Jean, ever since Apocalypse I haven't felt like myself. Maybe it is some lingering bit of him still in me but I have felt...distant from everything and everyone. Then you started to manifest the Phoenix Force power and started to focus more on that, and less on me."
"So this is my fault? Scott, the last time I was the host for the Phoenix I destroyed a whole world! I had to focus on my new powers because I didn't want to go dark again!"
"But did you ever think maybe this new power of yours should be left alone?" he asked.
"I can't believe this, you of all people, should understand the need to control one's power! I can't just ignore it and wish it away, Scott! It is going to continue to grow inside of me no matter what, and I want to be able to control it!"
Scott stood up and ran his hand through his hair.
"I do understand Jean, but you were always more focused on your power then us!"
Jean stood up as tears began to fall down her face.
"Why don't we just cut to the chase, Scott. You don't love me anymore!"
Scott turned to face her. "Jean, I-"
"Don't try and protect me, Scott. When I confronted Emma I saw the truth. She has feelings for you too. She used that therapy as an excuse to get close to you. She loves you and you...you love her."
Scott looked stunned. "Jean...I...-"
"I know you care for her too. Whatever you felt for me is long gone and now she is the one you care for," Jean said sadly. "I love you Scott...we have been through so much together...God I can't believe this is happening. But I want a divorce."
"Jean!"
"No, Scott...I wish it was different. But our love...it ran its course; it's over, and being together is only going to continue to hurt us."
She held out her hand and her wedding ring flew from her finger to float in front of Scott.
"It's over Scott...goodbye."
She turned and walked away. Scott took the ring and sat on the bench while a tear ran down his face.
"How did it come to this?" he asked.

"You know, when I said practice until you pass out I was only kidding," Adonai said.
Michael was on his knees, sweat covered his face and chest. He was so tired now.
"No, I almost got it," Michael said.
"Kid, I like your attitude, but there comes a time when we all need to rest. You can practice the technique later. Right now I want you to train in manipulating the angel fire."
"But-"
"Now," Adonai said.
Michael knew better then to argue. He stood up on shaky legs and walked over to Adonai.
"You know the routine," he said. He raised his hand and shot a ball of angel fire at Michael.
Michael caught it and shot it back at Adonai. Adonai caught it and threw it at Michael and they went back and forth, catching the ball and throwing it back.
"Alright, now try and throw it at me without touching it," Adonai said.
He threw it at Michael and Michael let it hit him. It didn't hurt him, his body merely absorbed it.
"Not what I meant," Adonai said.
"Sorry," Michael said.
"Remember, you can manipulate angel fire the same way a hydrokinetic manipulates water. Feel it with your mind, will it to obey your commands."
He formed a new sphere and shot it at Michael. Michael focused on the ball; he imagined what it felt like when he manipulated his own angel fire, when he made it form into a sword or a sphere.
The ball stopped right in front of his face.
"Good job," Adonai said pleased.
Michael smiled. He willed the sphere to get larger and larger until it was three times larger than before.
"Even better!"
Michael smiled even wider and shot the ball at Adonai who let it hit him, it was harmlessly absorbed into his body and he frowned at Michael.
"What the hell was that?"
"Don't be such a drama queen. You're the great Yahweh, a little ball of angel fire won't harm you," Michael said.
"Oh, a smart ass, huh? I think it is time I showed you how we dealt with smart asses in my day."
Adonai cracked his knuckles and took a fighting stance. Michael spread his wings and took to the sky.
"Oh, like I can't do that," Adonai teased.
He spread his wings and followed Michael. He fired beams of angel fire at Michael, but he merely deflected them.
"Angel fire won't work on me, remember?" Michael said.
"To an extent it won't," Adonai said.
He opened his palm and pointed it at Michael, a thin wiry beam shot out and wrapped around Michael.
"Got you bitch!" Adonai said.
Michael broke free of his confinement and pointed his hand at Adonai. A sphere of angel fire shot out, it wasn't very strong, Adonai easily swatted it aside.
"I...I actually shot out a blast!" Michael said, happy he was finally able to project his power again even if it wasn't much.
"It is a good sign. When the time comes for you to remove the vambrace, your ability to manipulate angel fire will be immense," Adonai explained.
They continued to spar for the next hour; flying around and trying to blast one another, only for the attack to be absorbed or deflected.
Both having more fun then they cared to admit.

Bastion stood in the control room.
He was going over some data when one of the Purifiers entered the room.
"Sir, good news, we have successfully transformed another group into Omega Prime Sentinels," the Purifier said.
"Excellent. We must continue to increase our ranks so when we attack the X-Men they will have no chance to defend themselves," Bastion said.
"Sir, I also must tell you we still cannot locate the Bronson boy; he has not been seen since his family's funeral. We believe he is with Adonai. But Adonai has dozens of mansions and safe houses where he could be keeping him."
"It does not matter. We must only worry about building our guard. He will come to me. And this time, I will finish the job," Bastion said.

Anna sat with her family at the dinner table.
She was not happy.
Her parents had invited Kellan Carver over for dinner. He was in the same grade as her, went to the same school as her, and was an okay guy.
But the fact he was here irritated her. Her mother told her he was coming over for dinner and she wondered why he had been invited. Anna's mom was friends with Kellan's mother and used that as an excuse to have him come over.
But it didn't take her long before she realized her parent's plan.
They had her sit next to him at the dinner table. Her brothers just seemed to love him and that was the first sign something was wrong. They were acting way too friendly with him.
Not only that but her parents kept on trying to get her to pay more attention to him, or bragging to Kellan about how nice of a girl Anna was and how wonderful she was.
Then her mother mentioned the upcoming school dance and her father pointed out that Anna and Kellan should go together.
It was then Anna realized her whole family was trying to set her up with Kellan.
"I would love to take Anna to the dance, if that is okay with her," Kellan said.
Anna smiled politely. "Thanks, but I wasn't planning on going. Besides, it wouldn't be right, I already have a boyfriend."
"Oh? I didn't know that," Kellan said, sounding a little put down.
Her family got real tense and a lot of shifty eyes could be seen.
"Yes, his name is Michael and he is a mu-"
"Anna, can I see you in the kitchen, I uh...forgot something," her mom said.
Anna got up and followed her mother into the kitchen.
"Really mom? You're trying to set me up with him?" Anna asked.
"Kellan is a sweet boy," her mom defended herself.
"Yes, but he is not my type and I am still with Michael."
"You are not with that mutant, Anna. How many times do we have to tell you he has you under his thrall. That's what mutants do; they use their powers to lure in girls like you."
"Oh my God mom, he didn't lure me in, if anything, I was the one who went after him!" Anna exclaimed.
"Anna, you are going to the dance with Kellan and that is final. If you don't, you will be grounded for a whole month and we will take away your cell phone," her mother said firmly.
Anna looked at her mother with outrage.
"I can't believe you! You are blackmailing me!"
"No, I am trying to save you." Her mother put her hands on Anna's shoulders. "Trust me, once you are around a nice normal human boy, you will see sense. And don't you dare tell him you are dating a mutant. Last thing we need is people to know you had anything to do with those things."
They returned to the kitchen and Anna agreed to go to the dance with Kellan. He seemed mighty pleased and when he wasn't looking she glared at her parents.
Once Kellan left she immediately went to her room and slammed the door shut and locked it. She went into her drawer and pulled out a box of tampons.
She opened it up and pulled out a cell phone. She kept it in the box so if her brothers went snooping around her room trying to find evidence she was talking to Michael, they wouldn't dare look in a box of feminine products.
Men were so squeamish about such little things.
The phone was given to her from Michael's friend Devon who told her it was a direct line to Michael. They still had to be careful that her family didn't find out. At night she would lock her door, turn the TV on and talk to Michael. They hadn't spoken much, she knew he was busy training, but she still missed him.
She sent him a text, asking him to call her at midnight so they could talk.
If only he could be the one taking her to the dance.

It was three weeks after his family was killed.
Michael's training was paying off. Not only was he more physically fit (complete with rock hard muscles and a six pack!), but he was able to blast more powerful bursts of his angel fire to the point that he could burn someone.
Adonai and Michael were out in the desert. It was night, and to be honest, a little chilly, but part of Michael's physiology made him highly resistant to cold temperatures.
Adonai had started a fire and had drawn strange symbols onto Michael skin using white paint.
"Tonight, we will perform a sacred ritual of our people. This has not been done in a long time. Michael, I did not plan on doing this so soon, but your zeal and determination has proved to me you are ready."
"Ready for what?" Michael asked.
"Remember when I told you the warrior elite of our people had special weapons?" Adonai asked.
"Yes. You said they had special powers depending on what ability their owner had," Michael said.
"Indeed. Those special weapons are called a divine instrument. A Cheyarafim's divine instrument was their most prized and precious item. It showed that a Cheyarafim was powerful and a mighty warrior. They were as precious to us as our wings. It is like another part of our body. My grandson Antelious was the one who came up with the process. He was a craftsman and made armor and weapons for our warriors. But when he read stories of magical weapons he began to experiment, trying to do the same. He helped me make my sword for my two hundredth year as king."
"What kind of weapon will I get?" Michael asked. "A sword maybe?"
"Maybe. The instrument would vary. Some got a sword, others an ax, or a spear, or a hammer or a staff. Some were not weapons at all. I knew one of my bloodline got a horn."
Adonai used a long wooden stick to draw a symbol on the ground with them and the fire at the center of this.
"This reminds me of the ritual Illyana used to make Megan's soul dagger," Michael said.
"The ritual is similar, but different. We won't be using a piece of your soul. That can be used to make an extraordinary powerful weapon but it leaves the rest of your soul vulnerable to infection. Instead, we will be using something just as valuable."
"What?" Michael asked.
Adonai pulled out a thin but sharp looking dagger.
"Your blood."
Michael paled a little. There was something about Adoani holding a dagger while smiling like a madman he found to be rather unsettling.
"Oh, don't be scared. We just need a little bit, is all."
Adonai sat across from Michael. He reached into the bag he brought and pulled out a small leather-bound book, a silver goblet with runes along the edges, and a smaller pouch. He placed the goblet in the fire. He added more wood, and waited until the goblet began to turn red with heat.
Adonai opened the book and began to speak in a language that sounded a little bit like Hebrew and Arabic. A wind began to blow and the fire seemed to grow bigger.
Adonai reached into the small pouch and pulled out several crystals and crushed them in his hands. He poured the dust in the goblet.
Adonai continued to chant,and next pulled out a small shard of multicolored metal Michael recognized as firmaminuim and placed it in the goblet. The wind was blowing much stronger. He then pulled out a canteen of water and poured some of it into the goblet.
A glow began to emanate from Michael's body, coming from the markings Adonai had painted on it.
Adonai stopped chanting and looked at Michael.
"Michael Bronson, are you ready for the honor of having your own divine instrument? Do you swear to use it for the good of the people? To protect them from harm? To defend the weak from those who prey on them?" Adonai asked.
"I do."
"Then seal your oath in blood, give your offering to the goblet and take your prize. Hold your hand over the goblet."
Michael did as instructed and put his hand over the goblet. The flames licked at his flesh but it did not hurt him or affect him.
Adoni raised the knife and skilfully cut the palm of his hand. Michael winced and ignored the sting of the cut. Blood began to run out of the cut and into the goblet.
His blood soon began to boil in the now red-hot goblet.
"Now repeat after me. Ha bozeth, mornth gron fedzill, zenril, raster," Adonai said.
"Ha bozeth, mornth gron fedzill, zenril, raster," Michael repeated.
The wind suddenly died down and the fire went out. The goblet remained red-hot and the markings on Michael's body continued to glow.
"So...now what?" Michael asked.
"Now this," Adonai said.
A beam of light shot out from the goblet. The runes floated off from his skin and began to dance around that beam. Then it grew smaller and smaller and a scarlet-tinged glob of metal floated up from the goblet. The runes danced around it like the moons of a planet.
"Well go on, claim your prize," Adonai instructed.
Remembering Megan reaching to grab her soul dagger, Michael reached into the pillar and grabbed the floating metal. Angel fire erupted around his hand and began to form a shape.
The pillar of light died down and Michael watched in fascination as the angel fire grew and took shape. When it was dimming, he held a five-foot long double-bladed spear in his hands.
The blades were a foot long, leaf-shaped, and had markings on it similar to the markings on Adonai's sword. The staff was white like marble and smooth.
"Not bad," Adonai said.
"It's amazing!" Michael smiled.
It felt light in his hands. He gave it a few practice swings. The blade seemed to sing as he sliced it through the air.
"I guess we'll have to start teaching you how to use a spear instead of a sword," Adonai said.
"You said some of the Cheyarafims had special abilities. Does mine?" Michael asked.
"Try to channel your power into it," Adonai advised.
Michael pointed his spear off in the distance. He focused his power into the spear. The tip glowed white and a beam of angel fire shot out. The beam hit a boulder and reduced it to dust.
"Neat!" Michael cried out.
Adonai stood up. "Treat it well, Michael. Remember, it isn't a toy. It is an extension of your will. Like an organ."
"I will...hey Adonai, can I ask you a favor?" Michael asked.
"Sure."
"See, my girlfriend has this dance at her school."
"And?"
"And she has another date."
"So?"
"So, it's a date her mutant-hating parents forced her to go with."
"And you think I am going to just teleport all the way to her school just so you could sweep her off her feet?"
"Yep."
"I like your style!"

The gym had been decorated with garners and balloons.
Anna sat at one of the tables alone. She looked beautiful in a pale blue dress with silver earrings and a silver cross Michael had gotten her.
Kellan was over with his friends talking. He had been nice to her but once he saw his buddies he ditched her to go hang with them.
She had asked him to dance but he told her they would later. That was an hour ago.
"If Michael was here this wouldn't happen," she said to herself.
"What wouldn't happen?"
Her head snapped up to look at the speaker. Michael stood beside her, wearing a black suit and matching bow tie. His hair was combed back and he looked really dashing.
"Hey, Anna," he said with a warm smile.
She stood up and hugged him. "Oh my God! What are you doing here? I thought you were training?"
"I still am. But I have been doing such a good job Adonai decided to reward me. And I decided I wanted to come here and see you. So, may I have this dance?" he asked, extending his hand.
She got up and took it and they made their way to the dance floor, where thankfully a slow song was playing. Lots of people were dancing so they were not worried about being seen any time soon.
They stared into one another's eyes, having missed each other more than they could describe.
"How has the training been?" she asked.
"Brutal. I am glad I can heal myself, otherwise I would be in a hospital right now," Michael said.
"You shouldn't work so hard. And what are these?"
She could feel the vambrace underneath his sleeves.
"They help me with my training. I can't take them off for at least another month yet," he said.
"What do they do?"
"They make it difficult for me to use my angel fire. It teaches me how to summon more of it so when I do take them off I will be able to do things I couldn't before."
"And after you are done training will you come back to the mansion?" she asked.
"I will try, though I don't know how long it will be before I am done training. Adonai hasn't told me how long it will take."
"I missed you Michael, I have been so worried about you, I-"
"Excuse me."
They turned to see Kellan standing in front of them and he didn't seem too pleased to see Anna dancing with another boy.
"I thought you wanted to dance?" he asked.
"I did, like an hour ago," Anna said with a sigh.
"Who are you?" Kellan asked looking Michael up and down.
"Michael, I am her boyfriend," Michael said.
"Boyfriend?" Kellan asked.
"Yes, so thanks for looking after her but I will take it from here," Michael said.
"Whoa, listen, pal." He put his hand on Michael's arm.
"No, you listen!" Michael growled. His eyes glowed with a white light and Kellan jumped back. "She is my girl and the only one who will be dancing with her is me. So I suggest you piss off before I reduce you to ash, little man!"
"You're a...a...a-"
"Mutant? Yeah. Boo!"
Kellan turned and ran as far away as he could. Anna was in shock; she had never seen Michael act so aggressive. She thought it was kind of hot, but at the same time it also worried her.
"Sorry about that," he said turning back to her.
"No, don't apologize. I am glad you are here, Michael. I missed you," she said.
He kissed her on her cheek. "I missed you too."
"I am sorry about all this," she said.
"Don't be. You couldn't help it."
"Still. It sucks that my parents would threaten to blackmail me just to get me to go on a date with Kellan."
"Don't worry about it. Let's just enjoy the time we have," Michael said.
The rest of the night they danced together. It did not take long for the whole school to realize who Michael was. Kellan had wasted no time in telling the others Michael was a mutant, and many recognized him as the YouTube kid.
But they didn't care. Let the students whisper and mutter all they want.
This night was theirs and no one could have it.

Anna was in a good mood. Kellan, not so much.
He had not spoken one word to her since she got in his car to go home
But she could tell he was angry. The set of his shoulders and the heavy frown on his face told her that much.
But Anna didn't care.
He dropped her off at her house and as soon as she shut the door, he drove off. She walked up to her house and went inside. Her mother came walking from the dining room, a smile on her face.
"How was your date with Kellan?" she asked.
"Oh, wonderful," Anna answered.
Esther beamed, ignorant as to the true reason she was happy.
Anna walked to her room and changed for bed. She knew first thing in the morning she would have to deal with her angry parents, but for now she did not care.
She had a wonderful time with Michael. Though she knew he was not the same boy she fell in love with, she still loved him nonetheless.
Though, it did make her feel a bit sad he lost some of his innocence when his family died.
She could not wait for his training to be over and for him to return home. She knew things would be different, though, Michael was changed forever.
She just hoped the change wouldn't make him into something she could not love.

Fusedtwilight: I was going to give Michael a sword but I figured that would be too obvious and I didn't want him to be too much like Adonai who has a sword. Please review.
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Angel In The Attic