Angelico's body, still on
Earth-time told him it had been a day and a half since his fight against the
demon called Shadowed. However, based on the clocks used on the moon of Dogma,
it was just earlier that night. Their system of measuring time was unique, as no
previously established method could account for the slow pace the moon spun at,
nor the quick rotation it made around an uninhabitable planet.
Angelico had arrived during the nocturnal season when nights are three times as long as the day.
Since his fight, Angelico had attended no less than six parties. By the end of the fourth, his head was cloudy, making it difficult to count just how many parties he had been to. He was loaded with Nixgaven, a local, popular drink that resembled a hard liquor-energy drink combination popular on Earth. It was the only way to make it through the long nights. Eventually, Angelico's body had had enough, and he needed to rest. Even the liquid stimulant could not keep him awake.
There was no way for him to tell just how long he slept based on Dogma time. It was still the middle of the night when he was awoken. He had an uneasy feeling that he was being watched, yet strain his eyes as he might, he could not see anyone there. He closed his eyes and laid on his side, then heard a familiar voice. It was Shadowed. Cloaked in darkness, he was invisible.
Angelico momentarily jumped up in fear, alert. He listed to what Shadowed had to say and then fell instantly asleep. He woke up shortly after, debating if the visit from Shadowed had been a dream or not. He hoped it wasn't, as he would humiliate himself by following delusional orders.
Though he wasn't scheduled to fight again that night, he was still headed to the arena, and he needed a couple hours to prepare. He had a public appearance to keep up. First and foremost, his wing had been damaged in the fight. After a couple of drinks, it seemed like a good idea to patch the hole with gum. Now, in the first sobering moments of wakefulness, Angelico realized just how stupid that was.
Angelico didn't think anyone on this one space-transport moon would understand the complexity of his wings. He didn't fully understand them. He carved a hole in the wax, removing the gum and any feathers and wax that had made contact with it. He spread on an uneven film of wax over the hole on each side. The front of his wings was fairly easy to fix, however, he struggled to find the right way to shift his wing, so he could both see the back in the mirror and reach it. He blew a hairdryer on each side of the wax to soften it, attached some spare feathers he brought with him, and then left his wings to harden. He hoped he did this correctly, as he could not fly with broken wings.
His wings had plenty of time to cool down as he worked out, bleached his roots, showered, curled his hair, and applied body glitter. As he was going in his street clothes, so the glitter didn't need to cover more than just his face and arms.
When he was satisfied with his angel in blue jeans appearance, he went down to the stadium. They were nice enough to give him a hotel room directly across from the stadium, and it was a quick walk. He stood in line with everyone else but disrupted the line as the people gathered around to greet him. These people weren't there to see him fight but fawned over him anyway. He basked in their praise and glory.
As people treated him extra well, he was given a seat upfront, which was where he wanted to be. He surveyed the arena from the point of view of the audience. He had not been to a gladiator match as a spectator since he was a boy with his father. This was sparking memories, but he was not there to reminisce, he had to plan.
The barriers that separated the audience from the gladiators were less than protective, for either side. They were sheets of glass, about twenty feet high. That was it. Lacking severely in the high-tech protection Ophidian offers their viewers. Angelico wondered what happened if a bio-tek fighter lost control and infected the audience. Or more likely, what if someone was thrown through the glass?
The announcer, who Angelico could see off to the side of the arena floor at his little table, started introducing the fighters. Angelico felt his hands sweating more profusely than when he was last down there. "Welcome to the Dogma Arena's Lunar Tournament. Tonight is a two-on-one battle. In his second fight tonight, and hopefully the last of his career, from Morten, standing six feet ten inches, Shadowed." The crowd stood and started booing. Going along with mob mentality, Angelico did the same. It felt good to feel negative about a gladiator and express it with a group of others. For a moment, Angelico thought he really hated him.
The announcer continued, "Two hometown heroes we all know and love, from The Dogma Medical Center just down the street, standing five feet, four inches, your physician and mine, Doctor Alfons Sergeon." The crowd, already standing, clapped hard, some cheered. Angelico took delight in the fact that he had received a larger welcome from them. Dr. Sergeon seemed short from where Angelico stood. His hair was a dirty-blond and plastered to his head by what could have been an entire bottle of hair gel. He wore silver-rimmed, round glasses that were just a shade off of his skin tone, though it was hard to tell if the glasses were lighter or darker than his skin. He wore a lab coat, with a pocket protector of who-knows-what sticking out of it. Most of his clothes were a drab grey, including a shirt, tie, and pants. His pants' cuffs did not quite reach his brown shoes, showing off his once-white sox.
Angelico shook his head at what passed for a gladiator in these parts. No wonder the people loved him so.
Angelico had arrived during the nocturnal season when nights are three times as long as the day.
Since his fight, Angelico had attended no less than six parties. By the end of the fourth, his head was cloudy, making it difficult to count just how many parties he had been to. He was loaded with Nixgaven, a local, popular drink that resembled a hard liquor-energy drink combination popular on Earth. It was the only way to make it through the long nights. Eventually, Angelico's body had had enough, and he needed to rest. Even the liquid stimulant could not keep him awake.
There was no way for him to tell just how long he slept based on Dogma time. It was still the middle of the night when he was awoken. He had an uneasy feeling that he was being watched, yet strain his eyes as he might, he could not see anyone there. He closed his eyes and laid on his side, then heard a familiar voice. It was Shadowed. Cloaked in darkness, he was invisible.
Angelico momentarily jumped up in fear, alert. He listed to what Shadowed had to say and then fell instantly asleep. He woke up shortly after, debating if the visit from Shadowed had been a dream or not. He hoped it wasn't, as he would humiliate himself by following delusional orders.
Though he wasn't scheduled to fight again that night, he was still headed to the arena, and he needed a couple hours to prepare. He had a public appearance to keep up. First and foremost, his wing had been damaged in the fight. After a couple of drinks, it seemed like a good idea to patch the hole with gum. Now, in the first sobering moments of wakefulness, Angelico realized just how stupid that was.
Angelico didn't think anyone on this one space-transport moon would understand the complexity of his wings. He didn't fully understand them. He carved a hole in the wax, removing the gum and any feathers and wax that had made contact with it. He spread on an uneven film of wax over the hole on each side. The front of his wings was fairly easy to fix, however, he struggled to find the right way to shift his wing, so he could both see the back in the mirror and reach it. He blew a hairdryer on each side of the wax to soften it, attached some spare feathers he brought with him, and then left his wings to harden. He hoped he did this correctly, as he could not fly with broken wings.
His wings had plenty of time to cool down as he worked out, bleached his roots, showered, curled his hair, and applied body glitter. As he was going in his street clothes, so the glitter didn't need to cover more than just his face and arms.
When he was satisfied with his angel in blue jeans appearance, he went down to the stadium. They were nice enough to give him a hotel room directly across from the stadium, and it was a quick walk. He stood in line with everyone else but disrupted the line as the people gathered around to greet him. These people weren't there to see him fight but fawned over him anyway. He basked in their praise and glory.
As people treated him extra well, he was given a seat upfront, which was where he wanted to be. He surveyed the arena from the point of view of the audience. He had not been to a gladiator match as a spectator since he was a boy with his father. This was sparking memories, but he was not there to reminisce, he had to plan.
The barriers that separated the audience from the gladiators were less than protective, for either side. They were sheets of glass, about twenty feet high. That was it. Lacking severely in the high-tech protection Ophidian offers their viewers. Angelico wondered what happened if a bio-tek fighter lost control and infected the audience. Or more likely, what if someone was thrown through the glass?
The announcer, who Angelico could see off to the side of the arena floor at his little table, started introducing the fighters. Angelico felt his hands sweating more profusely than when he was last down there. "Welcome to the Dogma Arena's Lunar Tournament. Tonight is a two-on-one battle. In his second fight tonight, and hopefully the last of his career, from Morten, standing six feet ten inches, Shadowed." The crowd stood and started booing. Going along with mob mentality, Angelico did the same. It felt good to feel negative about a gladiator and express it with a group of others. For a moment, Angelico thought he really hated him.
The announcer continued, "Two hometown heroes we all know and love, from The Dogma Medical Center just down the street, standing five feet, four inches, your physician and mine, Doctor Alfons Sergeon." The crowd, already standing, clapped hard, some cheered. Angelico took delight in the fact that he had received a larger welcome from them. Dr. Sergeon seemed short from where Angelico stood. His hair was a dirty-blond and plastered to his head by what could have been an entire bottle of hair gel. He wore silver-rimmed, round glasses that were just a shade off of his skin tone, though it was hard to tell if the glasses were lighter or darker than his skin. He wore a lab coat, with a pocket protector of who-knows-what sticking out of it. Most of his clothes were a drab grey, including a shirt, tie, and pants. His pants' cuffs did not quite reach his brown shoes, showing off his once-white sox.
Angelico shook his head at what passed for a gladiator in these parts. No wonder the people loved him so.
When the clapping quieted, though
it did not completely stop, the announcer went on. "Always by his side,
standing five feet, nine inches, his lovely wife, Arianna Sergeon." Now
the crowd, especially the men, went berserk, clapping, shouting, whistling,
some yelling out their phone numbers.
Angelico was stunned. He wondered how this guy was able to not only date but marry, a woman of this caliber. She was slender except where smaller isn't better. She had an ivory quality to her skin, like Pygmalion's statue brought to life. Her hair was long, brown, curly at the ends. Even from the distance, he was at, Angelico could see her eyes, which were a color of violet not normally found in nature. She moved with an elegant grace that drew the onlookers' eyes wherever she wanted them. She did not smile but always looked as if she were on the verge of one, or a delicate, playful laugh.
It was nearly fifteen minutes, by Angelico's timing, before the crowd settled down enough for the announcer to give the order for the match to start. Shadowed stood his ground, watching them. Arianna paced casually as if she were waiting for something. Dr. Sergeon dove for a scrap pile and started working. While Arianna kept the focus of the crowd, Dr. Sergeon worked hard and produced a supply bot, followed by three berserk robots. Arianna gave a command and the berserk robots rushed at Shadowed.
Shadowed fought them off, destroying them, but seemed to take a couple of hits in return. In the meantime, the supply bot had found a Nukatal boom-rang and gave it to Dr. Sergeon. The doctor threw it at Shadowed, hitting him, but it did not return. Shadowed was advancing on Arianna, and she looked ready to take him. He landed two punches in rapid succession to her left side, but she was none the worse for it. She hit back, but it did nothing against Shadowed's tough exterior.
Angelico was on the edge of his seat, waiting. He wiped the sweat off his hands onto his pants. His heart and breath quickened. He was waiting for the right moment.
Shadowed brought a hand down across Arianna's face, extending his claws as he made contact. The crowd jumped to their feet and "oohed" in unison. Angelico, also standing, stiffened, and started to shake. Suddenly Shadowed snapped Arianna's neck, twisting her head around in an unnatural way. She dropped to the ground, unmoving. Angelico wondered if he had missed his cue.
Shadowed set his sight on Dr. Sergeon, who immediately retreated from Shadowed and started to run. Shadowed chased after him, but not in a direct route. He would cut him off to the left, making Dr. Sergeon run to the right, only to corner him, threaten him with his claws, and let him go. This continued, to the point where it looked like the crowd could take no more. As Dr. Sergeon headed straight for the section Angelico was sitting in, he stumbled, allowing Shadowed plenty of time to catch up. Shadowed leaped at him, landing his shoulder in the square of his back. The doctor was down, and Shadowed stood, straddling him, claws in the air.
That was it. With a flap of his wings that brushed several people in the audience, Angelico jumped into the air. It took two more flaps, pushing the abilities of his wings, to lift him over the top of the glass barrier. Using his wings to slow his fall, he landed over Dr. Sergeon, in between Shadowed's claws and the doctor's face. Angelico caught Shadowed's arm as it fell, then twisted it behind his
back.
Going with the momentum of the scene, Angelico shouted audibly, "No, you're not going to kill him. The people need their doctor." There was a cheer from the crowd that was probably heard on the next moon if it was populated.
Shadowed wriggled himself free and started to make a run for it. Angelico leaped and glided after him, catching him by the legs. Both fell to the ground and skidded. Angelico came up with a mouth full of blood and dirt. Shadowed, with no visible orifices or features, looked unharmed by the fall. Angelico smacked him across the face with his elbow. Shadowed reeled from this, holding his face where a mouth would be. His recoiling body demonstrated pain for the first time.
The arena was suddenly busy with guards, doctors, and the referee. The doctors attended to Arianna and Dr. Sergeon. The referee tried to calm the crowd down, as they were on the verge of a riot. One guard pulled Angelico back from Shadowed, the others simultaneously shackled Shadowed's arms and legs and tasered him with a stun gun. He shook in a comical fashion before going completely limp.
Angelico, escorted by a guard, left feeling dizzy from adrenaline and the Nixgaven had not yet left his system. He really hoped this went down as Shadowed had wanted, and that their meeting was not merely a dream.
Angelico was stunned. He wondered how this guy was able to not only date but marry, a woman of this caliber. She was slender except where smaller isn't better. She had an ivory quality to her skin, like Pygmalion's statue brought to life. Her hair was long, brown, curly at the ends. Even from the distance, he was at, Angelico could see her eyes, which were a color of violet not normally found in nature. She moved with an elegant grace that drew the onlookers' eyes wherever she wanted them. She did not smile but always looked as if she were on the verge of one, or a delicate, playful laugh.
It was nearly fifteen minutes, by Angelico's timing, before the crowd settled down enough for the announcer to give the order for the match to start. Shadowed stood his ground, watching them. Arianna paced casually as if she were waiting for something. Dr. Sergeon dove for a scrap pile and started working. While Arianna kept the focus of the crowd, Dr. Sergeon worked hard and produced a supply bot, followed by three berserk robots. Arianna gave a command and the berserk robots rushed at Shadowed.
Shadowed fought them off, destroying them, but seemed to take a couple of hits in return. In the meantime, the supply bot had found a Nukatal boom-rang and gave it to Dr. Sergeon. The doctor threw it at Shadowed, hitting him, but it did not return. Shadowed was advancing on Arianna, and she looked ready to take him. He landed two punches in rapid succession to her left side, but she was none the worse for it. She hit back, but it did nothing against Shadowed's tough exterior.
Angelico was on the edge of his seat, waiting. He wiped the sweat off his hands onto his pants. His heart and breath quickened. He was waiting for the right moment.
Shadowed brought a hand down across Arianna's face, extending his claws as he made contact. The crowd jumped to their feet and "oohed" in unison. Angelico, also standing, stiffened, and started to shake. Suddenly Shadowed snapped Arianna's neck, twisting her head around in an unnatural way. She dropped to the ground, unmoving. Angelico wondered if he had missed his cue.
Shadowed set his sight on Dr. Sergeon, who immediately retreated from Shadowed and started to run. Shadowed chased after him, but not in a direct route. He would cut him off to the left, making Dr. Sergeon run to the right, only to corner him, threaten him with his claws, and let him go. This continued, to the point where it looked like the crowd could take no more. As Dr. Sergeon headed straight for the section Angelico was sitting in, he stumbled, allowing Shadowed plenty of time to catch up. Shadowed leaped at him, landing his shoulder in the square of his back. The doctor was down, and Shadowed stood, straddling him, claws in the air.
That was it. With a flap of his wings that brushed several people in the audience, Angelico jumped into the air. It took two more flaps, pushing the abilities of his wings, to lift him over the top of the glass barrier. Using his wings to slow his fall, he landed over Dr. Sergeon, in between Shadowed's claws and the doctor's face. Angelico caught Shadowed's arm as it fell, then twisted it behind his
back.
Going with the momentum of the scene, Angelico shouted audibly, "No, you're not going to kill him. The people need their doctor." There was a cheer from the crowd that was probably heard on the next moon if it was populated.
Shadowed wriggled himself free and started to make a run for it. Angelico leaped and glided after him, catching him by the legs. Both fell to the ground and skidded. Angelico came up with a mouth full of blood and dirt. Shadowed, with no visible orifices or features, looked unharmed by the fall. Angelico smacked him across the face with his elbow. Shadowed reeled from this, holding his face where a mouth would be. His recoiling body demonstrated pain for the first time.
The arena was suddenly busy with guards, doctors, and the referee. The doctors attended to Arianna and Dr. Sergeon. The referee tried to calm the crowd down, as they were on the verge of a riot. One guard pulled Angelico back from Shadowed, the others simultaneously shackled Shadowed's arms and legs and tasered him with a stun gun. He shook in a comical fashion before going completely limp.
Angelico, escorted by a guard, left feeling dizzy from adrenaline and the Nixgaven had not yet left his system. He really hoped this went down as Shadowed had wanted, and that their meeting was not merely a dream.
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