Angel Falls: Vengeance (short story)
Angel Falls: Vengeance was the second half of a duology of prose stories by DeviantArt user BelRhaza4017 written to bridge the gap between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of James Bridger's Kate Five. Being set in the collaborative setting of Angel Falls, it featured multiple characters owned by different creators, including Ms. Blitzen, PhyreFrost and Gravitas, all created by Knight3000, as well as Hailey Storm, created by Moxiee, and Wyldechild and Novastar, created by Kmon13.
Contents
Plot
An hour after Emily, alias Ms. Blitzen was admitted into Guardians HQ's infirmary, Matthias Geist, Hailey Storm, Prince Ozarion and Rhomerho Kel Llurian, flying through the skies of Angel Falls, reach the place where Blitzen was so gravely wounded by the symbiote-bonded Kate Five. Investigating the site, Geist and Rhomerho's magical senses soon allow them to find the trail of the attacker(s), who they can tell was also wounded in the battle. They find that the energy signature strays from the main highway and into a “burnt-out” industrial area near the coastline. However, they are dismayed to also find traces of two additional presence — one an alien, the other an altered human — who they quickly realise are the Guardians' recent recruits Wyldechild (alias Indigo) and Novastar (alias Jayson), who are not authorised to go out on missions without supervisions yet, but clearly snuck out anyway in an effort to get revenge for their mentor.
A fair distance ahead, Wyldechild is actually being chased by Novastar, who did not approve of his “human guide on Earth”'s decision to leave, and snuck out to get her back to HQ rather than to accompany her in her quest for revenge. Just as he's catching up with her, both of them are violently pulled to the ground by Ozarion and confronted by the quartet of adults. They sternly reprimand both youngsters, particularly after Wyldechild, overcome with anger, makes a statement implying that no one cares about Emily's wellbeing as much as her, with does not go over at all well with Emily's bonded familiar, brother-in-law, and fiancé. Not wanting to let the trail go cold, however, they decide against escorting them back to HQ, reluctantly agreeing to let them participate in the rescue mission.
Meanwhile, the possessed Kate has been killing and devouring people in an effort to quickly replenish her strength, but the few homeless vagrants she managed to catch did not provide enough sustenance for the symbiote to fully regenerate itself, leaving her with only limited shape-shifting capabilities. While hiding behind an A.C. unit on a rooftop and trying to test the extent of her current abilities, she is caught by surprise by the six vengeful figures. What follows is not so much a battle as a one-sided beatdown as the symbiote-possessed human is hit with a blast of Ozarion's electricity, then a fireball from Hailey, then a point-blank shot from Rhomerho's arcane shotgun which “literally” melts the symbiote's “molecular structure” off her arm, and finally gets knocked off the roof by joint “force blasts” from Wyldechild and Novastar.
Before Kate can get away, she is cornered by the avengers. Despite the others' uncertainty with the extent of his wrath, Matthias insists on getting further revenge on the defeated Kate, inflicting terrible pain on her through the symbiote using the vibratastones embedded in his left gauntlet, as well as another set of supernatural gems through which he channels the heat of a volcano, and finally stabbing Kate with his energy blade in the same spot where she stabbed Emily. Only then, he calms down, admitting that he went too far and that “his wives” would be disappointed in him. He leaves Kate with one final threat of even worse vengeance if she should harm his loved ones again, but refrains from killing her, leaving the others to take her into custody while he stomps off. Hailey quickly encases what remains of the symbiote in a crystal sphere, leaving the wounded Kate human and defenceless once again.
The captive Kate is soon delivered to British authorities ready to transport her back to the UK. Ozarion visits Emily again before returning to the Nyhshea Eternal, while Matthias sticks around Angel Falls to help Emily through her recovery and plan out their wedding. Meanwhile, Rhomerho finds his way to Maddie's home. She finds her already about to get to sleep, and they agree that he'll crash on her couch for the night and they'll talk more in the morning. As he looks at the sky from the balcony, he is pleased to see that the Arcane Courtship Brand on the palm of his hand, placed there so long ago when he was an official Neo-Altantean battle-mage, seems to be activating, identifying Maddie as indeed his soulmate.
Worldbuilding
Universes
- This story takes place in Reality Z-25 31-H.
Other
- Matthias Geist is a “warrior shaman”, Hailey Storm is a mage, and Rhomerho Kel Llurian is a “prismatic homunculus”, though he used to be a “Battle Mage”.
- Geist displays supenaturally-aided senses which allow him to identify traces of Emily's blood on the ground while flying overhead.
- Geist, Rhomerho and Ozarion share a “private telepathic link”. Hailey cannot participate in it as a side-effect of magical protections placed upon her by her “elusive boyfriend”.
- Geist's flaming wings are once again described as angel-like, and he can shift from having two to six, which is describe as his “Seraphim set”. He can also sense supernatural energy trails and even make them temporarily visible to other people as thin, smoke-like trailers by an act of will.
- Later, Geist speaks in a tone of voice resembling that of “the Grim Reaper”.
- Wyldechild and Novastar are “bond-mates”, with the former being the latter's “human guide” on Earth. They wear similar power armour including helmets, with their respective sets being connected to each other.
- Novastar can sense auras, including Geist's, which is extremely thick and warlike.
- Ozarion is described as “Prince of the Northern Herds from the Thundering Crags”.
- As Rhomerho apparently shared with Geist on some prior occasion, Novastar is a member of an “alien noble family” and had a “strong military upbringing”.
- Hailey Storm's hair can appear flaming when she is calling on her powers.
- Geist refers to Blitzen as “his Daeva-Nyhshea”. He also describes her as a “warrior priestess”.
- Matthias has the phoenix as his “spirit animal”.
- The Arcane Courtship Brand is a Neo-Atlantean counterpart to the “Soul Harmony ritual”.
Continuity
- This story follows on from the events of COMIC: Kate Five vs Symbiote - Chapter 2, COMIC: Kate Five vs Symbiote - Chapter 3, and PROSE: Angel Falls: Vengeance Sought.
Behind the scenes
Read online
The story can be read for free on DeviantArt.
