The sound of broken glass echoed through the snack bar. The jeep knocked out the windows from the inside, preparing to hammer them with the boards he found in the recket.
- Faster! - Kyle set up, dragging the table to the main entrance. - I don't know how much time we have.
Alexander helped move the furniture, but his attention was focused on the road. The cloud of flies above the head was getting denser, and in the distance the sounds of chaos were already heard - screams, shots, the grinding of metal.
"Anchael should come to the movie now," he thought, remembering the plot. - "Archangel in the human body. The only one who rebelled against God and decided to protect humanity."
Charlie stood at the counter, pale and trembling, stroking her stomach with one hand:
- I still don't understand... Why my child? What's special about it?
- He will become a new messiah, - Alexander explained, pushing the heavy refrigerator to the window. - If he is born, he will show humanity a new way. The path without wars, hatred and cruelty. God doesn't want that.
- But God must love people, - Sandra didn't understand.
- He must, but he doesn't like it, - Alexander replied grimly. - He's tired of us. I decided to start over.
Suddenly, the roar of the engine was heard outside. Everyone froze, looking at the road.
An old pickup truck approached the snack bar, picking up clouds of dust. The car moved slowly, carefully, as if the driver was looking for something.
- Who is it? - Howard whispered.
- Another one of them? - Charlie asked scared.
Kyle took the bolt of the gun:
- Get ready. If it's an angel...
- Stop, - Alexander stopped them. - It's not an angel. It's help.
- How do you know? - Jeep asked incredulously.
- I just know, - Alexander answered briefly. - Believe me.
The pickup stopped near the entrance. The door opened, and a man got out of the car.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, with short blond hair and hard facial features. Dressed in simple work clothes - jeans, a checkered shirt, a leather jacket. He held a shotgun trim in his hands. He moved confidently, like a man accustomed to danger.
But there was something inhuman in his eyes. Ancient wisdom mixed with endless fatigue.
- This is Mikhail, - Alexander said quietly. - Archangel.
- Another creature like that?! - Kyle pointed the barrel at the stranger.
- Not like the others, - Alexander shook his head. - He's on our side.
- How can you know that? - Jeep didn't lower her weapon.
Alexander didn't answer. Instead, he went to the door:
- I'll go out to talk to him. If something goes wrong, shoot.
- Alex, don't! - Charlie tried to stop him.
But he has already come outside.
Mikhail slowly approached the entrance, holding a shotgun ready. His gaze slid over Alexander, and suddenly the archangel froze.
- What... - he started, but didn't finish.
Mikhail's face was distorted by a grimace of disgust. He felt something that made him step back.
- The Devil's Mark, - the archangel hissed. - You're his servant.
"Fucking mouth," Alexander thought. "I forgot that angels feel demonic energy."
- Listen, Mikhail, - he started, raising his hands. - I know what it looks like, but...
- DEMON! - the archangel roared and threw a shotgun.
Alexander barely managed to dive to the side. The shot thundered over the ear, the shot whistled past, leaving a characteristic whistle in the air.
- I'm not an enemy! - Alexander shouted, rolling on the ground. - I'm protecting the child!
- LIAR! - Mikhail turned the shutter. - The beginning of hell cannot protect the chosen one!
The second shot. Alexander rolled over the car, the shot carved sparks out of metal.
"It's useless to talk," he understood. "We'll have to act."
The Archangel began to bypass the car, preparing for the third shot. Alexander waited for the moment and abruptly jumped out of hiding.
Mikhail reacted instantly, but Alexander was faster. A kick in the wrist - and the shotgun flew into the sand.
- So you want to fight honestly? - the archangel roared.
He rushed to attack, and Alexander realized that he had made a mistake.
Mikhail was not just an angel - he was a warrior. Thousands of years of battles, perfect fighting technique, inhuman strength and speed. His punch was like a sledgehammer.
Alexander barely had time to block, but the strength of the archangel threw him back a few meters. He rolled on the sand, feeling the bones of his hands aching.
"He's much stronger than me," Alexander realized. "I have no chance in hand-to-hand combat."
Mikhail didn't give me a breather. A series of quick strikes - left, right, knee kick. Alexander dodged, retreated, tried to counterattack, but hit only by air.
- You're not bad for a demon," said the archangel, applying an uppercut, which Alexander barely blocked. - But not good enough.
"I need to do something," Alexander thought feverishly, dodging another blow. "He will tear me apart."
He tried to use his speed. A quick jerk to the side, a blow to the liver. Got it! Mikhail bent down, but immediately answered with his elbow in the jaw.
The world around Alexander turned around. He fell on his knees, spitting blood.
- Give up, - said Mikhail, coming closer. - Your death will be quick.
- Fucking you. - Alexander wheezed.
He tried to get up, but his legs squinted. There is almost no strength left. The Archangel was too strong.
"Only the sword is left," he thought, reaching for the weapon under his coat.
Blood, master? - a familiar voice in his head immediately responded.
- Yes, - Alexander whispered. - I need your strength.
Careful. This enemy is dangerous. I recommend using the space section.
"No," Alexander answered mentally. - "It's too early. I'll save it for real enemies."
He grabbed his sword, the blade flashed in the dim light.
Mikhail froze, looking at the weapon:
- This... it can't be. Space Breaker. How did you get the Blade of the Elders?
- It's a long story," Alexander replied, rising to his feet.
The Archangel took a step back:
- This sword should not exist. It was destroyed together with its creators.
- Apparently, someone lied, - Alexander grinned.
But before they could continue the fight, the door of the snack bar opened. Kyle, Jeep and the others ran out, pointing their weapons at the archangel.
- Stop! - Kyle shouted. - Get away from him!
- He saved us! - Charlie shouted. - Don't touch him!
Mikhail turned around, assessing the situation. The muzzle of several barrels looked straight at him.
- You don't understand, - he said. - This man is marked by the Devil. He's an enemy.
- He killed an angel who wanted to hurt Charlie, - Jeep objected. - And explained to us what was happening.
- Did you explain? - Mikhail asked again.
- About the end of the world, - Kyle nodded. - About the fact that God decided to destroy humanity. And about the child Charlie.
The Archangel slowly lowered his hands:
- Did he tell the truth?
- True, - Alexander confirmed, hiding his sword. - I'm not an enemy, Mikhail. I'm here to protect the child.
- But the Devil's mark...
- It doesn't automatically make me evil, - Alexander interrupted. - I have my own reasons to be here.
Mikhail looked at him for a long time, as if trying to look into his soul. Finally, he nodded slowly:
- Good. I'll believe it for now. But I'll keep an eye on you.
- Fairly, - Alexander agreed.
They all went to the snack bar together. Mikhail looked around the collapsed windows and the furniture moved to the door:
- Not bad. But that won't be enough.
- Who are you? - Charlie asked.
The archangel sat down on a chair, suddenly looking very tired:
- My name is Mikhail. I am an archangel. He was the right hand of God before... recent events.
- Are you a real archangel? - Sandra didn't believe it.
- Real, - Mikhail nodded. - But unlike my fellows, I don't agree with Father's decision.
- What is the solution? - Howard asked.
- To erase humanity from the face of the earth, - replied the archangel. - God has lost faith in people. I decided that you are not capable of salvation.
- Don't you think so? - Charlie asked quietly.
Mikhail looked at her, and warmth flashed in his eyes:
- I saw good in people. Love, self-sacrifice, hope. You deserve a chance.
- And what will happen now? - Kyle asked.
- Now angels are descending all over the world, - Mikhail explained. - They are insetled in people and turn them into instruments of divine anger. The goal is to find and kill the child in Charlie's womb.
- Why my child? - the girl whispered.
- Because it will become a new guide light for humanity, - replied the archangel. - If he is born, he will show people the way to true salvation. A road that Father doesn't like.
Alexander listened silently, remembering the plot of the film. Everything was going right.
- What should we do? - Jeep asked.
- Defend yourself, - Mikhail answered briefly. - I have a weapon in my car. I'll give it to everyone.
He got up and headed for the exit. I came back a few minutes later with a big sports bag.
- Machine guns, pistols, grenades, - he announced, putting the arsenal on the table. - I know that it's not very effective against angels, but it's better than nothing.
Everyone took a weapon. Kyle checked the machine gun, Jeep counted the cartridges. Even Howard, despite his age, picked up a shotgun.
- When will they come? - Charlie asked.
- Soon, - Mikhail replied. - I feel their approach.
He turned to Alexander:
- I don't know who you are and where you came from. I don't trust you because of the Devil's mark. But now we need all the strength. Ready to unite?
"Ready," Alexander nodded.
- Good. But if you try to hurt the child...
- I got it, - Alexander interrupted. - You'll kill me.
- Exactly.
When everyone went about their business - who checked the weapons, who strengthened the barricades - Alexander went to the corner and thought.
"Everything is going according to the script of the film," he thought. - "The siege should begin now. The possessed people will come first. Then there are more serious opponents. Gabriel himself will appear at the end."
He remembered the ending of the movie. Most of the heroes will die. Only a few will survive. And the child will be born in the midst of the battle.
"My task is to protect Charlie," he reminded himself. - "So we need to change the script. To make more people survive."
Master," the sword suddenly sounded.
- What? - Alexander answered mentally.
I feel the enemies approaching. A lot of enemies. Are you ready to use my power?
- Ready. But remember - the dissection of space is only a last resort.
I remember. But I warn you - after the first use you will need six hours to recover. And feeding.
"Feeding?" - Alexander didn't understand.
I need your blood to use dissection. A lot of blood. The needles from the handle will drink for ten seconds. You won't be able to move at this time.
Alexander darkened. Another limitation he didn't know about.
And also," the sword continued. "I need food. Once every three days you have to kill a creature with blood. Otherwise, I'll start drinking your blood without permission.
- What the fuck? - Alexander whispered.
These are the rules. I'm not an ordinary weapon. I'm a living blade. And I need food.
"Great," Alexander thought gloomily. - "Vampire sword. One more problem."
The sounds of approaching cars were heard outside the window. A lot of cars.
"They're here," Mikhail announced.
Everyone froze, listening to the growing roar of the engines.
The battle for the survival of mankind has begun.