Susan bounced in Mrs. Monique's arms, feeling like a useless ragdoll as the librarian carried her, rushing down the third-floor hallway. Behind them, the walls erupted with dark green energy. Another bubble of light and sizzling heat blew up the lockers, battering them with debris.

Mrs. Monique ran, her face strained with Susan held to her chest. She'd dropped her spear somewhere in the chaos, and Susan felt awful weighing the librarian down. She should just leave Susan and escape; Susan was just dead weight.

They reached the central area where Susan and Jenny had found Harry Kim's dad, where they'd fought the first Imperfect Angel. Those bodies were nowhere to be seen. A series of cracks caught up with them, and green light exploded right over their heads.

The explosion threw the librarian forward, and Susan tumbled out of her arms. Both of them rolled across the bloodied floor before coming to a stop near the double doors of the English department.

Her vision blurry, pain radiating through her side and up her neck, Susan squeezed her cattle prod, blinking over and over to get the dust out. Down the hall, hunched forward and limping, came Miriam. She sauntered slowly, grinning maniacally with her eyes bulging. Maybe it was the pink helmet, but her head seemed too heavy for her body, lolling to the side, and the grin was too wide. It showed all her bloodied teeth, and it looked like the corners of her lips would rip.

"C'mon!" called Miriam. Her voice echoed all over the hall as debris rained down from the scorched ceiling. Crumpled lockers slid off the walls and clattered to the floor.

Susan glanced at Mrs. Monique, trying to figure out what to do, but the librarian was out cold.

Human (stage ii) (level 12)

But at least there was still a notification, thought Susan, wincing again as she grabbed the wall and pulled herself up. She focused what strength she had left. Harnessing it into what felt like a coiled spring inside the cattle prod. There was no use trying to reason with Miriam anymore; the girl had completely lost it.

Two of the angel babies emerged from the destroyed hallway they'd left behind. Screaming, they threw themselves at Miriam who turned to face them and screamed right back, a demonic ugly scream. She swatted them away like flies. Susan guessed Miram had put all her stat points into speed and strength because the crazed girl moved so quickly. And each smack sent a baby smashing into a wall.

Miriam stumbled closer once she’d knocked the babies away. The entire front of her shirt was stained dark with blood, and she was drooling uncontrollably. To that point that fresh saliva ran down her chin, glistening over dried blood.

The sound was the worst part. Shlip. With every inhale, she sucked up the excess saliva. "Fresh," she said. "Fresh, fresh, fresh. I have to eat you while you're fresh. That's what the voice says. Fresh is best. I'll get really strong. I can win!"

Susan braced herself, but Miram whirled around with rage when more babies emerged. The pink helmet flashed; Miriam's arms swung. A fist broke one baby's face, breaking its little nose. Susan blinked, and Miriam kicked one more baby into the ceiling before opening her mouth and releasing another dark green bubble.

It exploded like a supernova, blinding Susan for a moment, and she cried out hearing the babies scream in pain. Bits and pieces of the ceiling splattered the hallway. She pushed herself off the wall and stepped toward Miriam, readying her cattle prod as another baby attacked the girl's legs.

I have to kill her. An ugly thought. She hated it. But the girl was unhinged, and she kept mentioning Jenny.

And Susan had already tried talking to her. When they found Miriam, she'd been eating the undead body of the music teacher, his rib cage torn open and a chunk of flesh slipping from her mouth.

Susan had called out that it was alright. They could help. She wasn't alone. This could stop. But even as she said those words, even as she tried to do the right thing, she knew the girl was too far gone. And even though the notification said human, even though Miriam looked human, she scared Susan more than any of the angels so far.

Even the babies seemed completely unsettled. They hid behind Susan's legs, holding onto her, all of them shaking. Like wild animals sensing a terrible presence. The horrid feeling in Susan's gut twisted; something was definitely wrong, but she tried again anyway, hoping Miriam could be reasoned with.

"Miriam? It's me, Susan. I don’t know what happened but-”

Miriam wiped the blood from her lips then raced down the hallway, laughing. A green bubble burst from her lips, and the hallway erupted. The floors, the lockers, the doors; it was a storm of debris. Miriam rushed right through the mess and attacked Mrs. Monique before either of them could say anything else.

The librarian had fought, exchanging blows. Miriam's arm bounced off Mrs. Monique's reflective armor, and she'd even taken a slash to one arm. But it hadn't been enough. Miriam laughed and kicked the librarian away.

"I have to stop her!" screamed Miriam, manic glee twisting her once pretty face. She was covered in so much blood. Her eyes glistened green. "I have to stop her. The voice... it's the voice! I swore I'd stop her. Jenny's going to ruin everything!"

"What the fuck?" said Mrs. Monique, clutching her side and backing away as Miriam stared at both of them, as if trying to decide who to eat first.

Susan shook her head. "What are you talking about? Why are you doing this?" She readied her cattle prod. If she could stun the girl, Mrs. Monique would have the upper hand.

"It's Jenny," said Miriam quietly, hunching over and staring at Susan. She licked blood off her arm. "Jenny's going to ruin it. I have to stop her and win or we’re all fucked."

"Ruin what?" said Susan, but that was all Miriam had to say. The pink helmet flashed, and Miram was barreling down on Susan. The babies pounced and threw the unhinged girl to the floor.

Miriam screeched as they bit her thighs and her hand, kicking and punching and trying to throw them off. Another bubble formed inside her mouth, the light pulsing as it grew. Mrs. Monique had grabbed Susan and rushed off right as another explosion took out the entire section of the hallway. Roofing collapsing. The tiles on the floor were ripped apart, and it felt like they were rushing out of a warzone.

But the librarian was out cold now, and Susan couldn't run. She could feel the potion Jenny had given her fading. Fatigue spread through her with every heartbeat, and she knew she'd only have one real shot. She couldn't miss. One burst of lightning to the head, and Miriam would be out for the count.

As the smoke cleared, Miriam picked something off the floor. A baby. And she held it with both hands like she might throw it in the air and catch it, like it was an innocent game. The girl smiled even wider, then turned to catch Susan's eyes. Her smile showed off all her bloodied teeth.

The baby struggled and wailed. It was scorched from the explosion, and, before Susan could even cry out, Miriam sank her teeth into the little creature's neck.

An ugly crunch, followed by a slurp. The baby let out a squeak, its pudgy arms and legs wriggling desperately before going rigid. Holding the baby to her mouth, Miriam dropped to her knees, sniffling and sucking and moaning.

"So good!" said Miriam loudly after one long, final slurp. She dropped the limp baby and raised her hands in prayer. Blood gushed from between her teeth. Tears ran down her face. "Thank you..."

Lightning burst out of Susan's cattle prod. It rippled through the air and hit Miriam in the chest, blasting the girl back. Electricity snapped up and down the blood. The pink helmet puffed up and shattered.

Miriam spasmed uncontrollably, her limbs twisting as more and more bolts of lightning struck her. Susan stepped forward, overflowing with anger and disgust and horror. She'd seen enough horrible things. She'd seen enough people attacked and eaten by the angels, but to see someone she knew do that? To a baby, no less?

Susan held the cattle prod with both hands, feeling the drain as surge after surge of lightning shot out, flashing and filling the hallway with crackling blue light. But even as Miriam spasmed and her shirt caught fire, she laughed.

Miriam was laughing and screaming, and several green bubbles spread from her lips, rising. Susan's lightning curved toward them as if drawn to the bubbles. The instant they touched, there was a flash of light and another explosion.

The walls and floor around Miriam fell away, and she plummeted to the second floor. Susan was flung backward, and she fully expected to slam into a wall or something, but instead, it was Mrs. Monique who caught her, softening the impact. Her cattle prod had been thrown from her hand. She coughed loudly, leaning on Mrs. Monique for support and blinking away tears as smoke and dust stung her eyes.

What was left of the lockers peeled off the walls to crash loudly below, and a portion of the roof had come down, blocking the central stairwell. The thick mist of the veil swirled overhead and seeped into the building. It was like looking up at a stormy sky, except there was no rain or wind, only an endless empty feeling.

Light flashed, and Susan flinched. But it was only Mrs. Monique summoning her spear. The librarian had blood running down the side of her face from a nasty wound, and she opened her mouth to say something, but a bloodcurdling scream rang out from the second floor.

"Please!" screamed Miriam. "I need to find her! Where is she?"

Susan looked frantically through the rubble trying to find her cattle prod. Her head ached and pounded, but fear throbbed through her limbs. Jenny had enough to deal with; if the crazy bitch attacked Jenny while she had to deal with the undead... It was Mrs. Monique who found the cattle prod and placed it firmly back into Susan's hand.

"The babies..." whispered Susan. She forced herself to take deep breaths. If she passed out, it would be over.

"I don't see any of them," said Mrs. Monique. She sounded just as exhausted as Susan felt. The librarian stumbled, touching her forehead, her fingers coming away with blood. "Why does that girl keep screaming about Jenny?"

"I... I don't know."

Mrs. Monique shook her head. "This is all sorts of fucked." She motioned for the stairwell in the back. "Let's go down that way and get back to the library or something. We need backup."

Susan couldn't argue with that. The two of them didn't stand a chance, and she wondered about the kids who'd been with Oliver. They were strong. Maybe together, they could stop Miriam and help Jenny.

She let Mrs. Monique lead the way, glancing repeatedly over her shoulder. But all they heard was Miriam screaming and crying and the impacts of a fight that must be the remaining babies struggling. She shuddered, trying to suppress the image of Miriam sucking the baby’s blood.

As they crossed down the hall, she noticed the puddle of dried blood from when the first Imperfect Angel had chewed through her leg. She saw the cracks in the walls and the floor from Jenny's battle with it. And when they walked past the boy's bathroom, her blood froze; she heard banging. Multiple people banging on the door, moaning and crying, trying to get out, and she almost went to help. To push it open. Before she realized they must be the undead. Undead who couldn't figure out how to pull the door open and kept trying to push through. The librarian glanced at her, and Susan shook her head.

When they got to the stairwell door, Mrs. Monique grabbed Susan's shoulder. Her one eye frantic and bloodshot. More blood ran down her dark face. "Susan. How do I use my ability?"

"What?" asked Susan, taken aback by the sudden ferocity.

The librarian was breathing hard. She licked her lips and glanced toward the rubble again. "When I killed those angels Jenny wanted me to, I leveled up and got an ability. I don't understand, but it says Barrier."

Susan blinked, finally understanding what the librarian meant. It was just like how she had Valescent Light. But she wasn't sure how to explain it. It had felt so natural to her. As easy as breathing or extending her arm and making a fist.

Then she remembered that not everyone had even noticed the system right away. Maybe it's more difficult for some people.

"You just...." she hesitated. "You kind of just focus on it. You imagine what it would feel like, and it's like exhaling. You bring it into existence."

Mrs. Monique nodded, clenching her teeth as if thinking hard. "I'm trying," she said. "Fuck. I'm trying." She opened the door, and they spilled into the side stairwell and headed down for the library.

They moved quickly. Going downstairs was easier than climbing, but Susan held the railing tightly and wished the babies were with them and not fighting. She didn’t want any more of them to get hurt or worse. Mrs. Monique stopped abruptly again, and Susan glanced around her to see why.

Ashes covered the entire stairwell. Scorch marks stained the walls, and part of the stairwell was collapsed, as if by some terrible impact. Skeletons of various sizes lay on the floor, all the bones blackened, and many of them piles of ash. The tiny ones gave Susan pause, and she shuddered. But past them, wriggling and crying and struggling down the next set of steps, were about a dozen bodies with glowing blue eyes. Humans and angels, and someone was rushing through them.

A girl, slashing and screaming, cutting the creatures down with a knife. It was the girl from downstairs. The deaf one who'd told Susan about Jenny, and behind her came the tall boy in boxing gloves, Dulé, carrying Jenny's brother on his back. Oliver's face was red and drenched in sweat.

"Why aren't you at the library?" Mrs. Monique shrieked, She stepped forward and plunged a spear into one of the undead. Before long, all of them were motionless, the blue light faded from their eyes, and blood trickled down the steps. She helped Susan climb down till everyone stood near the second-floor doorway. Through it, they heard faint screaming, and the walls shook from another explosion.

Mrs. Monique stepped toward the other kids and touched Oliver's forehead. "The boy's burning up." She glanced back at Susan, worry and concern twisting her face.

But Susan didn't know what to do. Would Valescent Light work on a fever? She could maybe regrow his legs if she had a chance to rest, but...

She stepped forward, ignoring every single ache in her body and trying not to trip on an arm. Another explosion rocked the floors, and the deaf girl signed something at Dulé who asked, "What the hell is that?"

Susan didn't pay attention as Mrs. Monique explained the Miriam situation. She pressed her glowing fingers to Oliver's flushed face, her hand shaking uncontrollably from the effort. She shut her eyes, concentrating, willing every ounce of her spirit to flow from her chest and through her arm to gather at her fingers. There wasn’t much left, but maybe it could help. Maybe it would be just enough.

Someone gasped, and she relaxed slightly. It must be working. But the drain proved too much, and after a few seconds, her head tilted back. She would've collapsed if someone hadn't wrapped an arm around her waist and caught her. When she opened her eyes, she noticed Oliver's face seemed less troubled. He wasn't that sickly color anymore and he was breathing easier.

"I'll restore your legs as soon as I can," she promised quietly.

Dulé shot her a look like you can do that? But then he noticed the deaf girl signing and nodded at Susan. "Mackenzie says thank you. And so do I."

Susan returned the nod weakly, leaning against Mrs. Monique.

But Mackenzie shook her head. She was trying and failing to speak, distorted syllables coming from her mouth. She let out a frustrated sigh, and Dulé continued for her. "The library collapsed. Something..." he shook his head. "Something’s down there, and....” He stopped again and took a breath. “And we have friends on this floor." He motioned toward the second floor with his chin. "Martin, Janice, and Anna. They were hiding somewhere in the chemistry hall, and-"

Mrs. Monique cut him off. She exchanged a glance with Susan who shook her head sadly. Then the librarian explained: if they were in the chem wing with Miriam, they were dead. She left out the part of them being most likely eaten.

Dulé didn't say anything. He stared at the bodies on the floor. Susan recognized the look on his face. He was studying each one, trying to find someone he knew. Students and teachers he'd shared classes with or seen around school, how normal everything had been only a few hours ago. He was trying to bury the news he’d just gotten. Mackenzie looked furious. The knife shook in her hand, and she kicked one of the dead angels.

"What happened to the library?" asked Susan. She got the sense that they were beyond terrified.

Dulé shook his head. Mackenzie touched his shoulder, then Oliver's face. And then finally, Dulé spoke. "It's gone. Something came from underneath and..."

Susan's eyes went wide. "From underneath?"

Mrs. Monique exhaled loudly. But before anyone could say another word, another explosion rocked the building. Dust rained down from above, and chunks of stairwell clattered all around them. Then they heard Miriam's voice. Loud and shrill, coming right from the second-floor hallway.

"I can smell you out there!"

"Run," hissed Mrs. Monique. She was the first to react, readying her spear and taking a defensive stance. "We can't fight her in here. You guys go. I'll hold her back."

"No," said Dulé, adjusting Oliver's weight on his back. "Whatever's down there... We have to go up." He tried to push by Mrs. Monique, his feet sliding on blood. But before he could make any headway, another explosion burst through the wall above. The stairwell cracked, and a large chunk struck the floor beside Susan and broke to bits.

Mackenzie shouted something incoherent and held up her knife. Susan glanced at the door; they heard laughter, growing louder and louder. She didn't know how the deaf girl could sense what was coming, but there was nowhere to run.

All of a sudden, there was quiet. Heavy and thick. They all held their breaths, except Oliver who was still unconscious. Dulé took a few steps back, carefully descending the stairwell with Mackenzie standing in front of him, facing the doorway to the second floor.

Mrs. Monique motioned for Susan to leave, but she couldn't even bring herself to move. The cattle prod shook in her hands.

The door creaked open. The pink helmet, the plastic melted and peeled and curled upward, appeared first. Miriam's eyes were next, gleaming a bright green, Bloodied fingers emerged to wave. "Found you.”

 

---

author note:

You can read up to the end of angels book one on patreon right now! (chapter 62: https://www.patreon.com/posts/angels-chapter-91559013)

Also, I've got something for you: an exclusive early look at something new I'm working on >:)

I'm working on another story called Hero Dark 30 that'll launch soon, and i'd love some feedback! it's my dark/starving take on super hero stuff, and a slowburn, but i've posted the first three chapters on patreon as public posts (so you don't need to be a subscriber to read them) - would love to hear your thoughts on it!! There's a channel on my server if you'd like to discuss it: https://discord.gg/uBbUQpCt3r

Amateur journalist Clara Zang and her friends stumble into a world-shattering secret: superheroes are not what they seem.

While an otherworldly storm of monsters called "The Tempest" engulfs most of the planet, humanity has stuffed themselves into a handful of overcrowded cities safeguarded by superheroes - Awakened individuals who keep The Tempest at bay and protect citizens from danger.

But why do people Awaken at all? What's really in the Tempest Zones?

Even though Clara doesn't Awaken on her 18th birthday, she pursues the answers anyway, following the journalist's code. What she uncovers is a nightmarish conspiracy while accidentally exposing herself to a sinister experiment that synthetically Awakens her.

With her mushroom powers, she's determined to set humanity free from the Tempest and the conspiring forces that bind every living soul on the planet.

chapter 1. sneak-around clothes: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hero-1-sneak-90665283
chapter 2. starkeeper: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hero-2-90665628
chapter 3. getaway car: https://www.patreon.com/posts/90665864