Sequel: Angel's Child ›
Golden Angel
Chapter 46
The others had woken up before the soldiers rudely handcuffed them and practically dragged them into the throne room.
Artemis kept muttering curses and threats and very colorful ‘scenarios’ under her breath, and the Triceratons didn’t dare touch her.
She’d heard one say, thinking she was out of earshot, that she had ‘demon eyes’.
Like live fire from hell itself, or some such nonsense.
But she knew how wrong they were.
She wasn’t a demon, she was a savior for her planet.
‘And like hell I’m letting you assholes rip it apart for something that isn’t even here…’
She felt someone bump into her arm, and turned her head to see the others giving her worried looks.
Probably looking for comfort.
Mizu had no water to control, Don didn’t have his Bo, and Chi couldn’t control the earth right without the use of her hands.
She gave a reassuring smile, though she was a bit worried underneath the heating rage.
She felt something was wrong…
That special trinket she had given Leo at the Battle Nexus must be reacting badly, because her heart was hurting.
“Don’t worry, guys. I can take care of it.”
“Artie…” Don started, trying to reason with her.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Shutting his mouth, he still gave her a worried look.
Chi just closed her eyes, still walking straight and true, but Mizu couldn’t help that her eyes scanned the statues around them.
They started up the tall stairs, and Artemis looked to her friends.
The normally stubborn Earthbender was moving forward with the reserved grace of a horse following orders, though you could feel the tremors hidden under the surface.
She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike…
Mizu seemed more curious about what was going on, but managed to keep herself restrained.
She was probably thinking about what being in space would do to her Waterbending…
They stopped before the Prime Leader’s throne, and Artemis snorted, steam escaping her.
“All hail Prime Leader Zanramon.”
The two soldiers bowed, but, if anything, Artemis straightened.
She didn’t bow to anyone but her sensei or someone she respected, and Zanramon didn’t fit either category.
“Kneel before our great leader!”
They hit the others in the back so they went to their knees, but one cracked his hand hitting her shell.
She wasn’t about to be hit down now…
“Dent the shell, and I’ll skin you alive.” She growled darkly, glaring over her shoulder.
Mizu looked at the gold-banded turtle, worried for her temper.
“Artemis, now might not be a good time…” She whispered softly.
“It’s always a good time.”
“It seems you’ve returned.”
Zanramon seemed to smirk.
“Not of your own will, I assume.”
“What gave you THAT idea? The handcuffs?” She snapped sarcastically.
Seeming to ignore her, he turned sharply to Don.
“And YOU.”
“…Me?”
Artemis felt something shift in the Waterbender at the glare directed at the purple-banded turtle…
“Finally, I can make you pay for your past crimes! Helping the Fugitoid escape, holding me hostage, dishonoring our Triceraton All-Stars, and…And you stole my personal space cruiser!”
“Did I do all that? …I always WAS an over-achiever…”
“SILENCE!”
Artemis jolted at the hostility, but Mizu was the one to jump to her feet.
Suddenly, Zanramon couldn’t seem to move, and Artemis realized what her friend was doing…
‘Bloodbending…’
A soldier threatened to smack the Waterbender in the back of the head, but a gust of wind from Artemis’s mouth knocked him off the throne.
However, Mozar grabbed the blue-eyed girl off the ground, and it broke her control.
“HEY!”
Chi still had her eyes closed, but her fingers flexed over the strange metal on her wrists…
Don tried to come to his girl’s aid, but the other soldier held him and Artemis off their feet.
“It seems your new friends have interesting little tricks…”
Zanramon didn’t seem amused, and glared at the struggling Waterbender who returned the glare ten-fold.
She was just as un-amused as the Prime Leader, and wished she had some water with her…
“But you will still tell me where the Fugitoid is.”
He grabbed Artemis by her mask tails, wrenching her head down.
“Tell me! Where is that robot!”
“I don’t know.” She growled angrily.
“You DEFY me?!”
“YES!”
The jade-skinned turtle was surprised when he back-handed her across the face, and there was a stunned silence inside her.
Don gulped when he saw the Prime Leader raise his hand for another strike, and jumped.
“No!”
The small Triceraton stopped, eyes locked on the purple-banded turtle.
“The truth is, the Fugitoid’s not on Earth anymore!”
“Donnie-.”
The soldier put a hand over her throat, squeezing enough to leave her panting for breath.
“He’s gone! Long gone!”
“No more lies!”
He lifted Don off the ground, and Mizu struggled more violently.
“We KNOW the Fugitoid is here! Tell us where he is or perish!”
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
Artemis kicked out, and Don was dropped as Zanramon cried out.
A blaster was pointed at her neck, but she didn’t back down.
In fact, it was almost like fire was building under her skin…
“Touch any of them again, and I’ll snap your spine…”
No one was sure if she’d do it…
Except Don…
She HAD become rather…FIERCE…lately…
She had probably felt this coming from a mile away.
Zanramon opened a channel to the World Leaders, and Artemis groaned as he basically screamed their existence to the whole world…
If she thought no one could be more stupid than Mikey, she was proven wrong…
They were set down, and Don flung into a startled Mizu’s lap.
Chi still hadn’t said anything, but Artemis could sense the earthquake under her expressionless mask.
‘Come on, Chi…let it out…’
But she couldn’t rush her friend.
The Earthbender was a master of neutral jing, and wouldn’t attack until the perfect moment.
The screen then showed nuclear missiles exploding against the shield around the Earth, and Chi lifted her head at the sound.
“If that’s all your pitiful planet has to offer, then it’s over.”
Artemis felt that glow inside her, that strange light that always made her veins pulse with power…
‘No…It’s not over…’
Artemis kept muttering curses and threats and very colorful ‘scenarios’ under her breath, and the Triceratons didn’t dare touch her.
She’d heard one say, thinking she was out of earshot, that she had ‘demon eyes’.
Like live fire from hell itself, or some such nonsense.
But she knew how wrong they were.
She wasn’t a demon, she was a savior for her planet.
‘And like hell I’m letting you assholes rip it apart for something that isn’t even here…’
She felt someone bump into her arm, and turned her head to see the others giving her worried looks.
Probably looking for comfort.
Mizu had no water to control, Don didn’t have his Bo, and Chi couldn’t control the earth right without the use of her hands.
She gave a reassuring smile, though she was a bit worried underneath the heating rage.
She felt something was wrong…
That special trinket she had given Leo at the Battle Nexus must be reacting badly, because her heart was hurting.
“Don’t worry, guys. I can take care of it.”
“Artie…” Don started, trying to reason with her.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Shutting his mouth, he still gave her a worried look.
Chi just closed her eyes, still walking straight and true, but Mizu couldn’t help that her eyes scanned the statues around them.
They started up the tall stairs, and Artemis looked to her friends.
The normally stubborn Earthbender was moving forward with the reserved grace of a horse following orders, though you could feel the tremors hidden under the surface.
She was waiting for the perfect moment to strike…
Mizu seemed more curious about what was going on, but managed to keep herself restrained.
She was probably thinking about what being in space would do to her Waterbending…
They stopped before the Prime Leader’s throne, and Artemis snorted, steam escaping her.
“All hail Prime Leader Zanramon.”
The two soldiers bowed, but, if anything, Artemis straightened.
She didn’t bow to anyone but her sensei or someone she respected, and Zanramon didn’t fit either category.
“Kneel before our great leader!”
They hit the others in the back so they went to their knees, but one cracked his hand hitting her shell.
She wasn’t about to be hit down now…
“Dent the shell, and I’ll skin you alive.” She growled darkly, glaring over her shoulder.
Mizu looked at the gold-banded turtle, worried for her temper.
“Artemis, now might not be a good time…” She whispered softly.
“It’s always a good time.”
“It seems you’ve returned.”
Zanramon seemed to smirk.
“Not of your own will, I assume.”
“What gave you THAT idea? The handcuffs?” She snapped sarcastically.
Seeming to ignore her, he turned sharply to Don.
“And YOU.”
“…Me?”
Artemis felt something shift in the Waterbender at the glare directed at the purple-banded turtle…
“Finally, I can make you pay for your past crimes! Helping the Fugitoid escape, holding me hostage, dishonoring our Triceraton All-Stars, and…And you stole my personal space cruiser!”
“Did I do all that? …I always WAS an over-achiever…”
“SILENCE!”
Artemis jolted at the hostility, but Mizu was the one to jump to her feet.
Suddenly, Zanramon couldn’t seem to move, and Artemis realized what her friend was doing…
‘Bloodbending…’
A soldier threatened to smack the Waterbender in the back of the head, but a gust of wind from Artemis’s mouth knocked him off the throne.
However, Mozar grabbed the blue-eyed girl off the ground, and it broke her control.
“HEY!”
Chi still had her eyes closed, but her fingers flexed over the strange metal on her wrists…
Don tried to come to his girl’s aid, but the other soldier held him and Artemis off their feet.
“It seems your new friends have interesting little tricks…”
Zanramon didn’t seem amused, and glared at the struggling Waterbender who returned the glare ten-fold.
She was just as un-amused as the Prime Leader, and wished she had some water with her…
“But you will still tell me where the Fugitoid is.”
He grabbed Artemis by her mask tails, wrenching her head down.
“Tell me! Where is that robot!”
“I don’t know.” She growled angrily.
“You DEFY me?!”
“YES!”
The jade-skinned turtle was surprised when he back-handed her across the face, and there was a stunned silence inside her.
Don gulped when he saw the Prime Leader raise his hand for another strike, and jumped.
“No!”
The small Triceraton stopped, eyes locked on the purple-banded turtle.
“The truth is, the Fugitoid’s not on Earth anymore!”
“Donnie-.”
The soldier put a hand over her throat, squeezing enough to leave her panting for breath.
“He’s gone! Long gone!”
“No more lies!”
He lifted Don off the ground, and Mizu struggled more violently.
“We KNOW the Fugitoid is here! Tell us where he is or perish!”
“LEAVE HIM ALONE!”
Artemis kicked out, and Don was dropped as Zanramon cried out.
A blaster was pointed at her neck, but she didn’t back down.
In fact, it was almost like fire was building under her skin…
“Touch any of them again, and I’ll snap your spine…”
No one was sure if she’d do it…
Except Don…
She HAD become rather…FIERCE…lately…
She had probably felt this coming from a mile away.
Zanramon opened a channel to the World Leaders, and Artemis groaned as he basically screamed their existence to the whole world…
If she thought no one could be more stupid than Mikey, she was proven wrong…
They were set down, and Don flung into a startled Mizu’s lap.
Chi still hadn’t said anything, but Artemis could sense the earthquake under her expressionless mask.
‘Come on, Chi…let it out…’
But she couldn’t rush her friend.
The Earthbender was a master of neutral jing, and wouldn’t attack until the perfect moment.
The screen then showed nuclear missiles exploding against the shield around the Earth, and Chi lifted her head at the sound.
“If that’s all your pitiful planet has to offer, then it’s over.”
Artemis felt that glow inside her, that strange light that always made her veins pulse with power…
‘No…It’s not over…’