Angel From The Future
***
"Josh... What's happening?" said Mary as she lay on the ground.
"I have no idea," replied Joshua, still lying on top of her awkwardly. He quickly rolled off of her and crouched, uncertain.
A barrage of what sounded at first like fireworks exploding in the rooftops above left them both awestruck. It seemed like there was a show going on above them. After a few moments, the sound of a door opening drew their attention away. With blinding speed a man in black fatigues and a black helmet that had a red dot in the middle of the visor, appeared in front of them. Joshua instinctively moved in front of Mary.
"I had to see for myself what could possibly cause my perfect shot to miss," sneered the man. Then, with practiced monotone, he said: "Code identify target!"
A monotone voice from within his helmet responded, though neither Joshua nor Mary could make out the response.
"Joshua Kenneth, at last, a pleasure to finally meet the enemy's pet project... and for whatever reason protecting Mary Delano, the diplomat's daughter who causes so much trouble for us... alas, no time to chat, I've a mission to complete," smirked the man, who pulled out what appeared to be a rather menacing looking metal blade. "Oh how I relish these finer moments... Please die for me now like a good little boy and girl!"
As the man rushed forward towards them, Joshua felt a tremor of thoughts. He immediately was envisioning all the possible positions of the blade as it advanced towards him. Moreover he suddenly had an epiphany, and realized that he could estimate the position the blade would take by simplying feeling for the most likely position out of all the possibilites... At least, it seemed like an epiphany... he didn't remember knowing this before, and yet it seemed like such familiar knowledge. Regardless, without even thinking, he intuitively dodged the first swing, and then the next, while Mary looked on in confusion and not a little bit of anger at their assailant.
"Mary stay back!" said Joshua as he continued to just barely avoid the attacks.
"Oh yeah? I'll show you a trick of my own!" yelled Mary as she pulled back and then, with a swift motion pulled out her umbrella, pointed it at the man, and pressed a button. From the umbrella, a sharp metal rod flung itself outward at the man, who only just in time parried it aside.
"Enough of this nonsense!" bellowed the man. "I should have done this to begin with!" he hissed as he lifted his gloved other hand towards them. "Code lockdown targets!"
Greenish light arced out of the man's glove and surrounded the two youths. Suddenly it become apparent that neither Joshua nor Mary could move.
"Well, it's been a fun little distraction, but it's time to end this!" jeered the man as he lunged at Joshua with blade forward.
Just in time for the blade to be parried by the shining blade of an angel... or rather it appeared to be a woman in metallic armour with shining wings and a shining blade protruding from the outside of her gauntlet.
The man recoiled in an instant of terror and leapt backward, before returning to his usual condescending smirk.
"I see I'm outclassed today..." sneered the man.
"Good to see you too Major Savic," replied the woman, who moved forward to strike.
"I take my leave-- Code withdraw!" declared Savic.
And with that, the man vanished in a greenish haze just as the woman's blade reached the air where he had been. The woman cursed, then, tentatively, turned to face the two, who were vaguely aware that they could move again. She spoke solemnly, as if she'd rehersed the lines a thousand times before.
"Hello, Joshua. Hello Mary. I'm sorry we couldn't have been introduced in better circumstances. My name is Joanna, Joanna Lamarck. There will be time for proper introductions later. Right now, you'll need to trust me if you want to live--"
An explosion high above interrupted their chat. With blinding speed, the two mechanical humanoids were engaged in some kind of dogfight along the rooftops. They exchanged fire from weapons attached to their arms, the massive rounds deflecting harmlessly off of the grey rooftops. The two teams of human soldiers appeared to be engaging in a firefight as well.
"Wait somewhere with cover," instructed Joanna. "You'll have to excuse me a moment!"
And with that she flew upwards, into the fray, on gilded wings of metallic light, like an angel ascending towards the heavens.
***