Chapter 304

Etson, Florida - 12:07 PM

I waited patiently in the suburbs north of the city. Tommy and Gabrielle had been insistent on bringing a few of these new Anthony’s Faithful people to come and meet me even after I told them that I wouldn’t be able to enter my Angel form to recreate what they had seen at the Vespae hive. That had been fine with them, but I was starting to become impatient at the wait.

For what seemed like the fiftieth time, I looked around the house I was hiding in. It, like every other one on the block, had long since been ransacked for supplies, weapons and ammunition, and loot. There were still people going through homes on a regular basis, though most of the food that wasn’t canned had gone bad at this point.

This one was mostly bare, but there were plenty of nails in the walls and slight discolorations around them. Whoever had lived here at one point sure used to have a lot of pictures. It seemed they couldn’t have lived without most of their things, because it had been cleaned out most thoroughly. The furniture remained, such as the velour couch, tables and bookshelves, but each one was empty of anything sentimental.

I couldn’t blame the owners for that. The system drop had been rather sudden. One day everything was normal, and the next there were monsters in the streets and technology had stopped working like it was supposed to. Any semblance of their life before the system was usually heavily clung to.

My thoughts wandered to my apartment near the college. It would have been one of the first to be looted. Not that I had owned anything of value that didn’t require electricity to power on. For an idle moment, I considered visiting now that I was here. There was still plenty of time before Jamie would show up, and it was the place where my wife and I had—

I sighed, crossing my arms. That had been the Golden Dream, not real life. One thing had no bearing on the other, aside from my apparent nostalgia for something that was never going to come true. The whole thing was actually rather annoying.

Luckily, I didn’t have to dwell on it long. A few minutes after shoving the intrusive thoughts deep into the back of my mind, I detected movement outside. I opened the door without getting up as Tommy, Gabrielle, and a few others I only vaguely recognized approached. John was with them now, but the only other person that I would have considered noteworthy was Anna Jefferson.

The nurse had been in Father Alexander’s inner circle at the head of the Etson Faithful. She was a follower, but was at least capable of critical thinking and questioning orders. When shit hit the fan, Anna was almost always the first to peel away. In this timeline that honor had gone to Emily Trout, the Poison Mage who ambushed me with Arnold, after she realized she was on the losing team.

Which was a smarter move than I gave her credit for. I mean, sure, she tried to kill me with a kiss, but I had invited that on myself. Full-on Regression Imbalance Anthony was an idiot. Circumstances notwithstanding, I was in a much better place these days.

“Sorry it took so long,” Tommy said as he walked in, the group following after. “There was a bit of a debate on who would be coming.”

<<<>>>

[[Warning!]]

You have been spotted, and a beacon has been lit identifying your location to 7 players.

<<<>>>

“No worries,” I said as I paid close attention to the newcomer’s auras as they entered the room.

To their credit, none of them seemed ready to start something even with Seraphim’s scenario schemes. There was a lot of turmoil in their auras. Anxiety, trepidation, wonder.

Faith.

I suppressed the feeling of absolute disgust that welled up inside me at the thought of being worshipped. That scum sucker of an administrator had used religion as a way to endear himself to the masses, which was what the Etson Faithful was all about, but now that they had an Angel fight for them it seemed like it was now pointed at me. Better than admiring Seraphim, though not by much.

“Good to see you again, John,” I said, nodding upwards to him.

“Anthony,” he greeted in return. His tone was stiff, like he wasn’t sure how to react to me given our storied history.

Anna stopped in front of me, looking me over, while the others took their seats. “You look different from the last time I saw you, Mr. Franklin,” she noted.

“Yeah, well, a lot has happened,” I said, shrugging. Gabrielle sat next to me on the couch, which got her some looks from the others. She pointedly ignored them. “But, call me Anthony. Or even Ant. Mr. Franklin’s way too formal.”

“Sure… Anthony,” she replied, and it was clear she was only going along with it because I said so. The nurse moved to sit next to John, and I noticed their proximity. Good on him, it seemed.

“I’ll be honest, I’m surprised to see you,” I told her as I leaned back to get more comfortable. “After everything that went down between me and Father Alexander, I kind of assumed you wouldn’t be willing to join a faction that, apparently, jumped from one religious figure to the next.”

“You didn’t tell him?” Anna asked, looking at Gabrielle and Tommy.

“Not yet,” he answered.

“We kind of left him behind when he agreed to meet with all of you,” Gabrielle added on. “Neither of us were allowed to stay because it apparently triggers a text box?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed with a frown. “It’s warning me that I have seven people watching me right now. It also seems to be a persistent addition whether my eyes are open or closed, so a little peace was nice. I’ll survive a conversation, though.”

“That explains the glow around you,” John said, crossing his arms. “The moment I saw you it popped up saying you were the target, but we can toggle it on and off, at least.”

“It’s a small thing that’s meant to annoy me, I’m sure,” I replied with a dark chuckle. “But, something happened with Father Alexander?”

“He’s dead,” one of the men I didn’t know the name of said.

“What happened to him?” I asked, and he looked towards Anna. Apparently, he didn’t want to answer the follow-up.

The nurse sighed. “Not long after the attack on the Vespae Hive, there was a schism in the Etson Faithful,” she explained, and her aura became a little more frosty. “Things weren’t great for us. After your speech, a lot of people left the safe zone in order to be a part of the attack, and Alexander had lost somewhere around seventy percent of his healers.”

I whistled. “I knew it was a big number, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that high.”

Anna nodded. “You inspired a lot of people that day, and Gabrielle was instrumental in swaying a good chunk of them.”

“If that old guy’s rules weren’t so draconian, then we probably wouldn’t have even blinked,” the other healer huffed.

“He offered peace and unity in a time where people were scared. You know what our city is like; some people didn’t mind draconian,” I said.

“Yeah. Just annoys the hell out of me,” Gabrielle replied.

“I hear you,” I returned with a smile, nudging her with an elbow before returning my attention to Anna. “But my question still stands. What happened to him?”

“Alexander and his most fervent believers were given a choice of community service or exile from the safe zone,” the nurse answered. “I decided to stay behind because of the stories I heard of you, but most of his inner circle went with him. We found the bodies of him and Phillip, his son, not long after. There was no sign of anyone else.”

I frowned. “Monsters? Or people?”

“Monsters,” Tommy said, shaking his head. “No people did that. It wasn’t revenge, but I assume the people who followed him might have left them behind when the going got tough.”

“Showed their true colors, then,” I remarked as I ran my fingers through my hair. “Can’t say I’m too surprised. Emily ditched them the moment she realized the gap between me and them, so after the successful raid others must have had the same thoughts she had. What else?”

“It didn’t take long to happen at all,” Anna said. John reached over and patted her on the back, and she leaned into his touch. “We did lose a lot of people in the war, as you know, but those who survived were inspired by what they saw of you. I was still in deep with Alexander so I hadn’t participated, but I’ve heard about what you became from so many sources that I can practically see it in my mind.”

That made me wince, but I gestured for her to continue.

“It was exactly as you said in the Square: you were the product of his faith,” Anna said with a soft smile. “You hunted boss monsters, found rare items, and saved lives, and you were rewarded with an ascended form.”

“For the record, I'm the exception and not the rule,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “What happened to me is an actual race change and the circumstances can't be replicated. I’m not technically a human anymore; the system refers to me as a Half-Angel.”

“A Nephilim?” the other new man asked.

“Specifically, a Half-Angel,” I answered with a shake of my head. “I’m going to tell you all exactly what I’ve told others who have become confused upon seeing my form. No matter what I look like or what power I hold, at the end of the day I’m just a man. Sure, I might have a savior complex. I may martyr myself or my capabilities if the circumstances are right, but the only thing that makes me different from any of you is my mindset and my knowledge. As flattering as it is, there certainly shouldn’t be an Anthony’s Faithful.”

“Tough,” Tommy said. His statement made the newcomers turn to glare at him, as if he shouldn’t be talking to me that way.

“You got something to say?” I asked, arching an eyebrow.

The Justicar worked his jaw for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I do,” he said. “You’re a damned hero, Anthony, and these people are following the path that you laid before them. Hunt boss monsters, find good loot, and save lives. Now, I know you’re just a man. Gabrielle does, John does, and even Anna’s seen more of you than these three have.”

“Hey!” the nameless woman protested.

“It’s true, Clair,” he shot back. “Matt, Cory, you know it, too. We’ve told you repeatedly that Ant, no matter how strong he is, is just a guy.”

The first man, Matt, opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “Then why Anthony’s Faithful? Your Tumblers would have gotten the same results. Just like they always did.” I tapped my head, reminding him what I had told him about my memories of different timelines in the past.

“No, they wouldn’t have,” he said, crossing his arms. “You’re the one who brought us all together for the scenario, and you’re the one who showed off overwhelming power against the queen bug. Everyone saw her trying to flee from you, specifically, until you ran her down. They saw how the rest of the Vespae escaped after that. They saw what caused our victory and, like it or not, it was you, in the shape of an Angel.”

“That’s all it was: a shape,” I argued. “I’m a false idol at best.”

“You’re fucking inspiring, is what you are,” he countered vehemently. “You say Tommy’s Tumblers could have done that? My ass got laid out by the queen’s poison. I was a part of the strike force, but that was it. You scared off a whole invasion force, Ant. You got everyone helping each other. We’re in a golden age right now because the majority of the city is taking the time and effort to make their neighbor’s lives better.”

That struck a chord with me. A golden age of healing, I had always said.

“We don’t overcharge for healing anymore,” Gabrielle offered. “And we actually do get to keep the points we make. People aren’t dying because they can’t kill a single Trat for currency anymore.”

“Less people are dying, period,” John snorted. “There’s a lot of courage out there right now. A lot of bonds were made on that battlefield and after, where there were people who felt guilty they didn’t pull up. We’re stronger together, while that bastard preacher just wanted to make sure that he could pull the strings from the safety of his throne.”

“You say you’re a false idol, and I can see it,” Tommy said as he gestured to his friend. John swiped open his menu. “Perhaps this whole thing has gotten out of hand, but the destination’s good and there was no stopping it. If it wasn’t you, then it would still be Seraphim, especially when he came down to do damage control.”

“He showed up on your doorstep?” I asked, frowning.

“Yup. Looking like the most whitewashed Angel in existence,” he answered with a chuckle. “He tried to pull the whole ‘of the beginning’ shit all over again, but Gabrielle and I knew better since we were there for the End, even if she had to be explained to me after I woke up.”

“That winged lady you summoned was so hot,” the healer said wistfully, looking up at the ceiling. “And I don’t just mean that literally. She was gorgeous, Ant.”

“Yeah, she really is,” I replied, unable to help the smile on my face. “Esaraphelscion, Angel of the End. She’s my Patron now, and she’s the reason why I was able to change races.”

“Wish I had been awake to see her,” Tommy admitted as he rummaged around in his inventory. “Gabrielle wouldn’t shut up about her.”

“And for good reason!” she returned, leaning forward. “Like, c’mon, man. Angels are supposed to be beautiful, and she puts Ant’s other form to shame.”

“Yeah, it’s true,” I agreed.

“Found it,” John said with a grin. He pulled out a piece of paper and stood up to hand it to me.

Tommy continued. “You’ve saved so many lives, Ant. You’ve changed this whole city. People still talk fondly about you and we haven’t seen you in over two months.”

“Kind of a given since it’s called Anthony’s Faithful,” I snorted before taking the paper. It was colored with crayons, but my aura couldn’t pick up what it was. I chewed on the inside of my cheek, wondering if Tommy and Gabrielle had told the others that I couldn’t see. My salvation came from another place.

<<<>>>

[[Patron Message]]

It’s a child’s drawing. There’s you with your gear from Etson standing beneath a light in a dungeon covered in flames. At the top of the stairs is a little boy, who’s looking down at you. You have what I assume is your traditional smug look on your face, and the words “I’m the most powerful player” are in a speech bubble attached to you.

“Thank you for saving me, Mr. Franklin. Signed, Charlie.”

It’s pretty cute. I’ll take it if you don’t want it.

<<<>>>

I took a breath and looked up at the ceiling. It seemed as though Sara was willing to talk with me again. Or, at least, help me out.

“Charlie wanted me to give that to you if I ever saw you again,” Tommy said. “You remember him?”

“The kid who lost his family in the Mausoleum of the Arsonist,” I answered. “He’s doing okay?”

“He’s well looked after. Still drawing, as you can see. His therapist had him start as a coping mechanism and he’s still rolling with it.”

“Kid’s pretty much put together a whole comic strip about how you saved him. It’s as good as you’d expect, but the other children like it,” John added. “He's a healer now, too. The little dude is surprisingly capable for a seven year old, though we don't let him near the more gruesome injuries.”

“Eight,” Anna corrected. “He just had his birthday.”

“Right. My bad.”

“John’s been looking after him after Francis and Jess left,” the nurse explained. “We’ve been helping him cope with the situation while we contribute to the new orphanage.”

“There’s a lot of those these days,” I sighed.

“Too many,” Gabrielle agreed. “But there would be a lot more without people following the tenets you laid down.”

“Fight bosses, get good loot, and save lives aren’t exactly the Ten Commandments,” I snorted.

“We could use seven more,” Cory offered.

“Denied,” I returned immediately.

<<<>>>

[[Patron Message]]

I get it. Being worshiped isn’t what an Angel wants, and I need you to evaluate your mindset to see if it’s my influence on you that’s making you deny this so hard. This can’t be the first time you’ve been in this position, not with the skills you possess. I think, though, this might be for the best, Ant.

Everything they’ve said so far is true; Etson is a better place because of you. I’ve scanned the city, and this is quite possibly the closest community we’ve seen so far. On this scale, at least. The people are mostly, and improbably, happy. Very few are left behind. Everyone is helping everyone else. At least 80% of the population here has an AF patch on them. It’s like they’ve formed a guild without forming a guild.

And the conversations I’m hearing? According to the handful of Patrons, they’re prominent in Stanley, too. There’s even talk of expansion. You’re very real to these people, Ant, and they've taken your words to heart. You are their pillar of support, even if they’ve never met you. Your influence has spread that far.

Don’t think of it as religious worship, but simply following in the footsteps of their hero. That might change the way you feel about it, and your instinctual rejection from your Angelic side might simmer down.

<<<>>>

I snapped away the message, and took a breath. My hand went up to my forehead as I stopped gazing at the ceiling, and everyone watched me expectantly.

Sara was right; the moment I shifted the mindset away from the false idol route and onto them following the path of a hero, it became easier for me to accept. I hadn’t realized my Half-Angel side influenced me in that way. It made sense, of course, but it was something new to look out for and reflect on. Luckily, my morals aligned pretty well with Heaven’s.

“We have to change the name,” I conceded. “Anthony’s Faithful sounds like you’re worshiping me, and I don’t like that. Looking up to me, following in my footsteps, that’s all fine, but I won’t be your false idol.”

The group looked at each other, and the newcomers shrugged. “That should be doable,” Clair admitted. “Do you have something in mind?”

“Nope. That’s on you,” I returned.

This seemed to damper her spirits a little, but Gabrielle nudged me with her elbow. “If you don’t like it being about you, then how about that Angel you summoned?” she asked. “Esaraphelscion, she—”

“The Angel of the End?” a masculine voice asked from behind, and I stiffened. Everyone else stood up and took a few steps back at the presence of the Angel lookalike that suddenly appeared, but I remained sitting. “Yes, she would be the reason why the Antagonist here can do what he does. That is an interesting point that I hadn’t considered before. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, player.”

“Seraphim, you scum sucker,” I said, bile rising in my throat. Slowly, I stood up and turned towards him.

The administrator simply smiled back. “You should update your insults. This one’s just getting old.”

“Why are you here?” I asked, sending Charlie’s picture into my inventory before I could crush it in my fist.

“To see you, of course,” he answered jovially. His aura was nonexistent so I could only see his body language, and it seemed gleefully hostile. “After all, you were supposed to get first place, and you very specifically acted against me. Not only that, but the current group seems incapable or unwilling to bloody you. So, here I am, taking matters into my own hands.”

With a snap of his fingers, something flew through the roof of the house. I barely had enough time to activate Shield before I was slammed through the wooden floor and into the building’s foundation, cracking it. I grabbed the arms of the thing that struck me and swore before punching them in their smug face. They went careening into the attic, and I flew up to reorient myself.

The thing I had just punched would have been a carbon copy of me if it weren’t for the facial hair. Not a Prime Doppelganger, but undoubtedly dangerous nonetheless.

“I’m going to enjoy watching this,” Seraphim mirthfully announced.