The warehouse district loomed ahead, a sprawling wasteland of decaying concrete and forgotten machinery. Neon signs flickered in the gloom, casting grotesque shadows on streets littered with debris. This was a place where darkness held sway, the perfect haven for those who spurned the celestial order.
Inside the abandoned warehouse, the rogue angel waited. He was a towering figure, muscles rippling beneath a ragged shirt. His once-pristine white wings were stained and scarred, one wingtip a mangled mess of feathers and steel. Yet, his eyes, blazing with defiance, held no hint of defeat.
He recognized Justin immediately, a mocking sneer stretching his lips. "Back for more, half-blood?" His voice was rough, grating, fueled by anger and a deep, simmering resentment. "You brought your friend to help this time? Coward."
Justin gritted his teeth. "I'm here to end this before more innocents get hurt."
Celestine stepped forward, her movements deceptively fluid. With a flicker of light, her wings unfurled as she shifted into a fighting stance – pure elegance meeting unyielding force.
"We're taking you down," she declared, her voice low and unwavering.
The rogue angel laughed harshly. "You think you two can stand against us? You Celestials are delusional!"
From the shadows, other figures materialized, their eyes burning with the same fervent hatred. The ambush was sprung.
The fight was brutal. The rogue angels moved with surprising coordination, their attacks relentless. Justin, relying on his street-honed brawling skills and a few Celestial tricks, struggled to keep up. His movements were less refined than Celestine's, yet he held his own, his rage giving his blows an added sting.
Celestine was a whirlwind of controlled power. Her wings, a beautiful and terrifying sight, deflected attacks with ease while she struck with the precision of a master swordsman. The rogue angels pushed back, trying to overwhelm her, but she would not yield.
Justin stumbled, a glancing blow catching him off guard. Before the rogue angel could capitalize, Celestine was there, her fist slamming into the angel's jaw with bone-jarring force.
Wounded and outnumbered, the rogue angels began to falter. One by one, they fell, leaving only their leader standing, bloodied and defiant. He stared at Justin, breathing heavily, then collapsed to his knees with a sigh.
"It's over," Justin said, his voice low and strained.
The rogue angel looked up at them, a mix of fury and grim amusement in his eyes. "Is it? This is just the beginning, puppets. You think you've won? You're pawns in a game you don't even understand. The Society's days are numbered. Soon, others will rise!"
Justin leaned closer, his eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"
But the rogue angel only laughed, a raspy, chilling sound. "You'll find out soon enough, half-breed. More and more of us are breaking free..."
Confusion flickered across the dying angel's face. His gaze fell upon Justin and Celestine. "Wait... you're..." He gasped and fell silent, his laughter cut short. His eyes glazed over, the light of defiance fading.
Justin crouched next to the body, his mind reeling. Another piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, but it was a twisted piece that raised more questions than answers. He saw the faint metallic sheen beneath the rogue angel's tattered clothing. This celestial was part machine.
Celestine knelt beside him, her brow furrowed. "This can’t be…is he…an android?" she said, concern lacing her voice.
Justin looked up. "There's more to this than just rogue angels," he said, his voice tight. He carefully turned the body over, revealing the back of the angel's neck. Etched into the skin was a series of markings: "A-003".
He snapped a picture of the body and forwarded it to Alexander with a brief message: Objective complete. He didn't add anything about their unexpected revelation. Then, he turned towards Celestine. "Luccio's going to need to see this." Justin just couldn't believe what he saw. A Celestial who was partially a cyborg. Or maybe it was a cyborg turned into an Angel? He needed answers.
The air crackled with unspoken fears. The rogue angel's words, his cryptic laughter, echoed in the silence. A shiver ran down Justin's spine. Their simple mission had spiraled into something far more dangerous, he felt that. He felt that they just discovered something which they shouldn’t.
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