Angels and Demons (Anja)

[Dragon]

John's arms erupted again, and he met her talons with his own - where she clawed at him, his aura flashed with white brilliance and resisted her. She ripped at the sleeves of his gi, but his flesh was unharmed. Still, he was taken aback by her increased strength, and the force of her rush made him backpedal.

He quickly regained his balance and danced nimbly around the Angel in the center of the practice mat, taking care to mind her powerful-looking wings on either side.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "And why have you taken possession of an innocent girl?"

[Anja Drake]

Their talons met dead on again and again; it thrilled her.

The Angel's body flung around and dropped into a crouch, her body contorted and shuddered as a wave of reverse-transformation came over her. Anja was trying to come back; too bad for her that was so weak, she would be lost for a while longer. The Angel moved slowly into an assertive position; much like a lion ready to pounce on her prey.

"The Drake girl isn't as innocent as you believe she is." She stated gravely, sounding almost as if she cared about Anja. "You'll have to ask her about it sometime."

Again the Angel threw her body forward, but this time aimed low, towards his legs; her wings ready to lift her into unexpected flight when she had him where he wanted him. Her face lifted into maniacal grin...this wasn't Anja at all.

"Ask her about Venice!" She screeched as she thrust her talons forward towards his legs, ever watchful of his hands.

[Dragon]

John saw the Angel's skin ripple, and he knew it was Anja fighting back. So she was in there and aware - he would do everything in his power to help her regain control.

But the moment of uncertainty was all too short, and he barely had time to think before she launched herself at him again.

She was aiming low, so John got lower, bracing his arms to grapple with her. But she drove on right through him, forcing him onto his back, and lifted off anyway. With a grunt, he torqued his body to the side to swing her off-course, and that was all that kept her from slamming him head-first into a wall. They rolled to the floor in a heap.

John tried his best to hold her down, but the beating wings and slashing claws were almost too much for him. "You haven't answered my question," he growled through clenched teeth. "Explain yourself! What gives you the right to hold her hostage?"

[Anja Drake]

The pressure of the mutant over her was harsh and his abilities were masterful, but the young Angel had fought with things like him before; she had fought many other mutants. She barred her sharpened teeth at him, how dare he?!

"I have the right because I am a part of her, just as she is a part of me." Her back arched in attempt to throw him off, but he held fast. She was furious and her actions revealed it. Wildly she thrashed underneath him and the more she did, the more his grip seemed to strengthen. "We share her body."

She halted her actions briefly and panted underneath the hold of the man. Her eyes went wild. "We had an agreement, or so I thought. She stopped letting me use her body years ago. Then she came her to get...help."

"She broke our agreement!" A scream tore through the air; her wings folding inward and hooking underneath his abdomen; with an unhumanly force she pushed him backwards. In all reality, this probably didn't make sense to Mr. Rhee; it must have not sounded like a mutation...but the Angel had always been skillful at lying; this was just the dark side of Anja's personality. Everyone had one, but Anja's actually appeared in a physical form. The only part that was truely accturate in what the Angel had said was that they shared Anja's body, it was within herself that the mutation lay.

"Why do you care about her?!"

[Dragon]

It felt like being punched in the chest by a grizzly bear. The wings launched John backwards through the air - he hit the ground tumbling and scrambled awkwardly to his feet, fighting to squeeze air back into his lungs.

"I care," he rasped, "because she is my student. Because she is a precious young woman who has the capacity to love, to learn, to give, to inspire herself and others."

John raised his arms defensively, and his aura grew - the ethereal flames spread up to his shoulders and coalesced into glowing reptilian spines.

"What do you have to offer? What makes you worthy to share her existence?"

[Anja Drake]

"I offer her excitement." The Angel growled deeply. "I offer her the chance to be what everyone really wants to be."

The black waterfall of hair that fell down and over the Angels shoulders only accented the savage like sound that came from her throat. His offensive power shift sent her into a frenzy of angry summons...this was a battled between the controlled and the uncontrolled.

"I am her, I am a part of who she is. One could say I'm the tortured side of her, I'm all the pain that has been her in her life." The voice faltered and her eyes lost its fire. "No!" Anja's voice screamed, it almost didn't sound like her. But as soon as it was there, it was gone, and the fire returned. "It's amusing that she is still trying to return to you."

"She doesn't show and never did show the anger and hurt that came to her and so now I prey off her every emotion. Her life is nothing more than an emotionless state because she tries to ignore me." The Angel chuckled before readying herself to attack once again. "If I didn't liberate her, she would die easily."

Again, she lunged forward, her wings holding her body in an assault half from the air and half from the ground.

[Dragon]

John was ready this time - he lunged forward to meet her. He turned as her talons met his face, and he took a pair of jagged, bloody gashes across his cheek, but at the same moment he connected a fist with her solar plexus. His aura deformed around her body for a split second, and then, with a crack like a gunshot, it rebounded with explosive force. The shockwave staggered John, but it blasted the Angel backwards and sent her skidding over the floor.

John fell to one knee and glowered at his foe. "So you're a parasite," he said derisively. "You lurk in the shadows of her soul and feed off of her emotions. Is this really the existence you want?"

He stood up and began circling her again. "You say she isn't complete without you. Well, what are you without her? You're just a shadow,
a fairy-tale monster. You can take lives, but you have no life of your own. What if you could change that? What if you could both be complete?"

[Anja Drake]

The creature rolled and came up on one knee her wings curled forward, the breath more than knocked out of her lungs; it was a punch had been thrown in good placement. If it had been Anja as a person, it would have broken a few ribs for sure. The Angel looked into the eyes of John Rhee; her eyes almost looking into his soul and a small amount of blood trickled out of the side of her lips.

"I suppose I am a parasite." She stated comfortably, the fact didn't bother her at all. "We would die without eachother; I wouldn't exist and she couldn't function, she'd be a vegetable."

Her figure stiffened and her vision disappeared but her body stayed in shape. The Angel had a disadvantage now, she wasn't used to being blind, her senses were not as sensative as Anja's and the disability was costly. However, she attempted not to show it.

"You say she isn't complete without you. Well, what are you without her? You're just a shadow, a fairy-tale monster. You can take lives, but you have no life of your own. What if you could change that? What if you could both be complete?"

"I'm not the only one that takes lives." The Angel smiled uneasily, pointing her answer at the man. She blinked as she laughed hallowly, this blindness was a nuisance. "Even so, I couldn't live seperated from her body. We live completely right now; only, she broke our agreement so naturally she must be punished. Her lack of control is only a mere side of this punishment."

The Angel rose again, licking the blood at the corner of her mouth. She didn't take the offensive right away; her sight was holding her back. "You seem to care too much."

[Dragon]

Something had changed, ever so slightly, in the Angel's demeanor. John wasn't sure what it was - maybe he was breaking through on some level, or maybe it was Anja breaking through from the other side. Either way, he took it as a good sign that she hadn't rushed to attack him again.

"I already told you why I care," he replied, ignoring the blood pooling on his cheek. "I made a promise to help Anja. And if you really are so closely linked, then what helps Anja will help you, too. But if you keep on fighting her, you'll be diminished, not strengthened. Look. I have made peace with my demons, and I am strong enough to oppose you."

He had to better understand their relationship, Anja and the Angel. To that end, and to illustrate his sincerity, he felt he had to take a monumental risk. He reached inside himself and quieted his spirit, and the Dragon aura faded away.

John stared coolly at the Angel, unaware that she wasn't looking back. "Tell me - what is that you want?"

[Anja Drake]

“That may be so,” she addressed the issue that what would help Anja would help her. “But, what makes you think I want to be helped by you?”
<o></o>
Her actions were stiff but she managed to move, with some helpful sense to his flank. She wasn’t finished yet, not matter how close Anja was to reclaiming her body as her own. Mr. Rhee’s power had faded away, what was he planning? It had to be something more that just to talk, it couldn’t be just over.
<o></o>
Was he going to compromise? This wasn’t something he could simply talk her out of
<o></o>
“What I want, John Rhee, is nothing more than to be left alone. But I know that my request will always be denied. One – because I live as another person and share a body. And two – my ‘other’ wants to be helped by you. It's never going to be about what I want.”
<o></o>
With deep concentration, the Angel pushed Anja away again and the blazing sight returned, along with a clever smile. “Now, why are you being so amateur? You never let down your guard!”
<o></o>
She flew into the air with great speed.

[Dragon]

That was it - John knew he would get nowhere with this creature, not until Anja showed she could dominate her.

He didn't call on his power again. He watched her arc through the air, ready to leap away from wherever she chose to land, and shouted, "Anja! Take her back, now!"

Mastering the rush of adrenalin, he turned his ch'i inward, and it began radiating peace like an incoming tide.

[Anja Drake]

The Angel shimmered where she was in the air; a signal that his voice had reached Anja.

That moment of alteration, cause the Angel to plummet from the air and land relative harshly on the padded floor. No! This couldn't happen; this was all too fun. The creature gasped and drew in on herself; it hurt her just as much as it hurt Anja when she "de-transformed".

"This isn't over." The eyes of the Angel found the eyes of Mr. Rhee, she studied him, what she saw was what Anja would remember. Her eyes turned almost simpathetic; the fire soon disappeared and the hazel eyes of a simple blind girl returned. "I'll see you again, soon."

The screaming returned and the demon wings folded around her. Anja was reappearing in frantic fury of twitching spasms. The pain she felt was beyond anything humanly managable.

Each wing one at a time fell into a fine dust, before fading away completely. Anja lay, in the shredded remains of her clothes, quivering in the aftershocks of her return.

[Dragon]

John rushed to her side and held her, but he was powerless to stop the spasms of pain that were torturing her slight body. It seemed unimaginable that this vulnerable creature had just moments ago been such a deadly monster.

He rubbed her back lightly, careful to avoid the welts where her wings had faded. "It's all right, Anja," he said. "It's over now. You overcame her. You did well."

[Anja Drake]

The last of the spasms came when the last of the pure white pigment faded from her naturally tan appearance. The aftershock of the whole ordeal was one thing but dealing with what she had done during the ordeal was something else. Anja felt sore and there was nothing stopping a flood of emotions to surge through her system.

After every transformation, emotions engulfed her body. It was only natural that she expierence something of the sort and it never really hurt her either, the Angel wouldn't come back so quickly again, but still it left the girl feeling overwhelmed.

She laid against Mr. Rhee until everything quieted; her shaking, her breathing, her 'wave' of new emotions. It took everything she had not to cry, she rose her head only a margin to peer around the room; her sense completely restored.

The was an area of disturbed padding just a few feet from where they were seated; no doubt a slashing from the claws or sharpened wings of the Angel.

Her senses and eyes were on John now. What was it like for him to see that?

"I hurt you." her voice was barely there; but the familiar, warm Italien accent had returned to its rightful owner. "I'm sorry."

[Dragon]

John cradled her and waited patiently until she seemed to regain some of her strength. Then he leaned back to give her some space. "Nothing Duncan can't cure in a few seconds," he said. "How about you? I hit you pretty hard, I'm afraid."

He glanced back toward his duffel and the gym bag she had brought in - it occurred to him she might want the sweatshirt she had taken off at the outset. "Can I get anything for you?"

[Anja Drake]

"Maybe a small bump." If her lie wasn't apparent, who know what was. There was a blackening circle the size of a softball forming just under her sternum. The bruise would take a while to heal but it wasn't the worst injury she ever had.

Anja gently pulled away from Mr. Rhee; her body was sore, very sore. Whether it had been from him or the transformation, she wasn't quite sure. She meekly pulled the remains of her clothing the best she could around her; she was fairly comfortable with the fact that the torn clothing left a lot of her revealed but she knew that there was nothing else that could be done.

Her head nodded slowly, before attempting to stand up. "I just need my bag."

[Dragon]

John was no stranger to injury. He could tell the jerky stiffness in Anja's movement wasn't from exhaustion. They were both beaten and bruised more than they would care to admit.

"Just stay there, no need to rush," he said. He retrieved his duffel and Anja's gym bag and left them both beside her on the floor. "There's also a couple ice packs in my bag - just twist the tops, and they'll get cold."

It was then that he realized the state of Anja's clothing, and he stepped back, blushing lightly. "I'll, ah... I'll leave you alone to change."

John turned and stepped out of the practice room and only then lifted a finger to the cuts on his cheek. Now that his adrenalin high was coming down, they stung furiously.

He made his way to the phone at the end of the hall and dialed. "Duncan? It's John. Just finished my first session with Anja, and I think we both could use some patching up."

[Pan]

"Alright, I'm on my way."

Duncan put the phone down on his desk and stood. He was in the middle of a biology lesson and fortunately, the students were facing their bi-monthly pop quiz so he wasn't required to be present. He crossed the lab, silent except for the scratching of pens on paper, and asked one of the technicians to cover for him.

On his way to the vast training facility, Duncan wondered what the extent of their injuries would be - he had never witnessed Anja's mutation in action but from what he'd heard at staff meetings, it was potentially lethal. He quickened his pace and took a short cut through the gymnasium. Soon enough, he found John stood outside one of the practice rooms and gave him a quick glance from head to toe.

"What's the damage?"

[Dragon]

John turned, giving Duncan a clear view of the twin gashes down the side of his face. He'd mopped up the blood with a handkerchief, but the wounds were still angry red and puffy.

"Just got a few scratches and bruises," he said, "but I'm more concerned about Anja. She transformed fully, and it took a lot out of her. She's reverted now... I'm not even sure she's used to reverting over such a short period. I think she could use your touch."

He walked over to the door and gripped the handle, but he waited. "She's still changing," he explained. "Er - clothes."

[Anja Drake]

When Mr. Rhee left, Anja was slow to get moving. Normally, when she was transformed back into herself, she was alone and no one was waiting for her. The Institute was so much different than home; there was a lot of pressure on her not to transform on the spot and go a raving rampage.
<o></o>
Taking her time with every motion, she began to peel off the remains of her t-shirt and shorts until only her undergarments were present. Reaching into her bag, Anja pulled out a fresh turquoise ribbed tank top and a pair of black sweatpants. Her couldn’t handle the harshness of jeans or a sweatshirt at the moment, her body was just too sensitive.
<o></o>
When she was finished putting them on, she rolled back onto the matt. She lay on her side in a curled heap; her back was sore from the wings that had come from underneath her skin and her abdomen was in a state of numbing pain and the bruise that formed there was turning blackish purple.
<o></o>
She breathed quietly; listening to the room, just like John had said.