IT ONLY TOOK TWO GUNSHOTS for the strongest man I knew, to collapse to his knees. Hot red liquid pours from the two puncture holes in his chest. With his mouth agape, and eyes wide, my father was utterly hopeless against his assailant. The screams that shredded through my vocal cords did nothing to deter this murderer’s agenda, or to finish my father off. The black hood he wore masked his face in a dark shadow, his features unidentifiable besides the ugly grin plastered across his lips, while his chin was dotted with my father’s blood. 

 The fun activities I would implement into that man, to just wipe that smug grin off of his face would be indescribable. Yet, I could do nothing; my father’s attacker has big friends. Both of which kept me from moving a single inch-- I couldn’t muster the strength to fight against them. Their bulky arms were the size of my thighs, strong and thick. From under their hoods, their faces were stones; cold and blank. My weight was nothing, and so it seems, was my father. They are utterly emotionless. 

Tears blur my vision, my body shaking as adrenaline coursed through me with no outlet. My throat burned as I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It was as if my voice was being restricted by an invisible force, and it scared the absolute hell out of me. Thrashing in my captive’s grasp, I attempted anything and everything I could think of to get loose. To no avail; I was stuck and at their mercy. 

Paralized and thus forced to watch as the scene unfolded in front of me.

The man that stood before my father took a step forward, dropping down to eye level in a squat. His elbows rested on the thighs of his blue jeans, his head tilting to the side as if he was studying my father with interest. 

“Polonium,” the assailant began. His voice was annoyingly deep, though I had to guess he was faking it, attempting to cover up the fact that he was a late bloomer throughout junior high. Impractical, but the thoughts made me feel better. Especially when considering he was probably compensating for something he was thoroughly lacking. I tend to call it small dick syndrome. “A rare and highly radioactive metal, strong enough to paralyze, and kill even you, Markus.” 

My father slowly recovers from his state of shock, then begins snarling at the man, but stays where he is. “Fuck you, Felix.” He spit the blood that had pooled in his mouth, directly on Felix’s face. The man didn't flinch, but I did. My father glares at Felix with a murderous rage that I have never seen until now. The fact that my father knew this man, sent chilling tendrils along my spine. 

Felix chuckles, and my lips quiver as tears drizzle off my chin. “I’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

My father’s shoulders stiffen. “If you do this, you know what you will become. What war you will start.” His warning seems to have no effect on the hooded man. Felix’s stature was stoic and calm. 

“I am well aware of what is to follow, Markus. But don’t you worry-” Felix’s head turns ever so slightly toward me and his minions. “Everything will soon be as it should.” His tone was taunting, like he was waving something over my father’s head. By my father’s raged expression, I knew I was right. I wish I knew what he was talking about, that way maybe I could help keep whatever he wanted away from him. 

My father growls, blood drooling from the corner of his mouth. “You stay away from my daughter, you coward.” My eyes widen, a new bucket of fear washing over me in cold layers. 

What the hell did this maniac want with me?

Felix drops his head back, as another deranged laugh leaves his throat. My eyes flicker to my father, wondering why he isn’t fighting back. He is bleeding out, but all it would take were a few knockouts, and we could escape. It was futile with our overwhelming odds, I knew, but I refuse to do nothing while my father dies. I’d never forgive myself.

Yet, nothing was all I could do.

Felix recovers from his sociopathic laugh, focusing back on my father. “No.” It was a simple two-letter word, but the way this man phrases it, was a death sentence. So set and final. It was as if he was daring us to challenge his word. My heart hammers in my chest, waiting while I hope for my father to do something along those lines. But he does nothing, as if he was paralized. 

I wanted to scream, to let the whole world know he was being taken from me just as my mother had. But as my mouth opened, and I willed the force of sound to come, silence followed. I thrash against the men that held me once again, but they barely budged. My heart fell through the floor, my legs giving out as hopelessness consumes me and my vision blurs once again. 

Silent sobs wretch through me, nausea coating my stomach as my throat grew raw. I’ve never felt so hopeless or defenseless in my life, and it tore so deep, there was no telling the time it would take to repair it. 

 Even through my blurry vision, I could see the sag in my father’s shoulders, and how his eyes grew unfocused. His skin was paler than it usually was, especially here in North Dakota. I knew if I could reach out to touch him, he would be as cold as ice. 

 Felix pat my father on the shoulder, his body teetering from the slight force of his assailant's hand. Felix then stood to his feet and turned to me. I tore my gaze from my father, watching my father’s possible murderer with teary eyes. The only thing I could see, was that grin that was still plastered on his face. 

 “Angelina, daughter of Markus and Rose Camden. Descendant of two gods.” Felix paused, and I had to stop my head from spinning to focus on what exactly he was saying. “You, my dear child, are a rarity we’ve never seen before, and may have one day been a very powerful young woman.” 

 This man had to be on acid. I’m the descendant of two what? I hope he meant Jesus and the Holy Spirit. 

My chin tilts as he approaches, blinking away the tears in hopes of a good look at the monster. Unfortunately, Felix stood the right distance away where the shadows covered his face perfectly. I’d almost dare to say he was doing it on purpose. Though, I was curious as to why if he was just going to kill me anyway. 

“It’s a shame you have to bear witness to something so violent, but I promise you, little one, your suffering will end soon.” Felix reached out with his hand, his forefinger brushing against my cheek. I flinched away, wishing I could burn the skin off where he touched. 

Thoughts fluttered through my head, bubbling over my tongue until they spilled through my lips in a rush of hatred. “Go to Hell, you cowardice piece of shit.” I stunned myself as the words poured from my mouth, relief soaking my shoulders upon realizing I could speak again. 

Felix chuckles in a dark manor that freaks me the hell out. “You have some spunk in you, little one. It’s very, hmm, amusing.” He drawled out the last word in a way that chilled my bones. 

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I tore my eyes away and focused on my father. I choked on a sob, his head was bobbed forward with his eyes closed. The grey t-shirt he wore was soaked in that red copper liquid, his wounds still seeping  blood. If my father hadn’t bled out yet, he was going to in a matter of minutes. 

A cold finger pushes my chin to the side, tearing my focus away from the man that raised me. Shock and exhaustion began to pull at my eyelids, the black of unconsciousness threatening to tug me under. My adrenaline was wearing off, my heart slowing from its erratic pace. 

I was surprised it was still pumping at all.

“Your father was a blockade I had to get rid of, little one.” Felix’s words were barely able to register in my brain as I blinked away the darkness that threatened to consume me. I was completely limp in his minions arms, but knowing that my life was seconds away from ceasing to exist, I didn’t care. “He was the strongest of the Four, and it was almost too easy. By the time the others figure out he’s gone, it will be too late. The Alexandrite is mine now, as is the power from the God that created it.” Felix chuckled to himself. 

Psychopath.

“Regardless if I kill you or not, the Power of Four is impossible. Which means, I’m unstoppable once Caligo arrives.” A hand stroked against the skin of my cheek, and I couldn’t even muster the strength to flinch away. Felix seems to sigh delightfully. “What a time to be alive, little one. Too bad you won’t be here to experience it.”

Black dots clouded my vision, my gaze sliding to my father as his eyes parted and our gazes locking. The cold barrel of a gun pressed against my forehead, and I welcomed the darkness as it began to swallow me whole, knowing I’d meet my father again in just a few moments. 

The ring of a gunshot pierced my ears, then everything went black.