“Anthony! Stop! No!”

Her voice flooded his mind as he opened his eyes. His body burned, his bones and muscles ached. He had fallen and landed hard into a river. He tried to sit up with his now wet garments.

“Wow, great, water. Ugh, at least I still have this.” He pulled out a scroll from his inside pocket in his robes. He held it tight and returned it to his pocket, “Ha, I finally did it. None of those feathered idiots would come down here. Now to find the everyone on this list. Her mother started this rage.” He paused, stood, and looked up to the sky, “I hope you’re listening, dearest Rebecca. I’m going to make your beloved daughter’s life a living hell. It's only fair that she goes through the same hell that I went through.” He balled his fists tight around the scroll, “It's finally time that I have my revenge against you.”

-----

Anthony had been apart of heaven, he was an angel and had wings as did everyone up there. They had been called a part of a solar system, that each angel was represented by a star up in the night sky. In ancient times, instead of being called angels, they were called Starlights and heaven was called Star Clan. This had been because a fallen angel looked like a falling star.

Anthony didn’t fall from Heaven, he threw himself off and left. Normal angels that were banished fell, no, he plummeted. He wanted to ruin Heaven and it would start with his plummet. After his plan was done, an angel would fall, Anthony would go back to Heaven and claim it as his own. He didn’t care about other lives, so if he was forced to, he’d kill whoever he had to.

As he stepped out of the river, he remembered that the world had changed since he was alive. His clothing was nothing like the people were wearing now. When he died, there were still kingdoms and rulers. His father taught him that now there were presidents and governors. He knew he wouldn’t make it far without new clothes. He didn’t exactly blend in well with angelic Roman garments.

He put the scroll back into his pocket and took a deep breath, the fastest way for angels to dry off was to air dry themselves with their wings. In heaven angels walked around showing off their wings to each other. They weren’t allowed to do that on Earth. So instead they were granted ‘tattoos’ of wings that would manifest as their actual feathered flesh wings. The transformation started from his shoulder bone and slowly made it's way to his arms. His wings were a sleek dark pale blue; his father said that his wings were the key to the deepest well kept secret in the ocean. Anthony adored his wings and loved the color he was given. They helped guide him through the toughest of wind gusts and, best of all, they were waterproof. Not many angels were gifted with such talented wings. The elders told stories about how an angel’s wings represented what a person did in their time alive. It showed their talents and personality.

Anthony’s wings wrapped around him softly, their cool and gentle touch made him feel safe inside. He loved how dark it was when they fully engulfed him. A sudden alarm cut off his peaceful moment.

“What the hell is that thing?! Everyone grab a gun and shoot it!” A loud booming voice called out from the shore of the river near Anthony.

“Crap!” Anthony knew there was no way he could outrun a bullet, but he knew he could out-fly one. His wings spread behind him and he shot up into the air.

“Holy mother of God! Someone shoot the creature down already!” The voice yelled in fear.

The fear in the man’s voice made Anthony stop. He felt a rush in his blood. He turned and faced the men who aimed their guns at him. “That expression in your voice, it is fear. If I do say so, I’d say you were scared, sir. You fear me because you not know what I am.” Anthony amplified his voice so they could hear.

“What the hell are you, freak?! You clearly have some intellect.” The man was clearly shaking in front of him.

“I am certainly of more intellect than you, sir. You are a rotten, belly feeding, swine which I should not have to waste my breath on you.” Anthony growled and a blade came from his shoulder blades. He grabbed the handle and held it tight so the men could see. He rushed at them with his blade high, but before he could strike it down on them, another blade was guarding them.

“Anthony.” A male of same stature stood in front of Anthony blocking his attack.

“Brayden.” Anthony’s tongue was laced with toxin. Both male angels had a deep passion of hate for each other. Anthony being the better and Brayden trying to keep up.

“You are an angel, brother. We do not kill good men. Nor men in general! That is a reaper’s job!” Brayden pushed him back into the sky.

“Who is to say I am not a reaper? I could be sitting right on your big nose and you wouldn’t be able to see it! Now move, Brayden. These swine are useless anyways.” Anthony stared at him.

“These men are God fearing, let them be.” Brayden gripped his blade tight.

“God fearing men are idiots! They do not know the truth! They are blind! The pagans have been around more than god has!” Anthony yelled at him.

Brayden tried to reason with him, “Our God is still around, brother. You are just so blind by emotions that you cannot see it.”

“You are truly a pathetic excuse for an angel, a true angel at that. You were made before he left and yet you still believe he cares.” Anthony growled.

“Anthony, please. Leave them be. If you truly wish to be left alone on earth I will let you go, but you must leave these men alone.” Brayden sighed.

“They seriously sent you to try to bring me back?! I was wondering why you were guarding humans that weren’t even on your list.” Anthony rolled his eyes. “If you and all other angels will truly leave me alone, I will leave them alone.”

“Thank you, Anthony.” Brayden nodded.

Anthony hated having to give up so easily but it would just call upon more angels if he killed one of his own and multiple humans. Without any other words exchanged, he flew off into the clouds. He watched Brayden apologize to the men and flew off back to heaven.

Anthony until he hit a rural area. He stopped and saw a market. There were some humans, a certain type, that Anthony could deal with. He would never bow to them because he knew of their deceitful ways, but there were some that he could talk to and could enjoy it. The men he encountered were not apart of that group.

He landed on the road near in and walked, not wanting any overreactions that he was a man that had wings. He let his wings fade back into tattoos and walked down the road. He got to the small market and was stared down anyways. He knew he looked a lot different from them. He wore a white tunic, a dark blue-violet robes, and old high sandals, while they wore normal work shirts and jeans with their tennis shoes or their work boots.

He kept his head high just as he was taught as a boy. He walked down the ‘road’ the shops were on. He looked in his pockets and saw he didn’t have human money. He had his old Roman money and heaven’s money, but nothing of human currency for any recent years. He bit the inside of his lip and turned around to walk back. He was stopped by a small child. Anthony was never fond of the little grabby hands that went along with the youth. Anthony looked down at the child and had a thought of pulling out his sword. He stopped himself and just stood there, waiting for the rightful owner of the child to pull them away. That didn’t happen.

“Hi.” The small female child spoke softly as she looked in awe at him.

“Hi.” Anthony’s voice was laced with anger.

“I’m Adelene, I’m five. Who are you?” The child cocked her head to the side.

“I’m Anthony, I’m 2082 years old.” Anthony glared down at her.

Adelene giggled, “You’re not two!” She only heard the two in two-thousand.

Anthony rolled his eyes, “No I’m not,” he sighed, “I’m 23.” He took the two out of two-thousand and the three out of eighty-three.

“Okay!” She reached up and grabbed his hand. Without any other words, she dragged him to a booth. “Momma! Papa! I found someone new!”

The woman in behind the booth looked up and her eyes widen, “Oh, um, hello there.”

Anthony, who learned how to respect women from his own mother, bowed to her, “Evening, domina.”

“O-oh, evening.” She nodded her head to him, “What can I do for you, stranger?”

“I have been pulled over here by your, um, Adelene.” Anthony raised his arm and lifted the child without any resistance.

“Oh, oh my. Addi, I told you not to go bothering strangers sweetie.” The mother came around the side and grabbed Adelene from dangling off Anthony’s arm.

“Well, I should get going. Vale, domina.” He bowed once more and started to walk off.

“Nngghh! No!” Adelene tried to get out of her mother’s arms. She did and ran to Anthony.

He gasped in shock and rolled his eyes, “What do you want, puella?” She raised her arms to her and jumped, trying to get him to pick her up. “You want me to pick you up?” She nodded. “Ugh,” he sighed and bent down. He grabbed her and held her against his side like holding a sheep, not a child.

“I do believe, madam, that this parva puella is yours.” Anthony motioned to the child in his arms.

“My goodness, I am so sorry, sir.” Adelene’s mother grabbed her once more and this time kept her in her arms.

“Do not be. I know what she has caught her eye on.” Anthony grabbed out a golden heaven coin and held it in his hands. “This is a special coin; if she or anyone keeps this around their neck, it will keep them safe.”

“What is it exactly?” The woman held her hand out and Anthony dropped in her palm.

“It's known as a golden heaven coin, some call it Heaven’s golden coin, but there are many of them so it's rare to call it that.” Anthony inferred her.

“It looks like pure gold.” Adelene’s mother couldn’t take her eyes off of it.

“That’s because gold comes from this material. It's called aligium. It's not found on earth. It's very rare, but very powerful. If it takes a liking to her, then the two will be inseparable.” Anthony knew heaven coins aren’t supposed to touch earth, but he felt it was needed to give it to them.

“This is too valuable, I can’t take this.” The mother tried to give it back to him.

“I have more. Trust me, I found a jackpot of this stuff years ago. I only give it to those I know will keep it safe and it will do the same.” Anthony pushed her hand back to her chest. “It’s your’s now.”

The mother sighed and nodded, “This is very generous of you. Thank you.” She smiled and handed the coin to Adelene.

“It is my pleasure.” Anthony bowed his head slightly and turned to walk back. He walked to the road and decided to try to walk to the nearest city. The nearest city was miles away and it was getting dark, but this road looked like no one drove on it very often.

Anthony decided, once nightfall hit, he’d open his wings for fresh air as he walked. He had forgotten that his wings would cover him from any light that came behind him. As he was drowned in his thoughts, a truck came up behind him and failed to see him in the darkness. Before he could fly away or move to the side, it was already too late. The truck hit him with such force it slammed him forward into the ground, causing him to hit his head on the cement and become knocked out.

He laid on the ground, passed out and in a weird position. His wings had gone back into the tattoo on his back. The two men in the truck got out and rushed to his side. They didn’t live in the big city where Anthony was walking to, where they lived there was a small town doctor who could take care of his injuries. The younger of the two men picked up the weightless Anthony in his arms and brought him to the car. The older got back into the driver’s seat and started to drive to their house. The younger stayed with Anthony in the back, holding his head still during the ride.

The younger looked at the strange man in his lap. He could see scars all over his body and noticed he was dressed in ancient Roman clothes. The stranger didn’t look hurt, he was peaceful. His pale white hair draped over his face. The young man looked at the older and told him to hurry.