This City Will Burn

“Everything,” Eden began, heart pounding in her chest. “Everything is changing.”

She took a tentative step backward, dangerously close to the ledge. Piercing peaks rested underneath, whispering for her to just jump. It would be easier if she were to end it all now, instead of trying to talk some sense into this lunatic.

He stood right across from her, an annoyed scoff escaping him.

“Right, yes, and you expect me to believe that?”

His voice was deep and crass; venom dripped from his words like a maddened snake, preparing to strike its victim. It was suiting, Eden assumed, as the pattern on his trench coat very much favored that of a King Cobra.

Chills ran down her spine as she quickly nodded.

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“You’ve come to the wrong person, then,” he said, tilting his head. “Or perhaps they sent the wrong person to do their bidding. There’s nothing I’d rather see more than watching this city burn to the ground.”

“But it’s not the same! The city—the people—they’ve changed!” Eden exclaimed.

He wouldn’t listen. He never had, even when the Greats tried to get through to him. Why would now be any different?

“This city set me up for failure, and you expect me to just accept what you say… just like that? What a hero you are, playing the Devil’s Advocate,” he said, nose twitching in annoyance. “Well done. Truly.”

“There’s no need for this,” Eden said. “You don’t need to be a villain. There are good people who are changing things. People who are making things possible. They’re making things right!”

“Yes, well,” he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he shuffled where he stood. The sunlight gleamed on his neatly polished shoes. “I suppose you’re here to tell me that they’re making the world a better place?”

He couldn’t help the smirk that appeared on his face. He was an attractive man, regardless of his actions—it sent a wave of anxiety through Eden as she thought this. She was ridiculous—but perhaps human nature struck her more often than she expected it to.

“I do believe it’s far too late for that, now, isn’t it?” he asked, noticing how she had reacted. He kept note of that, knowing that at some point, he could use it to his advantage. Maybe he would exploit her like his mother had done to him with the city, or perhaps, kill her on the spot with no remorse. Why would he care?

Eden panicked. This wasn’t going how she had planned. How could it? An impromptu meeting with the frazzled mayor, a quick visit with Azazel’s rumored parents (and ridiculously crude mother)—nothing could have prepared her for the anger that festered upon his darkened soul.

It fueled his every move, guiding him to where they were now—on a mountain above Bloomsdale, with enough power to flatten this side of the continent.

What good would that do? What good would she do?

Some half-rate sidekick who would never get through to him.

So, she did what she was good at. She’d make him talk until someone else arrived. Someone far more qualified than she.

“Maybe. Maybe it is too late,” she said, playing with his words. “But there are good people down there. Children. People just like you. You can’t end all of them.”

“Why not?” he asked, chuckling softly. “Surely, you must realize how absurd you sound. What have they ever done to convince me otherwise? What have these ‘good’ people ever done for you?”

Eden pursed her lips. “That’s not—they… they’ve done—”

“—as I thought. You’ve nothing to tell me. They’ve done nothing for you.”

“You didn’t give me a chance to answer!”

“I don’t need to. I knew your answer. Your silence… your lack of coherent thought. It truly speaks volumes.”

Azazel backed away from the young woman, peering out at the city. A remote pressed against his inner coat pocket, tempting him. He could just go ahead and press it now, get things over with. But this woman was not backing down.

Eden lunged forward, grabbing onto his hand.

His eyes widened. The sudden touch had startled him—he never took kindly to anything touching him, other than a cat. Azazel jerked his hand away from her, raising it in a defensive motion. He wasn’t averted to hitting a woman if need be. But the sight of her made his heart tighten in the confines of his chest.

She fell to her knees, hands clasped in front of her.

Was she begging?

“Please,” she said. “Please, you don’t need to do this. You can still have a life. You can see the things that have changed. But killing them—killing all of us! It’s not going to help. It won’t satiate that gaping hole in your heart.”

Azazel narrowed his dark eyes. Dark circles rested underneath, lines of age and stress showing if one were to look close enough. Smudged eyeliner completed the exhausted ensemble, giving his eyes an extra flare. He crouched down, making direct eye contact with the woman.

“I don’t care.”

Eden sucked in a quick breath.

Why wasn’t anyone coming? Why wouldn’t Viren show up? He could fly. Surely, he’d come out of all the Greats.

She couldn’t kill this lumbering man in front of her. She couldn’t subdue him without the help of someone else. She was a rookie. Just starting out. How did she even get pushed into something like this? She wasn’t made for this life. She was forced into this business because of her exceptional test scores. That’s all. She wasn’t good at this. She wasn’t made for this.

Her mind continued to race a mile a minute, never once giving her a moment of peace as Azazel stood back up.

“Please don’t take it personally, little one,” Azazel said. “I know it’s hard for you to understand, considering how brainwashed you are.”

“I’m… I’m not brainwashed,” she said, defending herself weakly.

“And I’m not a villain,” he said. “I just know what needs to be done. Perhaps, after all is said and done, I’ll be able to rebuild humanity. We will have a fresh start. Become anew. Learn from mistakes and do better for future generations.”

“How can they learn if you haven’t even given them a chance?” she blurted.

Azazel watched her with a raised eyebrow, curiosity hiding behind his mellow expression. She scrambled to her feet, nearly tripping over the air as she made her way to him, standing right in front of him. He towered over her, well over a foot taller than she was.

“How can they do better if you’re killing them before they even know what they’re doing wrong?”

For a moment, he was silent—it was almost as if he was considering what she was saying. A slight sliver of hope snaked its way into her body but was immediately doused by the bucket of disappointment that he dumped on her.

A sly smile formed on his lips.

“I see what you’re doing,” he said. “You’ve learned well. Let me guess… you studied under Helena, didn’t you?”

Eden took a slight step back, confusion crossing her features. Her eyebrows furrowed and her bottom lip caught between her teeth.

“Helena had a knack for distracting people with her words. She always said she learned it while she completed her Ph.D., but it was her power.”

“What… had?”

Azazel’s eyes softened. He wasn’t that coldhearted—he would tell her now before it was far too late.

“Surely, you’ve noticed that we’re all alone.”

Azazel took a step forward, placing a calloused hand on the side of her face. She immediately pushed him away, hands balled in fists in front of her. He only laughed.

“No one is coming to save you,” he said.

Her fists fell languidly by her sides.

“What?”

His smile grew, arms crossing over his chest.

“For years, I’ve always been one step behind. But… well, as the Greats so kindly put it, you must learn from your past,” he said. Azazel closed his eyes with a soft sigh. “Now, I’m always one step ahead of everyone. And it feels amazing.”

His hand reached into his coat pocket, pulling out a remote. He quickly pressed the only button on the block—the big red one, right in the center.

Eden’s face burned red. Had he had that the whole time? Could she have taken it away from him if she had gotten close enough?

Was he just pulling her leg?

Whatever it was, the mountain rumbled angrily beneath their feet. Had she not been careful, it would have sent her to her knees once more.

Azazel softly pouted at the woman, reaching forward, and placing a hand on her shoulder.

This time, she didn’t shake it off.

This… was it.

“Don’t worry, Eden. It will be alright.”

“I’m…” Eden looked up at him with wide eyes. “I’m going to die, and it’s your fault!”

He chuckled. “No, it’s the city’s fault. Humanity. Not me.”

“Keep telling yourself that,” she said, shoving his hand away out of the anger she could muster.

She had failed everyone. Due to her cowardice, everyone in Bloomsdale would be killed in a matter of minutes. Everyone on this side of the continent.

He pulled out his phone and quickly typed something in before he stuffed it back in his pocket.

“You’re welcome to join me. I’ll be leaving immediately.”

“Join you? Why would I join you?”

“As you said before, Eden. Everything is changing.”

The woman swallowed thickly, tears forming in her eyes. She didn’t want to die. But if she stayed here, surely, she would. She would die with the city… and no one would ever be able to stop Azazel from anything else.

Could she even stop him? She failed today. Miserably, at that.

“Stop the detonation and I’ll go with you,” she said, trying to find a way to save them. But last-minute tricks never worked like you expected them to.

“Oh, you know I can’t do that.”

She bit her lip, looking down at the bustling city that sat just below the mountain, not knowing their deplorable fate. People continued with their daily lives, laughing, and living as if they didn’t have a care in the world. As if they didn’t know what was happening up on this mountain, threatening their very souls. 

Azazel grabbed her arm as his Leviathan pulled out of the cave just behind them—one of his henchmen was in the driver’s seat.

He wasn’t giving her a chance. He wanted her with him, and he’d make her go even if she didn’t want to.

“I don’t want to die,” Eden said, looking back at him. She couldn’t help it as her bottom lip trembled. “I can’t—I can’t leave them—”

“—yes, you can. And you will.”

Azazel pulled her to the black Leviathan, getting her into the back. He got in beside her, looking at the man in the driver’s seat, completely decked out in dark greys and white. Moon.

“We’ll have to go by water,” Moon said, turning back to face him for a moment. His eyes hovered on Eden, but he said nothing. “We only have six minutes to get to Europe, and the Leviathan will take four of those to get through the ocean.”

Azazel gave a nod. “Well get a move on.”

Moon smiled, saluting him with two fingers. His teeth were strikingly white, most of which looked like they had been shaved down into fangs.

“You got it, boss.”

Azazel got comfortable as Eden trembled in her seat, staring down at her hands.

“Don’t worry, Eden,” he said, chuckling softly. He sat what should have been a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Everything is changing. I am changing things. I am making things right… making the world a better place. You just watch.”

What a cruel thing, having your own words used against you.

Everything was changing.

And Eden knew that it no longer mattered what she did. She, and the rest of humanity, were royally screwed.