Apocalyptic Rebirth: With a repairman system space, she rises again. - Chapter 355

Chapter 355: Wings of duty.
Away from the celebrations, Father Nicodemus was sitting on the roof of the base church, his wings drooped like tired flags. He was staring at his hands, mumbling to himself in whispers.

Major Elio found him there, having searched for the priest since dinner time. He had a bag on his back which had two thermos cups of coffee prepared by his wife and two sandwiches. They were part of his night duty package, but he handed one to the priest. “You look like you are auditioning for the role of sad angel in a world abandoned by the creator.” He plopped down beside the priest. “I noticed that you were not so okay when you flew away from Busker. What’s eating you, Father?”

Father Nicodemus sighed. “My faith. Do you know the ten commandments son?”

Major Elio slurped his coffee loudly and nodded. “I have always walked the path between life and death. I know the commandments by heart. Thou shall not kill. I guess that is what has your feathers in a knot.”

Father Nicodemus sighed. “I swore to uphold the commandments, yet I slaughter God’s creatures’ day and night. I fear that I am straying too far from vows.”

Major Elio shook his head. “First off, mutated beasts are abominations, like the bus sized crocs which were formed by acid rain. Acid equals chemicals, there is nothing Godly about it. Those things are not his creatures anymore. The crocodiles he created live in water, they don’t walk on earth and lay eggs in the snow. The dogs don’t have three heads. If that’s in the bible, I might have missed that chapter.”

Father Nicodemus chuckled despite himself. “There is the seven headed beast in the book of Revelation.”

“No seven headed dog.” Major Elio pointed out.

The priest laughed again.

Major Elio bumped his arm against the Father’s. “I see it this way priest. You are not killing for greed or hate, you are protecting the weak. You are restoring the world that God created and man ruined. We—my daughter deserves to grow up in a world where she can walk to school without worrying that a frog with gills will swallow her. A frog with gills! It is not natural or Godly. You are not breaking the commandments. You are safeguarding the children of God that are breaking under the weight of this nightmare.”

Father Nicodemus looked down at his hands like he could still see traces of blood. “I cannot unsee the bloodstains. How do I restore what I see and feel with the purity of my faith?”

Major Elio shrugged, “The same way every soldier does when they realize that the enemy is not even eighteen, but someone put a gun in their hands and sent them out to kill.

Or the same way we all got used to the slimy liquid in the coconut beans. Frankly, I don’t care for it. It is not the greatest thing, but it keeps my energy up in a fight and it keeps me alive. You don’t fight because you want to, but because you have to.

If you met that two headed dog about to take a bite out of someone, would you stand by and watch?”

The priest shook his head. He would throw himself between them if he had to in order to save the person.

Major Elio nodded. “Exactly. Saving others is in your nature. And maybe that’s why God gave you the wings and not the rest of us. Maybe He knew that we’d need a flying priest with mean right hook.”

Father Nicodemus laughed, wings fluttering. “What a strange divine plan.”

Major Elio shrugged. “Mysterious ways, right? But seriously, where did you learn how to punch? I have seen you in training and you don’t move like a priest.”

Father Nicodemus exhaled softly. “I had a past before joining a seminary at eighteen. And when I took my vows, I never imagined that my life would be this strange someday. Mysterious ways indeed.”

“Mysterious but perfect.” Major Elio grinned. “The ten commandments you are worrying about so much were not written for ants that fart atomic bombs or rats that can combine with other rats to form one giant building sized rat. They were written to remind us of love, forgiveness and compassion. You have a lot of that. I have seen you after every battle, you pray for the beasts that we kill. Frankly, I think it is foolish, but I respect it anyway.”

Father Nicodemus’ eyes softened. “Do you really think that it is enough that I pray.”

“I think prayer, wings and a gigantic sword are enough for you.” Elio slapped the priest on the back. “Besides, one of you is better than ten of Philip and his bad jokes.”

Father Nicodemus laughed.

“If we could kill mutated beasts with jokes, why would we need training?” Major Elio asked, standing. “You are alright priest. And by the way, it is not compulsory for you to join every battle. You can sit some out until you get your head back in the game.”

Father Nicodemus rose, wings stretching wide, catching the glow of the lanterns on the roof of the church. For the first time since he joined the squads, he felt some peace. Perhaps what he was doing was not tainting his faith but defending it.

Major Elio suddenly turned and said, “Hey priest, don’t forget that priests fought in wars through history. Angels also fight wars. In our days, military chaplains provide spiritual guidance only. But our days have changed. The way I see it, you and your brethren also have to change with it. I am counting on you to fly my daughter to safety if something in the base goes apocalyptic crazy and starts biting. Especially that frog with gills.”

“I think it is called Hector.” The priest shared.

Major Elio tilted his head. “A frog named Hector. Did they name it after someone’s great grandfather?”

“Actually, they did.” Father Nicodemus replied. His wings fluttered, ready for takeoff. “Thank you, Major, for this moment of clarity.”

Major Elio winked. “Anytime, Father. Now prepare to smite something. I have been keeping track of the watchers and a flock of them is heading our way. It looks to me like one is carrying a human in its claws. I heard a whisper about them kidnapping superhumans and dropping them in the Drift lands. This is not the Drift lands. So, this cannot be good.”

Father Nicodemus stiffened. “I will get Sunshine.” Wings beating twice, he soared upward–ready to face the threats in the apocalypse again.