“I Am Who I Am."
The name was spoken short and swift, with the conviction of absolute authority. It hung in the air for a brief moment before being drowned out by the rolling thunder.
And that was all.
Jesus blinked, uncomprehending of what had just happened. The power of His Name should have brought these usurpers to meet justice, but it just…hadn’t.
While He was facing confusion for the first time in eternity, the team members cried out in triumph, even Canaanite.
Everything happened in an instant.
Adam launched the bolas, ensnaring the white horse’s legs and knocking its rider to the ground. Eve dropped her rifle and surged forward with Job, seizing the fallen Jesus by each arm before He could react. And Canaanite rushed over with the silencing mask, stopping to stand over Him as the others held him still. Jesus attempted to struggle, but He was still reeling from the shock of separation from Yahweh. The two fastened a pair of cuffs around His arms, and Canaanite looked down at Him.
"For all of us," she whispered, and strapped the mask over His mouth.
As she fastened the clasp, the thunder and lightning cut out. The rising earthquake abruptly died away, as quickly as it had come. The assembled army, who had been stunned between the assassination of their leader and the power of the Word of God, collectively shuddered and looked around in shock and confusion.
“What… happened?” One woman asked blearily. “Did our lord,” she paused and shook her head, “… Did the Antichrist win? What happened with Jesus?”
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The team took a moment to respond. All of them stood around the captive Jesus, stunned at the outcome. Then they let out an utterly joyous shout of victory, of determination, of hope.
Eve turned to the woman that had spoken. “I’ll tell you what happened! WE GOT HIM!” She extended her hand. “CPH Field Operative. Call me Eve.”
The woman blinked again, still in a daze, and took her hand. “…Nicole.” She looked towards Jesus, and her eyes widened. “Him?! How did you possibly—”
Canaanite turned to them, gaze firm and resolute. “We chose a different path.”
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The next few days were filled with decisions, but chief among them was what to do with Jesus. The Messiah had been taken to a soundless chamber the CPH had constructed to keep Him in, as well as to keep the masses wanting revenge out. Despite their reminders that Jesus could and would resurrect, free and empowered again, upon His death, many people still called for His head. For His part, Jesus had struggled against His captors, but all He could access was his human carpenter’s strength, which the team had made sure to neutralize through binding His hands. The UN held an emergency meeting, and the decision was made to hold a trial for Jesus, for crimes against Humanity in the most literal sense. The sentence was life in prison, which for now meant continued containment in the chamber, although there was talk of containing Him in a specialized satellite for extra certainty.
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The CPH headquarters was in an uproar. Everyone present was cheering in triumph, hailing the away team as heroes. Champagne was popped, teammates hugged, and the entire building shook with the sound of music.
“So what happens now?” Canaanite asked Dr. McKenzie as the celebration raged.
“With prophecy derailed, and no means of issuing a new one, Yahweh should be neutralized, although we’ll need to watch for any signs of a new prophet arising. In the meantime, we pick up the pieces of our world, and start building a new one.”
Canaanite looked troubled. “This is… I always thought the Second Coming would be a wonderful thing. Seeing it happen, though, maybe this was for the best.”
McKenzie put a hand on her shoulder. “I know it’s surreal. I never expected this before it all started either. But we’ve got a chance now to fix things for all of us.”
Canaanite nodded. She looked out at the celebration. “For all of us.”