When Roger, Katina, Labda, Cilla, and Sariel arrived at the Cathedral, they were taken aback by its grandeur. The Cathedral stood lofty, with stone walls and stained glass windows on either side. The spire rose high into the sky, towering over the surrounding structures.
"This place is huge," Labda exclaimed, her voice full of awe.
"Let's focus, we need to find Reddick and the angel blood," Roger said as they neared the door.
The doors were huge and ornately designed, with carvings of angels and demons clashing. The scent of incense and the sound of Gregorian chanting welcomed them as they arrived. The Cathedral's interior was dimly lighted, with candles flickering in every corner.
Sariel took a look around, admiring the magnificent architecture and artwork on the walls. "This place is absolutely stunning," he murmured quietly.
Labda, on the other hand, was more focused on the task at hand. "We need to find the angel blood, not admire the beauty of this place," she said.
They divided up to search the Cathedral, each going in a separate route. They could hear their footsteps echoing in the vast area as they proceeded down the aisle.
Cilla noticed a door on the Cathedral's side and motioned for the others to join her. When they opened the door, they discovered a stairway leading down. They descended the stairs without hesitation and found themselves in a dimly lit room.
A massive altar stood in the center of the room, with statues of angels and demons on either side.
Cilla's brow furrowed as she listened to Sariel's explanation. "So you've had a battle with those demons?" She inquired.
Sariel nodded solemnly. "Yes, there was a great battle in our dimension between angels and demons. It was a centuries-long terrible battle. The demons were hell-bent on overthrowing my kind and seizing control of our kingdom. But in the end, we won. The demons were defeated, and we exiled them to another dimension known as Hellnor. Hell is essentially just a shortened form of Hellnor."
Roger was captivated to a statue of an angel with its wings outstretched as though in flight. "What about this one?" he inquired.
Sariel approached the statue and closely examined it. "One of our archangels, Michael. He was critical in bringing our armies to victory over the demon army."
"Is there really a god in your world?" Roger inquired, perplexed.
"As angels, we are our own gods. We ruled the heavens, while the demons dominated the earth. Now that the devils have been exiled, we angels rule over all with our heavenly power."
"So you have no god?"
Sariel shook his head.
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"How about the Christian religion? Did your species ever-"
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time for a long story. We must stop Reddick and find my love's blood."
Roger let out a sigh. "You are correct..."
As they explored the space further, Roger's keen eyes noticed something peculiar behind one of the statues. He moved it aside to expose a secret entrance.
"Guys, come over here," he said, motioning for them to follow.
Their footsteps echoed against the stone walls as they proceeded along the hallway.
*****
As the officers and the angel descended the stairway, they discovered themselves in a dimly lighted basement laboratory. The group's eyes widened in surprise as they entered the underground laboratory under the Cathedral. The lab was filled with rows of test tubes, beakers, and machinery, all of which were being utilized for something nefarious. The walls were covered with blueprints and sketches of celestial beings, and there were even a few tables spread about with terrible medical gear.
Roger and his colleagues searched the laboratory for Father Reddick. It wasn't long before they noticed him working on something that looked remarkably like a bottle of angel blood at a table in the far corner of the room.
Reddick whirled around, astonished to see cops and an angel in front of him. "So you've found me?" he questioned, his voice trembling with fear.
"Stop what you're doing and raise your hands," Roger commanded, his voice hard and authoritative.
Reddick laughed. "I'm not going to submit to you, Officer. Not when I'm so close to completing my task."
"What is your goal?" Cilla inquired, her gaze fixed on the insane priest.
"The vial," Reddick explained, holding it up for everyone to see. "It's not angel blood anymore. I turned it into a mutagen that may turn me into an angel."
Sariel gave Reddick a disgusted glance. "You're insane," he declared. "Why?"
Reddick grinned. "Why kill all the gods, of course."
"Impossible!" said Labda.
"But I can," Reddick answered, his eyes gleaming maniacally. "I can defeat any god who stands in my way with the power of an angel. And I shall make certain that only the Christian deity remains."
"There is no such thing as a Christian god!" Roger yelled.
Reddick hissed. "You dare to speak blasphemy against my religion!?"
"He is right." As his wings emerged behind him, Sariel took a step forward.
The priest's eyes widened with surprise and awe.
"My kind has no god," Sariel stated. "We are our own, and whatever you believe isn't true."
Reddick's lips trembled. "No! I've spent my entire life serving my community and promoting our religion! There can only be one true God!"
"The god you worshiped does not exist. If he did, he would oppose your genocidal action."
Reddick yelled in anguish. "If there is no God, then I will become one and rule this world under a single religion!"
The liquid began to flow through his veins when Father Reddick injected the angel vial into his neck. His eyes closed and he started shaking uncontrollably. His body emitted a blinding light, causing the squad to hide their eyes.
Reddick changed into a gorgeous silver angel as the light faded. His wings were extended wide, and his body radiated a bright radiance.
The squad was taken aback by what they saw, but their surprise was short-lived as the silver angel let out a thunderous roar and ran towards them, ready to fight.
Roger and his team drew their weapons and prepared to fight. The Cerberus ladies charged ahead, their three heads snapping and snarling as they leapt at Reddick. Sariel remained behind, blocking the exit so the priest couldn't flee again.
Reddick's head was swung by the women's baton. The angel dodged their strike with astonishing dexterity and retaliated with a quick punch that flung them across the room.
The shots ricocheted off Reddick's metallic armor as Roger leveled his rifle at his chest.
"We can't defeat him with physical force!" Sariel said to the crew, understanding the futility of their weaponry. "We must exploit his flaws against him!"
"What is his weakness?" Roger cried back, ducking Reddick's huge fist as it collided with the wall behind him.
"I don't know, but he must find it!"
Reddick's strength seemed to grow stronger and stronger as the conflict progressed. He laughed menacingly as he swatted the cops and the angel away, sending them flying across the room.
But, just when it appeared that all hope was lost, Sariel began to stir. As he slowly climbed to his feet, his eyes shone with a ferocious purpose.
"You will not get away with this, Reddick," he said as he leapt into action.
Sariel chased Reddick out of the Cathedral and into the city streets with extraordinary speed and agility. As they fought in an epic aerial combat, the two angels soared through the air, their wings fluttering frantically.
Sariel maneuvered around Reddick's tremendous blows, relying on his own abilities and training to keep up with the silver angel's moves.
Sariel mustered all his strength and threw a strong blow at Reddick as they rose higher and higher. When the blow hit, Reddick was thrown through the air.
Even as he fell, the priest let forth a defiant yell, his eyes gleaming with supernatural force.
"I will not be defeated!" he exclaimed as he extended his wings and flew away once more.
Sariel clinched his teeth and prepared to fight again, determined to bring the rogue angel to justice once and for all.