Sequence 1
After a month of grueling specialised training at the army depot, Micheal was handed back into NSDF custody and taken to the NSDF national headquarters in Abuja, blindfolded.
Once safely inside, his blindfolds are removed and he is escorted to a meeting room. The guards sit him down at a table and leave him alone to watch a film projected onto the wall.
The NSDF logo a modified version of the Nigerian coat of arms with the shield divided into three parts, an eye at the top, a hand holding a book on the left and a hand holding a sword on the right, flashes before the film begins.
"Hello operator, if you are viewing this introductory film you have been selected as a member of your nation's branch of the Global Self Defence Forces. Our aim is to protect the world from alien threats and paranormal entities.
In the next section we will define what a paranormal entity is.
Section One: Paranormal entities and their classification
A paranormal entity is a creature or object which does not behave according to the current common understanding of science, they can be either beneficial or destructive, living or non living but they must be policed all the same.
There exist twelve levels by which anomalous entities may be classified.
Unclassified: Objects or individuals which have not received GSDF standard threat assessment and classification;
Level 1: Harmless when left alone and beneficial when used by the SDF in it's operations
Level 2: Could seriously injure or kill a human
Level 3: Could seriously injure or kill several people
Level 4: Capable of Destroying a small town
Level 5: Capable of Destroying several small towns
Level 6: Capable of Destroying a large city
Level 7: Capable of Destroying several large cities
Level 8: National Threat
Level 9: International Threat
Level 10: World wide Threat
Level 11: Interplanetary Threat
Now we move on to section two.
Section Two: What to do when faced with an anomalous entity.
The SDF is constantly vigilant and always observing strange occurrences through drones, news reports and operatives on the ground. Every SDF member is an observer first so if you see anything unusual tell your section commander before taking any action. Acting alone will put yourself as well as the organisation at risk and will not be tolerated.
The second action you must take is to assess the threat level and determine if combat is necessary.
Most standard issue SDF weapons are formidable against the majority of anomalous threats and must be used if capture and isolation is not an option.
Section Three: Anomalous entities within the organisation.
Though SDF operatives are the best in the world at what they do, sometimes a job is too great for an ordinary human. This is where we employ anomalous individuals or objects to aid in the accomplishment of our goals.
Keep in mind that these entities are still highly dangerous so you must have the required clearance before making use of them.
If you are an advanced or anomalous person watching this you will be trained on acceptable use of your abilities.
This brings us to the end of this orientation video".
Sequence 2
The video ends and three SDF infantrymen accompany Dele Bankole into the meeting room. Michael stands and asks, "Did you seriously drive four hours to show me a video?".
Dele tells him "I see the General couldn't train you to stop asking so many needless questions. Just follow us... and don't touch anything".
They escort Michael down the facility and they take an elevator several floors down. Once at the right floor they move him to a room labeled "Research room one".
Inside he sees Amina tuning a helmet and Prophet quietly reading a braille copy of the Quran.
Michael tries to greet her saying "Hi Ami...".
Before he can finish she removes his beret and places the helmet on his head asking "How does this feel?".
"Comfortable" he tells her while staring at pitch blackness.
The visor in Michael's helmet lights up and projects a Head-Up Display accompanied by a familiar voice "Hello Michael".
He groans, "Ah it's that robot again".
Amina raises a chart in front of Michael and tells him "Please don't hurt DIVA's feelings, she's very sensitive you know. Now tell me what you see".
Michael responds, "Four shapes, circle, square, cross, triangle".
She puts it down and says "Perfect" then Dele throws a tennis ball at him which he catches without looking.
"I see the helmet will not affect your senses" she says, taking it off him, "Now for the real test".
Prophet puts the Quran in his pocket and walks up to Michael, placing his hands on his face and chest.
Michael feels the same energy he felt before and asks, "What did you do to me?"
He tells him "I have removed the limits I placed on you, now feel the heat flow through you and release"
Michael takes a deep breath and releases a blast of flames which knocks him back into the work bench.
He gets up and says, "Hey why didn't you warn me about that, yeee".
Prophet tells him, "My master did not reveal it to me".
Michael stands and tries again, this time releasing a small continuous flame from his right hand and asks "How am I doing this right now?".
Anima tells him, "Pyrokinesis is a standard ability for Angel types".
The fire goes out as Michael asks, "Wait so you're telling me I'm an angel?"
Amina says, "Well a hybrid, only 90 percent your DNA was readable, the rest was corrupted. For all we know you could be part bull, or snake, or even a werewolf".
Michael says, "That's not much is it?".
Amina remarks "Ten percent of a billion is a hundred million, that's a lot of grey area, the prospect is both fascinating and terrifying" then asks "What happened to your father?".
Michael answers, "I never knew him, mom wouldn't even talk about it".
Prophet says, "Maybe your mother had a good reason, but that doesn't matter now. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past".
He says "Yeah" and continues making flames, slowly getting more control over it.
After a while he says, "I wonder if I can fly with this" and points his hands down.
Amina notices this and shouts "Wait!" but Micheal ignores this and releases a strong blast which sends him flying and engulfs the room in flames.
Prophet quickly makes translucent shields covered in six pointed stars and Hebrew markings which absorb the blast and protect everyone in the room. He makes another to break Michael's fall as the fire prevention systems soak the room with water.
Michael laughs saying, "You've got to teach me that!".
Dele angrily grabs Michael by the collar and tells him, "From now on, you won't so much as light a candle without my say so, got it!".
Michael replies "Got it" and Dele drops him to the wet floor.
Sequence 3
After two days of closely monitored training with Prophet and Amina, Michael is taken to NAF Abuja and prepped for transport.
He falls asleep on the plane, dreaming of home and is rudely woken up by a feeling of scorching heat.
He sits up, blinded by the scorching sun, grabs a fistful of sand and asks "Where are we?".
Anima, dressed in a black black abaya, answers "In Salah".
Michael moans "Be serious now".
Dele walks up, dusting his sunglasses with a handkerchief and says "The Algerian government was kind enough to let us train you here, away from prying eyes, you're going to fly".
Shocked, Michael protests "Wait I can't fly, the wings don't do anything".
Prophet walks behind him and says " I read this beautiful passage which said 'Allah does not change the conditions in which a people are in until they change that which is in themselves'. If you want to reach your goal, you must change your mindset".
Emboldened by this Michael stands up full of confidence. He looks around and sees a company of mixed SDF and Algerian military personnel spread out in tents with helicopters and trucks patrolling the area.
Anima gives him a box saying "Put this on, it simulates what your combat suit will be like".
He quickly suits up, and notices a woman wearing a similar black combat suit with green highlights from her helmet down to her feet seated a few metres away.
He ignores her and puts on his helmet just as an Algerian Air Force AW139 flies overhead.
The helicopter lands and an airman, Captain Omar Ali, steps out shouting, "The perimeter is secured, is he ready?".
Dele shouts back, "He is" and Michael walks with the captain into the helicopter which takes off as Dele and Amina sarcastically wave below.
He looks around in the helmet which blocks out the noise of the helicopter engine and has a built-in headset allowing him to hear instructions from Dele who tells him, "If you look at your wrist we've fitted you with a specialised altimeter. You will ascend to 13,000 feet and once ready, jump down. You will not be given a parachute. Before you reach an altitude of 6,000 feet you will deploy your wings and use the flames emitted to generate thrust, sustaining a continuous flight for one minute then land at the marked point. If you fail to do this before 5,000 feet you will kiss the earth and life goodbye.
Good luck".
Captain Omar taps Michael's shoulder and encourages him "Don't worry in two minutes it will all be over, just watch out for the initial air blast".
The pilot informs them that they have reached the jump height as the captain checks Michael's equipment.
Michael shakes nervously as he looks down at the ground below.
Captain Omar tells him "30 seconds" and the HUD in his helmet switches to flight mode.
He counts down and signals for Michael to jump, after a few seconds of hesitation and with a little "encouragement" from the captain he leaves the helicopter.
At first he spins wildly but quickly rights himself. His heart is pounding as he drops rapidly towards the earth.
He checks the altimeter and it reads;
"10,000...8,000...6,000...".
He passes the 5,000 foot mark and still nothing has happened.
He prays, spreads his arms and makes peace with his fate as the altimeter reads 1, 000 feet.
Anima turns away frustrated as she hears a loud thud.
Out of the corner of her eye she sees a red streak fly through the air and thinks, "He actually did it!".
Michael screams wildly with a mix of fear and excitement as a continuous jet of flames from the wings on his back and smaller ones on his ankles shoots him through the air.
Dele tries to contact him shouting, "Michael can you hear me?".
Michael tells him "Yes... this is... very difficult to control".
Dele says "You're doing great just try to slow down to 35 and glide to the point".
He turns downwards and slowly cuts thrust, at 30 feet and 35 kilometres per hour his wings retract and he tumbles violently on the sand.
He sits up and takes off his helmet, laughing as dust swings gently all around him.
Sequence 4
The SDF unit spends three days in the desert training Michael on both flight control and fire projection after which they make preparations to leave the area.
Captain Omar meets with Dele and the masked woman on the tarmac of the airport and tells them "It was an honour working with you".
Dele shakes his hand saying "The feeling is mutual, it's a shame you won't remember most of it".
They board their plane and fly back to Nigeria, as the plane lands Michael looks out of the window and says "This isn't Abuja".
Amina tells him, "We're in Borno, now you get to see what I've been working on".
Michael mutters under his breath, "Jesus Christ".
Amina sighs and smiles "Mashallah, it's so nice to be back home again".
Dele tells her "Unfortunately we're on mission so there won't be any time for sight seeing".
She pouts silently as the plane taxis to to terminal.
They get off and move Michael to a transport lorry. After 30 minutes of waiting they drive south for an hour, then abruptly stop. The lorry doors open and Michael gets off in the middle of a forest with a mix of SDF and Nigerian soldiers with him.
Amina, who is now dressed in the SDF combat uniform signals for him to come over, "Hey the equipment is over here!".
Michael stares at Amina as she types a code into a tablet and the doors of a specialised container slide open.
She says, "Hey Michael, focus, your eyes should be on the enemy not my body".
He says "Right right, so what do you want me to do?".
She tells him, just go inside and I'll do the rest.
He walks inside and container and positions his body as instructed. Several robot arms from the container attach pieces of an armoured combat suit, red with gold and silver highlights, covered in feathered scales and with two feathers pointing up from the ears.
A visor covers his face and displays a HUD which says "AVES MK5 System Active".
Amina tells him, "Step out please".
Michael walks out of the container and says "Damn this is so cool, what happened to my voice?".
Dele Bankole projects himself onto Michael's HUD and tells him, "Now that you're all setup time to brief you on the mission details".
He projects a satellite image and explains, "The objective is to destroy an insurgent camp three miles south hidden deep within the forest reserve as part of your training. I will be coordinating the mission from my position, DIVA will assist you in combat, good luck".
DIVA tells him, "Welcome to your first mission".
He brushes her off saying, "Just stay out of my way robot".
Amina tells him before he flies off "Your codename for is Red Eagle, Mission Control is Overwatch and mine is Cypher, don't forget that".
Michael laughs "Red Eagle, like that old cartoon? Haha, I like that!" then launches himself into the air.
The End?