Dr. Chronos and his four henchmen pulled out long, sharp knives and backed the four Monkees against one side of the depression. The Monkees knew that they had had it. They were outnumbered, had no weapons and were dressed only in their boxer shorts.
"I don't know how you boys healed up so fast," Dr. Chronos growled, "But we're going to make sure it doesn't happen again!"
"Before you kill us, Dr. Chronos," Peter begged, stalling for time, "Tell us why think the Christian church killed your wife."
"I guess there's no harm in that." The doctor replied. "Many years ago, before you four were even born, I was married to the most beautiful woman in the world. Rose was her name." Dr. Chronos smiled at the thought. "She and I were Catholics, married in the Catholic Church and all that, though she was more devout than I was. I had just received my Doctorate in Physics and had started to teach at the University of Los Angeles. One Sunday, only a few months after we were married, the weather was very bad out. I didn't want to go out in the bad weather, but my wife had it drilled in her from childhood that to miss Sunday mass was a mortal sin." Dr. Chronos looked darkly at the Monkees. "So she went out and began to walk to our church. That was the last time I saw her alive." The pain was very clear in Dr. Chronos' eyes. "As she walked to Sunday mass, a driver lost control on the wet streets, jumped the curb, and...struck and...killed my wife. He then crashed into a tree and died as well." Tears began to roll down his cheeks. "All because the church brainwashed her into going to mass every Sunday!" He yelled. "If she had stayed at home, she'd be alive today!!" Doctor Chronos and his men moved closer to the Monkees. "Everybody was oh so sympathetic to me, saying how sorry they were that she died. I tried to make the priest apologize. He refused. The coroner gave me another blow; my wife was in the early stages of pregnancy when she died!"
Dr. Chronos face went red with rage. "I made a vow to get revenge on the Catholic church for what they had done to me! What they had done to my Rose! Many months went by before I hit upon a plan to hurt the church; prevent it from even forming! So, I started work on my time machine, but lacked the needed funds. A man named Mr. Zero approached me, claiming he had a grudge against the church too. He gave me the money to fund my research and hire my four assistants here. Everything was going fine, until you and your angel friend showed up! Now the four of you will die!"
The Monkees huddled together as the scientist and his men raised their knives...
Suddenly, a brilliant white light shone down upon the area. It was a pleasant light to the Monkees, but a harsh, glaring light to Dr. Chronos and his men. Blinded by the glare, Dr. Chronos and his men covered their eyes and backed away from the Monkees.
In the middle of that light, floating several feet above the ground, was Elizabeth, resplendent in her white gown and angel wings. She now had her full strength back.
"Elizabeth! Are we ever glad to see you!" Mike called out.
"I'm glad to see you boys as well." The angel smiled brightly. "I'm sorry I had to leave you for awhile, but I had to find a way to stop Dr. Chronos once and for all. I prayed to the Holy Father to watch over you and he used the rain to heal you."
"Thank you, Elizabeth." Micky said.
The angel turned to Dr. Chronos and his men. "You have failed in your evil quest Dr. Chronos. What good would it do to kill these boys?"
"I want someone to pay for what the Catholic Church did to me!" Dr. Chronos shouted.
Elizabeth shook her head. "You're a brilliant man, yet you've let hate and anger guide you and you've let yourself be deceived by the devil."
"What do you mean?" Dr. Chronos asked.
In reply, Elizabeth looked at Mark, Larry, Ian and Henry. She pointed a finger at them. "Show yourselves, your true selves!" She commanded.
Instantly, the four men gave unholy screams. Their skins turned pitch black and their clothes disappeared as thick black hair covered their bodies. Black wings with claws at the tips sprang from their backs, and their eyes turned red while fangs grew in their mouths.
The Monkees gripped each other in terror. Never had they seen such a thing! Elizabeth came lower to the ground and reassured them.
"You have nothing to fear from them, boys." The angel promised. "They were the ones who attacked me earlier before you found me on the beach. I beat them before and I'll do it again if I have to." She said, looking over at the hideous creatures.
Dr. Chronos stood stock still in complete, utter terror at the sight. "What did...you do to them?" He stammered.
"I made them reveal what they were the whole time; demons in human disguise."
The four demons growled at Elizabeth, but made no move towards her.
"Demons?" Dr. Chronos repeated.
"Yes, Dr. Chronos." Elizabeth replied, "It seems Satan didn't trust you with human help."
Dr. Chronos could only stare at the angel. She gave him a little smile and continued.
"I have another surprise for you. This one might be a little more pleasant."
Instantly at Elizabeth's side was another angel, all in white with brilliant wings. She had brown shoulder-length hair and green eyes. Dr. Chronos gasped when he recognized her.
"Rose? Is that you?" Dr. Chronos asked, amazed. "My sweet San Antonio Rose?"
"Yes, Tim. It's me." Rose replied.
"I've missed you so much." Dr. Chronos said, tears coming down his cheeks.
"I've missed you too, but I've been saddened by what you've been doing since I went away." Rose replied.
"I...I did this all for you!" Dr. Chronos replied quickly, "I wanted to avenge your death!"
Rose shook her head. "Why take vengeance on the church? They didn't force me to attend mass that Sunday. I went of my own free will."
"You told me you were taught you'd have a mortal sin if you missed mass!" Dr. Chronos replied hotly. "A mortal sin if I purposely missed mass, Tim." Rose replied softly. "If the weather was nice and I chose to stay home. But if there are circumstances that stop you from going, like bad weather, then it isn't a sin." Rose came closer to her husband. "I went to church because I wanted to, my husband, not because of some church edict. There is something else you should know, Tim. This is the reason Elizabeth asked me to come here. To tell you the truth behind my death."
"What's that?" Dr. Chronos asked.
"As my soul left my body and it was taken by my guardian angel to be judged by God, I took a last look upon the Earth." Rose paused then continued. "I saw Satan leave the body of the man who drove the car that hit me."
Dr. Chronos and the Monkees gasped. The scientist staggered back a few steps, then sat down on the wet ground.
"Satan...Satan killed you?" He stammered.
"Yes, Tim." Rose answered, "For whatever reason, he made the driver jump the curb and kill me."
"No! No!! I don't believe it!" Dr. Chronos shouted, climbing to his feet. "He's been the one helping me with my plan!"
"Yes and it was a very good plan, too, if I might say so myself." Said another voice. It was Mr. Zero, better known as Satan.
Everybody turned to look at him. The four demons bowed to the ground at their master. Satan was floating above the ground like Rose and Elizabeth. He was wearing a red suit with a black cloak. A ring of red fire surrounded him. He leaned on a walking stick with a skull at the top as if he was standing on solid ground.
"You planned all this?" Dr. Chronos shouted at Satan.
"Of course I did, you stupid mortal!" Satan laughed, "It was an easy matter to influence the driver to imagine a child running across the street, so he'd drive onto the sidewalk and kill your wife!"
"Then he took advantage of your grief and anger and supported your time travel work." Rose finished.
"You used me!" Dr. Chronos shouted.
Satan merely shrugged his shoulders and turned to the four demons still bowing down. "You four have failed me. Twice. First, you failed to kill the angel Elizabeth, then you didn't prevent her and her friends from foiling my plans." He sighed. "Go back down where you belong, I'll punish you later. Severely. Now go."
The four demons turned into dark funnel clouds and sucked themselves into the ground. Satan then turned to Dr. Chronos.
"Now what shall I do with you, Dr. Chronos? You failed me as well. I invested a lot of time and money on you and you failed to give me results."
"Yes, stopping the formation of your enemy, the Christian church!" Dr. Chronos yelled.
Satan lowered himself down to the ground and began to walk towards Dr. Chronos. "Very true, Doctor. And I am not happy about that at all!" He shot a red beam of light at the scientist, but it was blocked by a white beam coming from Rose and Elizabeth.
"Get out of my way, angels!" Satan growled, "You might've defeated my demons, but you're no match for me!"
"He's right, ladies." Dr. Chronos said, "Stay out of this. I've caused enough suffering as it is."
"No, Tim." Rose replied. "Satan has no power over you, except what you give him. Ask for God's forgiveness for your sins, and feel his Holy Spirit fill you once again."
Satan growled and leveled a huge fireball at the angels. They were barely able to deflect it, but the effort weakened them.
"I said stay out of this!" Satan shouted, "Before I..."
Satan got no further, because the four Monkees tackled him and knocked him into the mud. Satan waved his hand and the Monkees flew off of him and landed several feet away, stunned. The Devil stood up and the mud fell off his clothes.
"I'll deal with you four later." He thundered, then turned to see Dr. Chronos kneeling in the mud, looking up into heaven.
"Lord God, I'm sorry!" Dr. Chronos sobbed, "I'm so sorry for what I've done and what I tried to do! Please, please forgive me!"
Rose and Elizabeth glowed brightly for a moment, then they floated over to the sobbing man. "He has forgiven your sins, Tim." Rose said quietly.
Satan screamed and hurled another fireball at the three of them, but it faded before it could reach them. Hissing in anger, he looked at the Monkees who were slowly getting to their feet.
Satan hurled a fireball at them too, but it disappeared before it even got close.
"You're beaten, Satan." Elizabeth said, "They are all under God's protection. Go back to where you came from!"
"This isn't over!" Satan screamed, "It will never be over, until I have all souls bowing down to me!"
"And we'll be around to stop you, Satan." Rose replied. "Now leave us!"
In a blaze of fire, Satan vanished.
The Monkees slowly walked over to Rose, Elizabeth and Dr. Chronos. He bowed his head at the four musicians.
"I am so sorry for what I've done to you boys." Dr. Chronos said tearfully. "I let my anger get the best of me and I've done so much harm. Will you forgive me?"
"We forgive you, Dr. Chronos." Davy replied. The other Monkees nodded their heads.
"Its time to go back to our own time now." Elizabeth said, "But first, I must take care of something." There was a distant rumble like an avalanche.
"What did you do?" Micky asked.
"I caused a cave-in of Dr. Chronos' base." The angel replied, "So nobody will no what happened there."
"Let's join hands and concentrate on getting back to the twentieth century." Rose said.
Everybody formed a circle and joined hands. "Concentrate on the boy's home." Elizabeth said.
Suddenly, it was quiet and dark. Within a few seconds, they were standing in the living room of the Monkees' pad.
The guys helped Rose and Elizabeth sit down on the couch.
"Finally." Mike said softly. "Safe and sound."