《The Utopia Project: Dawn of the Phantoms》 Chapter 1: A Futuristic Stone Age >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<< >>> [An Adventure Nearly 3 Years In The Making] >>> [To Find Utopia In A World Lost To Chaos] >>> [To Build A Unforgettable World With Expansive Lore] >>> [To Satisfy My Inner Nerd And To Secretly Fanboy About All The Things I love! :3] >>> [And Most Importantly, To Tell A Story That I Dearly Hope You Find Just As Fascinating As I Do] >>> [DigitalRiot Proudly Presents]

==[THE UTOPIA PROJECT]==

>>[Dawn Of The Phantoms]<<

===[Chapter 1: A Futuristic Stone Age]===

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A dove sat on the branch of a birch tree. Her feathers were a snowy white. They gleamed, soaking in the sun. High above the world. Living in a bubble unbothered by the world. Her only goals; to eat, to sleep, and live to see the next morning. Capable of flying wherever and whenever she wanted to. Because she was free. His eyes watched her from behind the transport¡¯s window. He debated if his life would¡¯ve been better had he hatched from a dove¡¯s egg. Probably not. He was human of course. He was driven by motives the likes of which she could never conceive. However, the dove spread her wings and flew away. Out of view. Briefly for a moment, he thought that he could follow her. Because he was human. He imagined himself flying wing-to-wing with her. But when his arms spread apart to take off, the shackles around his wrists kept him grounded. He looked down at his hands. Silently hating the feeling of heaviness creeping inside of his chest. Weighing him down. He may have been human, but the bird was no prisoner. The bird retained something that he as a human had been deprived of. The bird was free. The others around him were quiet. There was little to say as they waited to be processed. All of them part of the Penal-Unit. What Eli thought hardly mattered now. Soldiers outside began to call to each other, shouting codes and words unintelligible to Eli¡¯s ears. Not like he cared. He¡¯d given up trying to understand the ways of the regulars a long time ago. The truck lurched forward, and he could hear the distinct whir of an electric engine up front. The truck shook back and forth while the axles squeaked like mice and the ground underneath the tires churned. He watched through the windows as the truck passed by armed guards, and then through a gate¡­ ¡°This is my fourth reassignment this year. Can you believe that?¡± A prisoner sitting next to Eli said to him. The man was around Eli¡¯s age, perhaps a few years younger. He¡¯d been speaking off and on with Eli throughout the transit to the new base, and he was the only person keeping Eli somewhat grounded throughout all of what was going on. ¡°They do it on purpose,¡± Eli told the man, having that piece of information buried somewhere deep in his head. Where he¡¯d gotten it from, he wasn¡¯t sure. Likely word of mouth. But he knew it was true, it made sense, ¡°Overwatch shuffles the prisoners around every year. Makes sure we can¡¯t know each other for too long.¡± The other prisoner nodded, ¡°Yeah, figured that much. You were in New Cairo?¡± Eli nodded. ¡°Same. The name¡¯s Dutch. Dutch Laswell,¡± Dutch reached over to Eli, balling his hand into a fist. ¡°Eli Freeman,¡± he reciprocated, the two sharing a fist bump. ¡°Freeman? Ironic.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± The truck crossed past a slew of military vehicles. Tanks, soldiers marching in file, a helicopter flew overhead with its whirring blades loud enough to nearly deafen the prisoners from inside of the truck. A robotic voice alert read a message on loudspeakers surrounding the base. "ALERT. INBOUND CONVICT BATTALION, ALL SECURITY UNITS REPORT TO OVERWATCH FOR IMMEDIATE TASKING." The robotic voice droned as the Regulars swarmed the trucks pulling into the base. The truck came to a stop, the door at the back swung open. A Regular stood outside, dressed in normal military fatigues and proper equipment. He carried a rifle in his hands, a pistol on his hip, and had the flag of The Coalition presented proudly on his shoulder. The prisoners on the other hand were in their normal uniforms. A two-piece suit made of a plastic-like material that Eli couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on. The uniform of the prisoners was a distinct dark-blue, so dark it was nearly black. Orange piping ran up and down along it, and more bright orange material surrounded the cuffs and interior arches of the sleeves. On the shoulders and on the back was a bright cyan delta surrounded by an orange circle. The symbol of the nationless across the world. The symbol of the Phantoms. And also, in some cruel design by a pencil-pusher in Coalition High Command ¨C the symbol of The Penal Unit. ¡°Prisoners! Get a move on! Line up outside for processing!¡± The Regular demanded as he stood aside to let the convicts leave the truck. Begrudgingly ¨C of course ¨C they stood in obedience, marching forward towards their fate. They had no other choice. The decision was made for them. ¡°End of the line. I¡¯ll see you around if I¡¯m lucky, Freeman,¡± Dutch said with a smile as he turned around. Eli gave him a brief nod, ¡°Yeah. Take care.¡± He had to admit that it felt nice to finally stretch his legs after the gruelingly long journey inside of the troop transport, but he could hardly enjoy himself. Regulars shoved him into line with the rest of the prisoners. A guard stabbed Eli in the side with the thrust of a spiked baton, ¡°Keep it moving, convict¡±, the guard hissed. Eli gave the guard the best evil look he could conjure, but ultimately could do nothing more. A line of prisoners stood shoulder-to-shoulder, marching into the Coalition¡¯s forward HQ under a bright blue sky. The air was crisp, cool, yet not cold out here in¡­ wherever they were. Eli wasn¡¯t certain. They were in the mountains. He could see the mountain slopes close to the horizon, standing over them like slumbering giants. Their stone faces black and covered in the darkness of evergreen forest. He hazarded a guess that they were somewhere in the Rockies. It should¡¯ve been winter in North America. The coldest months of it too. But of course, he knew what era he lived in. It was January of 2050. But the snow caps that were supposed to blanket the slopes of the mountains were missing, only scarce ice caps remained on the peaks of bare grey mountains. It shouldn¡¯t have surprised him that winter stopped being cold, even around here. At the very least, a cool winter breeze managed to roll down from the mountains, sweeping the small valley that the base was tucked inside of with a hint of fresh cool air. But even then, Eli was sweating underneath his uniform. The line proceeded forward as moving parts surrounded them. Vehicles, soldiers marching, more helicopters flying close overhead, and the prisoners themselves. It was loud out here, between the engines of the machines and the chatter of those on the ground. The voice of the announcement system was almost drowned out by sirens and wails of a base thrust into activity. It wasn¡¯t long until they entered inside. After passing through the first doors that were guarded by a large detail of Regulars, he noticed a camera mounted to the ceiling that scanned the individual prisoners as they walked in and took a picture of them in a bright flash of light. One by one as they entered the facility. Until it was Eli¡¯s turn. He tried to shield his eyes, but he was still blinded by the light of the camera as it got a face shot of him. Recovering from being blinded, he was prodded forward by a baton to the back, which pushed him into a line to be processed. A Regular grabbed his right arm and pulled up his sleeve to reveal Eli¡¯s wrist monitor. It was scanned and he was pushed through the line. He was corralled in with a mess of other prisoners into a large hall. Hundreds of prisoners filtered into the room. The guards did their part to poke, prod, and shove them into place. Regimenting the prisoners into manageable blocks. Each block contained about twenty-five or thirty prisoners each, and among those there were seven blocks. Cameras watched overhead. Guards kept their guns on a tight hold. The room was brightly lit. Almost nauseatingly so. The fluorescent lights threatened a migraine. Each face was visible. Easy to identify. And yet, they all blended together in his brain. Not that it was helped by the heavy ache of sleep gnawing underneath his eyes. Sleep deprived and unsure of where exactly in the world he was, he stood there. His tired eyes gazed out at the assembly around him. The others looked equally tired, maybe even more so. All of them looked disheveled, plenty smelled like they hadn¡¯t bathed in who-knows-how-long. But things like that stopped bothering Eli a long time ago. Now, he actually had things to look forward to. For he was just six months short of being granted his freedom. He survived through enough to know that he was one of the lucky ones. The lifespan of a Phantom in the Penal-Unit was short, to say the least. Looking around, Eli didn¡¯t see too many old faces, for there never were any. There were only two ways out of the penal unit. Either finishing the standard five-year sentence against the odds ¨C and the odds were definitely stacked against everybody¡¯s favor ¨C or in a body bag. He could hardly say he was proud to have most of his prison stay behind him, but he was relieved. This had to be it, his last mission. If he just kept doing what he did in the past, he should be alright. Just six more months. Six short months. And then, he¡¯d be a free man. True to his name. He could almost smile, thinking that maybe his life would soon be back to normal and that he¡¯d return to the home he¡¯d lost over a decade ago¡­ The base¡¯s announcement system blared overhead, this time with an announcement directed at the prisoners. ¡°ATTENTION PLEASE, ALL PRISONERS, SQUAD ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN UPLOADED TO YOUR MONITORING SYSTEMS. REPORT TO YOUR ASSIGNED SQUAD SWIFTLY.¡± Eli looked down at his wrist to see that the monitor fitted around his arm was glowing. Glowing text had appeared on the screen. ¡®Eli Freeman. Misfit Squad. Delta Company. You are the Squad Leader. Commanding officer: Captain Juma.¡¯ He looked up from the monitor searching for Captain Juma. The name was familiar. His eyes eventually narrowed on one regular in particular. She stood at the front of the room, issuing commands to the prisoners, telling them to stand one place or another. Her sunken eyes were buried behind the faint glow of a monitor - she hardly gave more than a passing glare at each prisoner, if she even looked their way at all. She¡¯d simply point at a prisoner and then point at a spot for them to stand. He remembered Juma from the mission just prior. Memories surfaced of the battle for New Cairo. The half-decayed city, one part super modern with glittering skyscrapers which shone like shards of glass among the desert dunes. The other part a shanty town, crowded, ignored, run down, like a scene of peasants living in medieval Europe. New Cairo was caught in a war zone between the warring Global Strategic Coalition and the Pan-Oriental Alliance. The details of why they were fighting over Egypt specifically were never made clear to Eli, and most of the mission had been a blur. Captain Juma being an exception. He remembered her face vividly, her voice too. He remembered that she, unlike most regulars, was a Phantom like he was. Eli also remembered the bitter taste of defeat that he suffered in New Cairo while under her command. That¡¯s the whole reason he was sent here after all, some sort of ¡°Punishment¡± that Overwatch Command had conjured up for failure. A reassignment of sorts. As he approached her and gave his name, her eyes only gave him a glance, ¡°Misfit ¨C seven man squad, Delta Company. You¡¯re over there.¡± She pointed to a small crowd of other prisoners. Five of them gathered together. It must¡¯ve been them. Misfit. He couldn¡¯t get a good look at their faces from where he stood, so he¡¯d have to get closer. Right before he could take a step towards them, Juma¡¯s words halted him, ¡°Freeman? I remember you. Six months left¡­ don¡¯t trip at the finish line.¡± He looked back at her, her eyes had already sunk to observe the monitor before she managed matters with the other prisoners, ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli whispered, though he knew she couldn¡¯t hear him. Fear initially filled him when he approached Misfit. As with every squad reassignment, he could never tell whether they would be good company or not. He just had to hope they kind of were. In Korea, he had fond memories of another squad ¨C but they split on less than amicable terms. In fact, their ¡°split¡± was precisely why he was a prisoner. And prisoners were expected to be expendable, doubly so since almost all of them were Phantoms¡­ But as he approached Misfit, his fear subsided to brief confusion, and then a smile. He saw a familiar face within the squad. Dutch held up his hand and flagged Eli down as he drew near, ¡°Freeman? You got put into Misfit?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they¡¯re telling me,¡± Eli told him, slightly chuckling to himself as if he had known Dutch like a close friend for a while, when in reality they only met a half hour ago. If even that long. ¡°Talk about a lucky break,¡± Dutch said. ¡°You know this guy?¡± Another man in the squad chimed in. A black beard with white hairs sprinkled in like pepper mixed with a pinch of salt blanketed his jaw and upper lip. He had a mop of straight black hair. Olive skin with liver spots dotting bits of his exposed face and hands. He looked forty or maybe even fifty in years, not elderly by any means, but certainly older than the median life expectancy for the penal unit which rested around the ripe old age of thirty years maximum. Eli himself was only twenty-five. Dutch shook his head, ¡°Hardly, we met on the transport headed here.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said the man nodding his head, ¡°Matteo Costa,¡± he said with a strong Italian accent, ¡°I¡¯m the squad medic.¡± The next to introduce themselves looked over at Eli''s direction with a cool nod of her head and a brief smile, "Paik-Seon Hi. But my friends call me Badger. I''m Korean," She told him. Badger was smaller than almost everyone else and had a distinct and thick line of dyed white hair that stretched from the temple of her head to the back of it. Ending in a ponytail that hung to her shoulders. At the front were a few strands of loose hairs that rested somewhere near her rosy cheeks. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out why she was called Badger with both her size and the white streak. ¡°Rafael Campos! Glad to meet you!¡± Said another man. Rafael had glossy black hair that was scattered about all over the top of his head. A green headband kept the messy hair from getting into his eyes, and it hid a portion of his sun-tanned forehead. A goatee carpeted the lower portions of his angular face. He looked muscular from the way his prisoner jumpsuit fit onto him, and the manner in which he spoke told Eli that he was familiar with combat, ¡°I''m from Brazil, or what used to be Brazil, at least.¡± ¡°Civil war?¡± Eli asked him. ¡°Just war. There was nothing ¡®civil¡¯ about it.¡± Eli nodded as he digested the information, Rafael¡¯s background was much similar to that of plenty of others that Eli has met over the years. He wondered how many of the Phantoms in Misfit had a similar story ¨C most judging by the sympathetic nods from the others. But one of the prisoners still had yet to introduce themselves. He stood away from the rest of the group, brooding. He had cold, dark eyes. A beanie kept most of the top of his hair hidden, but from what he could see, he was blonde. When he felt Eli''s eyes descend upon him, all he mustered up was a grunt and a disinterested nod of the head, ¡°Cato,¡± he said in a British accent. ¡°You a Phantom?¡± Asked Dutch. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Just asking,¡± Dutch grimaced. Badger stepped forward, bringing everyone¡¯s attention together, ¡°I guess that¡¯s all of Misfit accounted for.¡± ¡°There¡¯s supposed to be seven of us, where¡¯s the other one?¡± Matteo asked. They briefly looked around before a small and timid voice spoke up, ¡°O-Over here!¡± They looked to their side to see a boy. Eli had to take another look at him to confirm he was seeing things right. A boy. Not a man, a child. He looked no older than seventeen. If he was even that old. Dark skin, big and sad looking puppy eyes that poked out from underneath a shaggy mess of black hair. He was skinny and small, the prisoner uniform hung like curtains on his body. Eli looked back at the rest of Misfit in confusion, they were equally confused. Their odd looks amongst each other made the boy squirm in discomfort, ¡°Who are you?¡± Eli cautiously asked. The kid hesitated for a moment, it looked like he wasn¡¯t going to say. Eli repeated himself, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m Omar. Omar Shaya.¡± "Where are you from?" Badger interrogated him. "Bangladesh. Well, I was from Bangladesh¡­" "So you¡¯re a Phantom too?" Dutch asked him. "A what?" "A refugee. A Phantom," Rafael asked. Omar nodded, "I think so¡­ the guards called me a phantom, but I don¡¯t know what that meant." ¡°And how old are you exactly?¡± Matteo addressed the elephant in the room. The kid looked like¡­ well, a kid. "I''m 21," Omar mumbled. "You don''t look 21," Eli told him. "You don''t sound it, either,¡± Said Rafael. "Look," he turned around, his voice cracking just enough to ironically betray his own argument, though he still held firm. Pestered by the bothering from the squad, whom he of course, just met, "I''m 21! Ok? I''m fine!" "Alright¡­" Eli suspiciously relented. The others in Misfit looked at each other, knowing full well that Omar was lying straight through his teeth. Yet as Misfit debated among themselves as to how it could be, Eli couldn¡¯t help but notice how terrified Omar looked. Small and fragile. Eli wondered how he wound up here amidst prisoners ¨C those sentenced as prisoners of war and rebels against the Coalition¡¯s rule. But Omar didn¡¯t seem the type to fit into either of those categories, and besides that, what the hell would Overwatch even want with a teenager? Before they could interrogate the question further though, a voice crackled on the intercom system. A new and unfamiliar one. ¡°Phantoms. Prisoners. Soldiers. You have all chosen ¨C or have been chosen ¨C to fight for The Coalition in the Utopia Project. While I am not able to disclose all the information with regards to Utopia, I do want to take a moment for clarity¡¯s sake. On behalf of myself and the rest of Overwatch Command, welcome! I am Major-General Kovic, but I¡¯ll introduce myself properly when we meet face to face.¡± Kovic¡¯s voice echoed throughout the facility. An older brassy voice, with a slight twinge of a pacific-northwest accent. The loudspeakers blared above them. ¡°As for the Prisoners who haven¡¯t been given the briefing from Coalition High Command, you are being deployed to an experimental battlefield either on collective punishment for prior mission failure, or at random. It is hoped that after this mission is accomplished, you will have been rehabilitated. Upon Mission Completion, you¡¯ll have your sentences waived, and you¡¯ll be free men and women once again. However, let me remind you of the circumstances¡­¡± Kovic¡¯s voice suddenly took on a darker tone, it caught everyone¡¯s attention as they looked up to the loudspeakers hidden somewhere along the ceiling. The small bubble of hope that Eli felt inside of him quickly popped into despair, as Kovic continued to speak. ¡°As Prisoners, you are not required to return. That will only come about when I and the rest of Overwatch Command are satisfied that you¡¯ve accomplished your mission and have been properly rehabilitated. So, I implore you all to remember your duty, even as prisoners you serve the Coalition. So, cooperate, follow orders as dutifully as you are expected, and obey your officers¡¯ instructions above all else. If you do that successfully, then you may earn your freedom.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Eli looked away from the loudspeakers, his eyes desperately looked to Misfit to see whether they heard. Judging by their bewildered looks, they had. All the Prisoners and Phantoms in the unit were dumbfounded. The Regulars who patrolled their ranks remained steely-eyed. They knew something the prisoners didn¡¯t. Kovic had muttered the last line in a way that set them all on edge. Eli scratched his head, pondering what he could¡¯ve meant by that. What the hell was ¡°the Utopia Project¡±? And where was Kovic? But then, the potential of being freed. Never before did Eli have a mission where the automatic reward for success was having his sentence waived. He¡¯d heard of some Prisoners getting their sentences shortened for either good behavior ¨C snitching for Overwatch and ratting out conspiratorial Phantoms. He¡¯d even heard of Phantoms being sent on extremely dangerous missions where their reward for completion was a sentence reduction, usually by a few months or even a year in some cases. But automatically freed? What kind of mission was Overwatch tasking them for where the reward was automatic freedom? Eli felt like he should¡¯ve been happy to hear the news. But he knew how Overwatch operated. Nothing was ever given with zero strings. His mind briefly wondered what the job would¡¯ve been. Maybe they had to go clear out a minefield with their bare hands? Or maybe they¡¯d have to act as meat shields or cannon fodder for the regular forces in some battle against the Pan-Oriental Alliance''s troops? Or maybe they¡¯d be fed into a active volcano? Sent scuba diving in the middle of shark infested waters with raw meat attached to them? Who knows? "The 17th Penal Battalion. I hold an almost childish hope for you. Myself and some of my officers believe you''ll be able to break the mold. Maybe, you can finally redeem yourselves as soldiers and even heroes worthy of being given a life away from a prison cell. Maybe you''ll overcome the challenges ahead. You''ll have to. The challenges you face are historic, to put it mildly. But should you succeed, you''ll be able to thank whomever it is you put your faith in that you''ll wake up another day, and if you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll wake up as a free soul. 17th, let the storm carry you home. Phantoms, prisoners, your test awaits on the other side." No time for questions. No room for answers. Large doors at the far end of the room slid open, revealing a large tunnel that dug further into the mountain¡¯s depths. Eli was surprised to see vehicles in the tunnels. Trucks for hauling passengers and cargo. One by one, regulars took platoons of prisoners and loaded them into the backs of the trucks. Each squad climbed aboard, and when the truck was full, it rolled off. Their electric engines echoed in the stone tunnels. Driving further into the mountain until they disappeared. A regular soon walked up to them, waving his baton to get Misfit to walk towards the trucks. They didn¡¯t speak as they went up, only following the crowd. Eli felt like a pig. Being loaded onto the back of caged trucks with a slaughterhouse as the destination. Like an animal. Some vivid imagery of fighting back against the guards flashed through his mind but it quickly vanished when his senses came back to tell him how hopeless it was to even try and resist. Which is why he found it strange when he saw Rafael of all people shouting back at the guards. Asking where they were being taken, and why. Of course they did not answer, and they only threatened Rafael with a beating if he didn¡¯t comply ¨C eventually he did keep walking forward, begrudgingly so. Something told Eli that Rafael wasn¡¯t yet finished. ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Was the first question out of Badger¡¯s mouth when she took a seat into the transport. The regulars of course did not answer her question, only loading as many prisoners as they could before they shut the door and locked them in. A curtain of silence fell across the squad, looking out through the barred windows as they tried to piece together some idea of what was happening. Eli was being metaphorical when his brain pictured animals being led to a slaughterhouse, for a brief moment he was terrified that been more accurate than he''d thought. Soon though, the truck got to moving. It hummed along driving down the stone tunnel that was illuminated by construction lights. What surprised Eli most were the trucks that drove back from the depths of the mountain. Where were they coming from? ¡°So, I¡¯m going to go out on a limb here and assume none of us know what a ¡®Utopia Project¡¯ is supposed to be?¡± Dutch asked the group. They all shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t like it, whatever it is. Utopia Project¡­ sounds like something a cult would come up with,¡± Dutch said, ¡°And who¡¯s this ¡®Kovic¡¯ guy, anyway? Telling us that he¡¯ll see us on the other side, and that we aren¡¯t expected to make it back? Who the hell is he?¡± ¡°Not a damn clue. I remember Captain Juma though,¡± Matteo muttered, ¡°New Cairo. In fact, I remember a lot of the officers here.¡± ¡°Juma? Isn¡¯t she a Phantom too?¡± Badger asked. ¡°Probably. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she ratted someone out to become a regular,¡± said Cato, ¡°Overwatch rewards loyalty. If you sell your soul, they¡¯ll play favorites with you.¡± ¡°Not a half bad deal if you ask me,¡± Matteo said. It made all of the others chuckle, save for Eli and the boy Omar. Eli only orbiting the conversation, not bothering to say anything himself. Omar¡­ He looked at Omar¡¯s face. Once again, stunned that he was looking at someone so young standing here in the Penal Unit. The kid was beyond terrified. He was trying to hide his face away in the corner of the truck, not talking or engaging with Misfit at all. He seemed scared to even breathe, the way he sat there still as rock yet small and insignificant. It was easy to forget him among the crowd of other faces. In that, being a orphan child himself, Eli felt sympathy for the boy. But he couldn¡¯t really do anything for him. He ignored Omar, trying to focus on the chatter between Misfit. Though the thought of Omar being here, sixteen, hung on his mind. Was the Coalition truly so desperate that they were importing prisoners still in their teens? And how the hell did Omar get here in the first place? What did he do to deserve¡­ any of this? Rafael got serious, leaning forward, his eyes darted between the rest of the squad, ¡°They can¡¯t keep treating us like animals. Not for long. Eventually, we¡¯ll get angry enough to fight back against them.¡± ¡°Easy on the rebel speak,¡± Badger said with a cautionary tone, ¡°We¡¯re in a Overwatch nerve center. They have eyes and ears everywhere.¡± ¡°They can''t punish you for speaking. To them, we''re too small to even be worth the effort. As a matter of fact, I hope they can hear me.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you aren¡¯t attracting unwanted attention. The last thing I want is a security unit harassing me because of something you said.¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet they¡¯ve got two armed guards for every convict here. If it was possible, there would¡¯ve already been a riot,¡± Matteo muttered, adding on to Badger''s point. ¡°It is possible, they just don¡¯t want you to think it is, my friend. The one thing they fear is hope. If you¡¯ve got hope, you can do anything!¡± ¡°My hope is to finish my sentence. I intend for this to be my final mission, only two more months left. I¡¯m not throwing that away for a dream.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to just be a dream! Don¡¯t you want your freedom? Why be a prisoner here when you have so much of a life to live? You¡¯re an older man, you of all people should know how precious freedom is in life!¡± Rafael asked the man, looking up into his eyes. Matteo sighed, ¡°I¡¯d rather be alive to live that life. Revolution is for the young who haven¡¯t realized how valuable their youth is. I¡¯ll sit my sentence out, and I¡¯d advise you do the same.¡± Rafael grunted in dissatisfaction, ¡°Whatever you say, old man,¡± he turned to Eli. A strange look coming in to his eye, one Eli had never seen before. Someone was turning to him for help¡­ direction? ¡°So what do you think, Eli? You¡¯ve been quiet¡­You¡¯re our squad leader, right? Don¡¯t you decide what we do?¡± Eli shrugged. He dismissed the question as if it were ridiculous. He was merely a figurehead. He didn¡¯t lead anything. His job was to parrot whatever commands Overwatch gave him. Just like the rest of them, he was a prisoner, ¡°Matteo¡¯s right, Rafael¡­ it¡¯s pointless. Rebels end up dead. Or worse.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing worse than the Penal Unit! I mean come on, isn¡¯t your last name Freeman?¡± ¡°Very funny, Rafael.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not kidding. Where¡¯s your anger? Your hopes and dreams? Isn¡¯t it better to be free than with these things on our wrists?¡± Rafael gestured at the monitor on his wrist, his fiery eyes darting around not just from Matteo and Eli ¨C but now to all of Misfit, ¡°They track our every waking move with these things. They know where we are, when we sleep, when we wake up, when we eat, and when we take a shit with this thing! And it¡¯s driving me insane! How is it wrong to want to be free from that? Without this thing monitoring your every single waking move. Without the cameras watching you day and night, or the guards who can just pull you aside at will to beat you? And for what? What are you all in prison for? Are you murderers? Are you monsters?¡± Eli did not answer Rafael. His heart sunk into his stomach. He looked away. Yet Rafael continued on. His tanned face had grown red from frustration. Eli listened to his words. He could understand that on a moral basis what Rafael said was true. But there was simply no chance. There was nothing else they could do. Rafael was proposing that Misfit effectively commit suicide, and no matter how much it hurt to admit ¨C Eli would rather be a prisoner than a corpse. Even penal-unit Phantoms, the lowest of the low, could hope for a better future. The dead were deprived of that luxury, as short a bar as it was. Silence fell among Misfit once again. Nobody spoke a word. Rafael deflated into himself as he slowly fell back into his seat. His shoulders drooped, his head lowered. Had Eli done that? Had his own refusal to accept the possibility of resistance sucked the life out of Rafael? He felt horrible. A rot gnawed away somewhere inside of him. But Rafael was foolish for daring to resist. It was futile. How could he dream of fighting back against something so massive, so uncaring, so cold, as the Coalition? A rebellion wouldn¡¯t last five full minutes before everyone was either dead or worse. They thought nothing of it. Their only value to Overwatch existed as living machines for labor and combat. Once they betrayed that, they were no longer needed. Slaughtered, like animals¡­ Yet, He still felt terrible saying it to himself, to dismiss Rafael so firmly. Eli was aware that the defeatism and hopelessness of it all had already established a firm grip over his mind. As Rafael pointed out, it was exactly what Overwatch wanted. They didn¡¯t operate by crushing rebellion. Overwatch had erased the very idea of rebellion altogether. Those who tried, as Rafael so insisted, were looked at as insane, na?ve or both. He scanned the faces of Misfit, trying to imagine their lives as if they were his own. Their dreams, their desires, their backgrounds. He was squad leader after all. Their lives were, on paper, in his hands. But what could he do? As far as he was concerned, he was just another cog in the machine. Same as Rafael, same as everyone else. The truck carrying them rattled back and forth until it slowed in the middle of the tunnel. Eli tried to get a good look outside of the barred window to see where they were being taken. All he could decipher was a large steel vault ahead of them. Surely, there was something behind it. The name, ¡°The Utopia Project¡± rung in his mind again and again. But no matter what he tried to come up with, nothing made sense. Maybe the Coalition thought it right for them to do some manual labor, mining away at the tunnels here? But then what of the name? And the supposed danger that Kovic had warned of? This wasn¡¯t some odd labor job like they sometimes would get assigned if they were lucky. Those types of jobs were almost always better than fighting out on a warzone. Almost always. Besides, they were supposed to be here as a punishment. No cushy mining work today. The Utopia Project. Just in the name alone carried a feeling that there was something secret ¨C something sinister ¨C about it. ¡°The Utopia Project¡­¡± Eli whispered to himself, thinking out loud, debating every possibility. But nothing worked. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s an underground colony?¡± Badger suggested the answer with a slight bump of the chin and a shrug, though even she didn¡¯t look confident in her answer, ¡°Tunnels are good against nuclear weapons, if they¡¯re scared about a repeat of Seoul, it would make sense to tunnel underground.¡± ¡°Yeah? Then what the hell was Kovic on about us not making it back?¡± Dutch said. ¡°Mines are dangerous, I guess.¡± ¡°Dangerous enough to call it a historic challenge?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, like you said, it sounds like something a cult would come up with. I can see The Coalition trying to drive society underground. Build a new home¡­ a utopia.¡± ¡°Bullshit,¡± Cato spat out, ¡°Coalition wants to build a utopia? Don¡¯t they know they¡¯re the reason why this whole planet¡¯s gone to hell? And they want us to build it for them?¡± ¡°See? Cato gets it! They want to build a utopia off of slave labor,¡± Rafael tapped his skull ¨C accenting the point he tried to make, ¡°If that¡¯s not ironic my friend, I don¡¯t know what is.¡± ¡°Just keep your heads down and do your jobs, we should be alright,¡± Eli said. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Cato said, ¡°But we¡¯re Phantoms. Phantoms and living full lives don¡¯t exactly mix.¡± ¡°Six months, Cato. I intend to make it through no matter what.¡± ¡°We all intend to do things, but it never quite happens the way we want, does it? I mean, you¡¯re in the bloody Penal Unit. Right?¡± ¡®Great¡­ a snarky wiseass, a rebel, and a child,¡¯ Eli sat back, thinking to himself. Misfit was a very fitting name in retrospect. He needed to stay alive for only a few months longer without any issues with Overwatch, but Misfit seemed hellbent on throwing a wrench in those plans. Ignoring Cato¡¯s snark, something told Eli that Cato especially would be a character to keep his eyes on. The glowing headlights of another truck behind them shone against walls. In fact, is seemed like an entire convoy of trucks were just behind their own lone truck. He could hear their distinct hum echo through the tunnels. A siren blared and red warning lights flashed ahead of them. Slowly the vault at the front of the tunnel began to move. Two massive blast doors rolled aside, revealing yet another chamber further into the mountain. The trucks drove in once the doors had stopped moving. Soldiers and guards swarmed the convoy as they proceeded into the next chamber. Eli was surprised to see it, but this area was developed. It wasn¡¯t just stone walls, instead there were walkways, glass windows leading into rooms where shadowy figures observed. Electronic cords and wires dangled from the ceiling, which stood high ¨C probably fifty feet high. It was a large cavernous area that had brand-new iron girders holding the cave walls and ceiling up. But most surprisingly to Eli, was the military equipment. Tanks, APCs, armored vehicles. There were even parts of helicopters that had been disassembled and were being loaded onto the backs of trucks. Helicopters underground? Eli couldn¡¯t make heads or tails of it. It didn¡¯t seem like the cavern opened to the outside world, or if it did, not in any place that would justify parking helicopter parts down here. Besides, why the secrecy? If Eli was right that they were in the Rockies, this would¡¯ve been American or Canadian soil. If the Coalition wanted to put aircraft here for storage, then they could easily do so above ground. It could only mean that they were trying to hide this place from the POAs eyes. Kovic said it was a secret after all, and if what Misfit theorized was right ¨C them trying to build an underground ¡°Utopia¡± ¨C then it might make sense to try and hide all traces from the prying eyes of the POA. There was just one thing wrong with that, theory. Almost all the satellites that Humanity had were destroyed in the Space Wars. At least most of them were. Any satellite that either the Coalition or the POA launched was fair game to be shot down as far as either faction was concerned. Eli remembered when the network was first knocked out across the planet in the 2040s. Phones, GPS, TV networks, across the country ¨C everywhere ¨C went silent. Radio stations cut abruptly. The internet had become a thing of the past. For the Pan-Oriental Alliance to get their hands on a spy satellite without it being shot down would be a feat in itself. Humanity had not just turned their guns to the skies, but they were fighting wars among the stars. Getting a satellite into space was difficult enough on its own, let alone getting one over The United States, the ringmaster of the Global Strategic Coalition. If Eli was right, it would¡¯ve only meant that the helicopters and vehicles weren¡¯t meant to be hidden. They were to be used somewhere within the tunnel. But how? The Coalition was without a doubt hiding something major. But what? The trucks again came to a halt in the middle of the chamber. The doors to the truck were thrown open, Regulars ordered the prisoners to stand and get out. When Eli¡¯s boots thudded against the solid surface, he was able to get a better look of the chamber. It was massive, far more cavernous than Eli thought looking at it through the window. It had to be as large as the interior of an aircraft hangar. Likely even larger than that. The ceiling sloped upwards as it intersected the far wall which brought the room to an end. Massive spotlights hung on the ceiling, illuminating the area with spots of dull light. There was an observatory for the Overwatch Commanders looking out at the massive space, glass windows protecting their front row seats to¡­ whatever this was supposed to be. It was strange. Wires were both laid across the floor and suspended from the ceiling. Dozens of them, some large and thick, others small. They were all connected to a massive steel contraption at the far side of the chamber. It was circular in shape. Electric components were bolted into it. A circular frame which spanned from the floor to the ceiling. A ramp connected the bottom of the frame to the floor, as if vehicles were supposed to drive through it¨C yet the circle was blocked by the grey concrete wall on the other side. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Eli wondered out loud. ¡°Portal?¡± Dutch joked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be the day¡­¡± Eli¡¯s eyes were glued onto it. Most of the prisoners cast a few quick glances at the structure before returning back to their duties. But Eli¡¯s eyes wouldn¡¯t budge. There was something strange about it. His mind tried to form some explanation as to what it could¡¯ve been, but every answer he came up with was worse than the last. An impatient guard walked up to Misfit, snapping his fingers to grab their attention, ¡°Prisoners, get moving! Come on!¡± He jabbed a thumb at a line of prisoners forming up on the sides of the room. Eli followed the direction of the guard, taking one final look at the contraption, before trying to forget about it. Yet, it sat in his mind, refusing to go away. He followed Misfit as they trudged on, lining up behind a wall of other Prisoners. Guards held up a backpack filled to the brim with gear and issued them out to the prisoners as well as a vest of body armor. Each one had the Greek Delta on the back of it, cyan blue. The symbol of the Phantoms. One by one, each prisoner received the backpack and vest until Eli was holding one in his hands. His eyes glanced over the objects shoved inside of it. A gas mask and first aid kit being the two most obvious of them. The former struck Eli as odd, but he brushed the thought away as he strapped the pack and armor on. No sooner had he finished, another Regular approached. The Regular took his arm, rolled up his sleeve to expose his dark brown skin and the monitor wrapped over his forearm. With a metal device, the Regular took off his old wrist monitor to replace it with a new one. The device was slightly larger and heavier, covering more of his forearm than the one before. When it was placed on his forearm, it automatically conformed itself to fit tight ¨C though not too tight ¨C onto Eli¡¯s arm. It turned on automatically revealing the flag of the Coalition and then the logo of the Phantoms. A cyan delta surrounded by a orange circle. Eli observed the new monitor as if it were some alien device that was grafted onto his body. For all he knew, it might as well have been. The sudden change in equipment prompted a brief wave of fear in Eli as to how dangerous the mission they were running actually would have been, but it faded away the moment he looked up. Electrical components on the strange circular frame began to move. Twisting, spinning. Sparks flew. The hair on the back of Eli¡¯s neck stood on end. For a moment, he felt weightless. As if he could jump up and float like an astronaut. All of the prisoners looked up, watching as an mechanical arm lowered to point towards the circular frame. An electric buzz filled the room, the silence from the convicts was deafening. From the far stretches of the ceiling, Eli could see something glide through the air. So fast it was almost imperceptible. It was a dove suspended in air, flying over the crowd of prisoners and regulars, entirely unnoticed. Except for Eli¡¯s eyes, which followed her as she flew¡­ And then, an explosion of light! The bird vanished, and his eyes were drawn to the steel frame. A bright ray of red energy burst forward from the iron arm, aimed at the crown of the frame. The energy connected, powering the other electronic contraptions within the structure, they charged, pulsating, firing on. Until a shockwave resonated from the structure. A blast of energy washed over the crowd of terrified prisoners. Like a wave, the energy blast forced the prisoners to take a step back, and Eli found himself being pushed and thrown with the crowd of equally terrified bodies. Prisoners flailed around, trapped in a calamity moments before their destruction. The screams that he heard blended into each other, mixing into one massive echo of fear and confusion. A blinding light flashed from the contraption finally, forcing Eli to look away. Even still, he could see the bright white light through his eyelids until the light faded away. All was silent when he opened his eyes once more. The whirring of the machines stopped, the screaming vanished. They all watched the frame. The opening of the circle had been replaced by a colorful swirling light that ebbed and flowed, currents of bright blue, candy pink, forest green, and deep violet mixed with each other. Eli was enraptured by it. His mind was mixed with fear¡­ and wonder. Helpless, all he could do was watch in stunned silence. ¡°Is it really a¡­¡± Badger started out, but quickly went back on her words, ¡°No. No, that¡¯s impossible.¡± The swirling light refracted, bending and twisting, until a clear image formed on the other side. Where there was once a wall, was another chamber awaiting them on the other side. Regulars ordered columns of prisoners to march on through the steel frame structure. The first column protested, yelling, flailing, doing anything they could to remain where they were. But if they didn¡¯t walk, the guards forced them in. Keeping them at the end of a electric baton, or a gun. They were forced to walk through. Every step of theirs felt like it took an eternity. Eli¡¯s eye twitched, he couldn¡¯t tell if he was about to witness something amazing, or if he was gonna see dozens of people get torn apart. He could see tears streaming down the eyes of some prisoners as they shakily clambered up the ramp. And then they entered through. It was as if they passed through a glass window. Entering through on the other side ¨C unharmed. Like a choir, the remaining prisoners muttered exclamations of wonder, surprise, fear even. Had the Coalition really constructed a¡­? Other columns of prisoners were singled out and sent through the portal. One by one. Until Misfit was selected to go through. Eli saw the look on the faces of his squad. All of them were terrified. But his eyes landed especially on Omar. The boy was pale. His eyes wide with fear. He was shaking. Frozen still as a statue, ¡°Omar¡­¡± His eyes darted up to Eli, looking at him for anything. Eli forced a smile onto his face. A smile he didn¡¯t believe in. He knew he was just as powerless as the rest of them were. There was nothing he could do to slow them down as they were forced at gunpoint to march towards the opening of the gate. There was nothing to do but comply. Until they were at the entrance of the Portal. Eli was the first one up. He could feel a strange heat radiating from the entrance. The point where one chamber ended and the other started was separated by a thin transparent barrier that resembled jelly flowing in the air. Eli briefly looked back, his legs ready to collapse under the weight of his fear. The rest of his squad watched him. He looked back towards the portal. Sucking a breath of air in, and closing his eyes. A step into the unknown¡­
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep A-2...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]== ==[THE WORLD OF 2050]== ==[A Futuristic Stone Age]== 2050: ["Billions were caught in the center of a globe spanning fight that would spiral the planet into chaos. As the superpowers collapsed, nations united to prevent total catastrophe. Of those nations rose two powers. From the old remnants of NATO and the West, rose the Global Strategic Coalition. And a rising bloc of the eastern Pan-Occidental Alliance. The two rivals circled each other, saber-rattling, pushing and getting pushed, fighting over the increasingly scarce resources as the world burned around them.] Planet Earth is on the brink of disaster, for humanity at least. Divided primarily between the warring Pan-Oriental Alliance and the Global Strategic Coalition . Resources dwindle, nations burn, and superpowers crumble. Humanity must search for salvation. But where...?
["...But there was a third group. Phantoms. The nationless. Without a home. We had no money, no resources of our own. Some may dare call us "innocent". One failed state after another spawned the existence of Phantoms. Refugees. The world''s unwanted..."] A continent baptized by fire. The Caspian Sea dries leaving millions in Central Asia without water, meanwhile the Pacific and Indian Oceans flood. Washing away cities inhabited by billions of people and swamping them underneath their calamitic storms. Riots, Revolutions, and Relapse into dictatorships have become a norm. The hopeful optimism that inspired the new democracies of the 2000s now brace in fear of the unknown future...
The so called "Leader of the Free World" is but a hollow shell of her former self. A military coup d''¨¦tat has left Washington without its democracy, the rising Atlantic has rendered some of the most vital cities and economic centers lost underneath their waters. Millions have been displaced by the storms while America''s global order crumbles. Yet, despite this, America remains a superpower. Though a dying one. Around her, America''s neighbors fare little better as they are battered in the throes of the new - old - world.
>>>["...War. Famine. Disease. Storms washed away homes forever. Fires tore communities and nations in half. Refugees used to come in waves of thousands. Those numbers grew to the millions. The Space Wars destroyed the last links that our people had to those who lived at the dawn of the new millennium. Global telecommunications were wiped out in the blink of an eye, with satellites crashing down to Earth destroying the knowledge of humanity with them. Internet, Satellite, GPS, all of it lost as debris destroyed satellite after satellite, like a great cosmic game of pool. In just one war, Humanity had been brought from technological greats and cast back into the stone age. When the National Guard was forced to evacuate Miami from the rising water, and when satellites fell from the sky like a great meteor shower, the entire world finally realized that there was no such thing as turning back. There was no solution. There was no escape. Or so we thought."] London is six feet underwater and the "United" Kingdom is united no Longer. The Netherlands have fallen to the seas, and the remnants of Belgium merged into the Flanders Emergency Reconstruction Zone. The remaining heirs of the European Union grapple with instability, looming financial catastrophe, and security threats as the European Nations struggle to maintain their democratic light against the encroaching storms.
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[THE RESOURCE WARS] >>>[A WORLD ON THE BRINK] >>>[INFERNO IN THE ORIENT] >>>[THE FALLEN EAGLE] >>>[THE EUROPEAN CATASTROPHE] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 2: Near The Border >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 2: Near The Border]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Notes Updated... >>>[PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS MADE AT RECRUITMENT. WATCH FOR THIS ONE.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed... ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
A cyan blue sky dotted by puffy white clouds draped over the Kiote Peninsula this morning. Golden rays of sunshine basked the tropical forests and wetlands with familiar tropical heat. Yet, further along in the skies, dark clouds signaled a coming storm. Otaes kept a strong grasp on the reins of Archer as they flew over the ground. The jungle passed underneath them, dark green foliage and mountains that rolled on for as far as the eye could see in almost every direction but North, for there the blue Gulf of Helena interrupted the jungle and stretched out into the horizon. She could see it all underneath her, watching the land roll past. Her mind retreated to a faint beauty that she couldn¡¯t describe but retreated to in order to find solace. She enjoyed flights like these, able to see for miles unobstructed. The temperature couldn¡¯t be better. As far as reconnaissance missions went, this one was one of the more tranquil. Otaes¡¯ mind dared to dream about a time before. Nostalgic. Warm and hazy, like the world around them. ¡°We¡¯re close to Canau! We should start landing!¡± Temetet fought against the blowing wind so she could hear, reinforcing his point by giving her a tap on the shoulder. She nodded, and with a slight adjustment of the reins, Archer knew exactly what to do. The Griffon descended, folding his wings, and they went into a freefall through the air. The thrill of the fall sent shivers up her spine immediately, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel a smile grow on her face. Temetet seemed less amused though, more terrified. She could hear a scream escape his lips, and she could feel his fingers dig into her shoulders as if he¡¯d fall off. ¡°OTAES! OTAES THE GROUND!¡± The ground of the jungle below grew larger. The details more refined. She could feel the air blow past her. It washed against her clothes and tribal armor like waves of water rushing past. Wind caressed her mask and face, rushing past her with speed. With a pull of the reins in the opposite direction, Archer¡¯s wings spread apart and the griffon slowed. They hovered mid-air for a moment, and then all it took was one push with his massive brown wings until they touched the ground. Temetet practically fell from Archer¡¯s back the moment it was safe. His wobbly legs forced him to lean on the Griffon as he caught his breath. ¡°Oh my stars¡­ oh I think I¡¯m gonna vomit.¡± Otaes sighed again, her hand idly petted the Griffon¡¯s brown head ¨C much to Archer¡¯s delight ¨C as she slid off the saddle. Her boots crunched against the ground when she landed. They were out in a clearing where they would have to travel downhill to investigate the disturbance around Canau. Whatever it was, the Council was adamant that it was of the utmost importance. Probably fearful that the Riverlanders or the Avonians ¨C or both ¨C were up to something. The thought terrified her, but she tried not to dwell on it. She had already lived through one war. Fought in it too. The last thing she needed was yet another rearing its head out on the horizon. She grabbed her belongings from a pocket on Archer¡¯s saddle. Mostly her scouting gear, and of course her two weapons. A spear and a bow, ¡°Come on Temetet, get your stuff ready ¨C oh you actually threw up,¡± She avoided her eyes to give him at least some privacy, but inwardly she had to keep herself from laughing. ¡°You know I hate heights! Why would you do that?¡± He weakly complained. ¡°Quit whining, it was just a little dive!¡° ¡°LITTLE?¡± ¡°Aye-yai-yai,¡± She sighed, ¡°You begged me to be here. Keep up with the pace.¡± ¡°Yeah, I didn¡¯t think you would try and kill me along the way!¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t at the ¡®Me killing you¡¯ stage, yet. You want to be a Kitchi so bad? This is how you train for it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I get for offering to help,¡± Temetet muttered to himself. ¡°Bite me.¡± She took satisfaction in watching her brother squirm in discomfort at her words, slowly he stood up, grabbing his own spear and his bow. Otaes knew he could fight well. He just needed to be guided so he could hone his skills, and like his sister, become one of the Kitchi warriors. And under her protection, he¡¯ll do fine. Especially since Temetet was practically a modern wizard when it came to computers. If he could push himself to use his skills with electronics towards his Warrior Training, then there was nothing stopping him. She turned to Archer, raising a hand to brush the brown and down like feathers on his cheek, ¡°Find someplace to stay hidden around here. We¡¯ll be back soon, okay?¡± Archer chirped in recognition, and as soon as Otaes stopped petting him, he was off into the bush. Hidden out of the clearing. She gestured for Temetet to follow, and the two of them walked in the opposite direction, northwards towards Canau. From the satchel around Temetet¡¯s shoulder, he pulled out one of his contraptions. Or rather, one of the Avonian contraptions that Temetet managed to rig to fight for them. Clutched in his hands was a dark metallic box, no larger than his fist if he balled it. Markings and insignia from its previous operator covered its surface, engraved. With a push from a button, the box transformed, opening up to reveal the lens of a camera and four thin metallic arms on either side with blades. It was a captured reconnaissance drone manufactured by the Avonian Empire. During the war, the Imperials had sent thousands of these things into the jungle in order to peer underneath the dense foliage and keep an eye on everything lurking within the dense undergrowth ¨C all without them knowing. They were a particular nuisance to the Warrior Elves who depended on the jungle¡¯s cover to fight effectively, it was the only way they could grapple with the overwhelming might of Imperial war machines. And as an added bonus, when the drones finished their jobs, the imperials liked to ram them into formations of Warriors ¨C using their sharp blades to slice skin or even crack skulls. She¡¯d seen it happen far too many times during the fighting, to the point that seeing the one in Temetet¡¯s hands was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Even if she knew that it was technically on their side now. The blades of the drone started to spin, and with a slight toss from Temetet, it took off. Darting upwards into the skies. ¡°I hope this one doesn¡¯t get shot down,¡± he said, turning to yet another device that he carried in his satchel to view the feedback from the drones camera. ¡°It might,¡± Otaes said, ¡°You were working on it earlier today, right?¡± ¡°Just tweaking its friend or foe program. Hopefully it¡¯ll trick the Riverlanders into thinking it¡¯s one of theirs.¡± Otaes watched the drone virtually disappear into the air for only a second before she tried to ignore it. The jungle air was particularly hot and humid today. Stormy weather brewed over the mountains to the west. Dark clouds threatened to swamp the still air in a torrent. The two elves were used to the temperature. They had lived in the Kiote jungle their whole lives. The sloping green mountains, the dense inner jungle, the land, the sea, the skies. This Jungle was a part of them, and Otaes felt as if she knew every inch of the land as if it were her own home. But even with her knowledge of the Kiote jungle, they had to be cautious, for this region was no longer their home. This was the Republic¡¯s side of the border, and out here, everything was a threat. The palms gently swayed in the faint breeze and the thick jungle flora cast a shadow over the ground. A perfect place to hide, right in plain sight. Sunlight trickled in through the gaps in the leaves, leaving sunbeams to trace a path towards the dirt. The humidity was especially strong underneath the canopy, especially with the plants surrounding them. Damp, moist, almost suffocating heat in the thickest part of the Kiote wilderness, ¡°How can you wear your mask in this place?¡± ¡°We might run into Imperials or the Militia. You know the rule-¡° ¡°Yeah, yeah, nobody outside of our tribe can see our face.¡± ¡°And if they do?¡± Otaes queried, seeing if her brother had remembered one of the fundamental tenets of the Kitchi warriors. Temetet sighed, ¡°We kill them.¡± ¡°See, you¡¯re getting it.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s so hot, I mean, I¡¯m suffocating with my mask off.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°You will.¡± ¡°You are just a piece of work, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°And you are about to step on a landmine.¡± ¡°Yeah well-wait what?!¡± Temetet screamed, he jumped to the side in a flurry of panic. Otaes only sighed, walking forward. Not bothering to turn back to meet what was undoubtedly going to be a look of absolute betrayal from Temetet, ¡°You know what Otaes, I bet there wasn¡¯t even a landmine there! I¡¯m done. I wanna go home! I hate it here!¡± ¡°That was a lesson. If you were keeping an eye out, you would¡¯ve known. Always understand your surroundings. Especially out here. We¡¯re near the border, everything can kill you, and everything wants to kill you.¡± ¡°Yeah well¡­there¡¯s a spider on your back.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°No there isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking at it and it¡¯s a braineater -¡± Otaes stopped in her tracks, turning to face Temetet. She raised a finger to her lips, ¡°Shh. We¡¯re getting close. Focus. And put your mask on.¡± Temetet sighed but said nothing, giving in to her lead. He put his mask over his face¨C though it had yet to be painted because he wasn¡¯t a Kitchi. With Temetet quiet, Otaes pushed on through the dense jungle. What Otaes had told Temetet wasn¡¯t totally far from the truth. The border between the Avonian-backed River Republic, and the Kiote Union had become heavily militarized following the end of the last war. While the ceasefire brought an end to the bombs being dropped and the bullets being fired, there was hardly peace in the peninsula. Even now, Otaes could imagine the sounds of Avonian dragons screeching as they burned through great swathes of forest, only to be matched by the Ostralander Jets ¨C whose distinct roaring engines were almost always followed by bombs and devastation. And then there was the gas. Pinkish-yellow clouds of death that melted the lungs of those who inhaled it. The green jungle painted a hazy Orange, as canisters of noxious smoke fell from the Avonian war machines. Suffocating the elves until their lungs turned into a meaty slurry. As stoic as she wished she was, she could never quite bring herself to forget the image of the dying and dead, slumped over the streets of Raritan, drowning in a pool of their own liquefied internal flesh. The Peninsula was torn asunder, a fire in the jungle. More a hellish inferno than a flame. It had only been two years since the ceasefire brought an end to the devastation, yet the war still lingered on¡­ Her ears twitched at the sound of gunfire echoing through the skies. Loud banging was coming from Canau. There had to be a battle going on somewhere over there. But between who? There was a beep from the monitor in Temetet¡¯s hands, ¡°Oh wait, it¡¯s got something.¡± ¡°Soldiers?¡± ¡°Yeah. Lots of them, they¡¯re just up ahead.¡± She could hear another sound coming from up ahead. Voices, and the sound of engines. There was a slight incline and then a road. She sprinted over, avoiding the trees and cutting her way through the bush until she had a clear view of the road. Soldiers. They carried their rifles on their backs as they marched on the road. Behind them were armored vehicles. Dragons flew across the open skies. Otaes had become well familiar with them in her years, her eyes narrowed as she watched their modified bodies glisten in the evening sun. ¡°Who are they?¡± Temetet whispered, ¡°Avonian? Riverlander?¡± ¡°Both. Riverlander conscripts, Avonian vehicles,¡± She took out her looking glass to survey the area closer. Noting the flag patches and the soldiers themselves. The soldiers were a patchwork of humans and elves. The River Republic¡¯s militia was always the worst equipped. Their soldiers wore basic uniforms with dingy helmets that reminded Otaes of a cooking pot. They were easy to tell apart from the far better equipped ¨C and trained ¨C Imperials. ¡°What are they doing out here?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll find out.¡± All of the soldiers and equipment were headed towards Canau. If there was a battle going on there, and both the Avonians and the Riverlanders were working together, then who were they fighting? Otaes felt something rumble in the ground. Where she stood, she could feel the ground literally shake. The familiar sinking feeling told her what it meant. An echoing roar accompanied it as it appeared into their view. It towered over the landscape. Nearly the height of the mountains nearby. Effortlessly, the four-legged contraption stepped over the jungle forest. It raised one leg up and then slammed it down with enough force to shake the very ground it walked on. Its engine filled the air with a droning whir that followed it wherever it travelled. And the searchlights on its face beamed down on the terrain below. ¡°Behemoth! Get down!¡± Otaes warned. Otaes and Temetet crouched down low, fearing being detected by the searchlights. She¡¯d remembered during the war when fleets of Behemoths terrorized her home. Almost unstoppable. Despite her best efforts, they always managed to get to her. Their size was titanic, their metal hulls impenetrable, and the lights on their face ¨C like eyes ¨C omnipresent. All seeing. All knowing. They were more fearsome than the soldiers themselves, even the dragons that circled the skies. The Behemoths were the embodiment of Avonian terror warfare. A show of might that could send even the sturdiest of warriors a deathly chill down their spines. Monstrosities of steel and iron that gave nightmares to the most experienced of battlefield veterans. The Avonians were masters of terror warfare, they based the crux of the army on it. If you can make the enemy run with their tails between their legs, you don¡¯t need to fight them. The Behemoths were the epitome of this line of thinking. Sent in with the rest of the army - if there was a Behemoth on the battlefield, then hell lurked around the corner. She held her breath as the duo watched it pass, even though it must¡¯ve been a half-mile away. It wouldn¡¯t have noticed the two of them. Unsuspecting. Yet it moved on. The two waited for some time until Temetet pulled out the monitor again, ¡°They¡¯re gone. We should be clear.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t pick up the behemoth,¡± Otaes said, ¡°Are you sure that thing works?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not programmed to find behemoths. You can just look and see them, they¡¯re massive!¡± Otaes remained unconvinced. She checked everywhere, certain that nobody was watching, ¡°Come on, stay close.¡± The duo sprinted across the dirt road into more jungle ahead. More walking and cutting through the thick forest, but eventually they came to a opening on the hillside. The gunfire here was louder, and the situation much clearer. Otaes nearly gasped at what she saw. The seaside city of Canau, one of the most important cities along the border of the Kiote Union and the River Republic, was on fire. Soldiers were fighting each other, buildings almost demolished. Magical attacks, explosions, gunfire, missiles¡­it was an intense battle between two equal forces. She took out her looking glass again to see clearer. ¡°Who are they fighting? Ostralanders?¡± Temetet asked ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. It doesn¡¯t look like them.¡± ¡°What do you mean? They¡¯re all human, right? Just like Ossies.¡± ¡°No, their uniforms and equipment are different.¡± ¡°Then who are they?¡± Otaes looked out to the forest. Further uphill along the coast was a new sight. A fenced off area with several alien-looking buildings. They looked reminiscent to tents, there was more of those human soldiers there. Nothing familiar clicked though. Though they resembled the Commonwealth¡¯s soldiers, they were too dissimilar. Like looking at something recognizable, but not identifiable. Otaes shook her head. ¡°I have no idea¡­¡±
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==

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==[FAREWIND''S FINAL FRONTIER]== On the continent of Farewind¡¯s westernmost extreme lies the Kiote Peninsula. A region covered by warm climates, thick jungle, staggering mountains, arid central plains, and a miniature world of nations vying for survival in Farewind¡¯s final frontier. The peninsula is primarily dominated by The Kiote Union, a loose confederation of kingdoms, tribal nations, republics, and cities that have united around their shared history, culture, and identities. From The Seville Kingdom which has embraced the industrial era and are rising to become the Kiote Unions¡¯ most powerful nation ahead of the Warriors. To the close cousins of the warrior elves, the tribal humans in The Canarsee Tribal Confederation, who live in isolation within the protection that the jungle provides, unwilling to give up their cultures and history to the forces of modernity ever encroaching. The Kiote Union is as diverse as it is expansive. Even beyond the established empires are roving bands of nomads who cross the jungles, countless independent tribes whose peoples are tied to the land, bandits who lurk in the wilderness, slavers whose ruthlessness terrorize undefended villages as they hide from Confederate authorities, traders opening up markets across the Peninsula spreading ideas and new technologies wherever they travel, and militias who fight to spread their ideals among a region caught in the past. The Peninsula is a region trapped in stasis. Although new technologies and modernity are crawling into the Kiote interior, the vibrant historical cultures of the Kiote people and the diversity of their nations thrive in this almost anarchic realm. A fantasy landscape, the final frontier of a continent in the midst of a globe consuming Cold War... Yet, the Kiote people must be vigilant. To the North is the Avonian Empire. A modern, absolutist, and imperialist superpower. An unstoppable Phoenix, one whose hungry eyes look south on what she considers to be a barbaric, uncivilized, and savage landscape. Though The Kiote Union is protected by their alliance to the cutting edge modern forces of The Commonwealth in the Belford Alliance, one wrong misstep will trigger an escalation of tensions, and a invasion by the forces of The Iron Phoenix. A Second Kiote War, one that will prove to be even more disastrous than the first¡¯s apocalyptic devastation...
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[STRATEGIC MAP OF THE KIOTE PENINSULA] >>>[THE KIOTE WAR] >>>[A WAR BETWEEN MASTERS FOUGHT BY PUPPETS] >>>[CONFLICT PHASE] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 3: Through the Looking Glass >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 3: Through The Looking Glass]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located >>> [SUBJECT HAS CROSSED TRANSDIMENSIONAL BARRIER. ATTEMPTS TO MAKE SUBJECT AWARE HAVE BEEN FAILURES. I WILL ATTEMPT AGAIN. SOON. WATCH THE SIGNS.] >>> [Subject unaware. Continue without interruption.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Sunlight. Eli¡¯s eyes squinted as they took in the bright rays of sunlight that streaked through the air. They emerged from the deep underground tunnels into the outside world. But the world was different around him and the rest of the prisoners. The cool breeze and crisp air of the Rocky Mountains had been replaced by a damp and swelteringly hot mugginess that reminded Eli of the tropics. If that wasn¡¯t enough, palm trees stood high above the prisoners, their leaves gently swaying in the torturously slow wind. Birds chirped in the environment, though they looked strange. Different colors, different shapes. Their feathers arrayed in patterns that Eli had never seen before. There was something amiss. He looked behind him at the massive steel door to which the machine remained. Streams of prisoners were still being led through from the inner catacombs of the base. Something about him felt hollow. He should¡¯ve been relieved that he hadn¡¯t disintegrated into nothing the moment he stepped into that¡­ thing. Yet, relief was far ¨C so very far ¨C from the smorgasbord of emotions he felt. For the tunnels had given way to what could at best be described as a forward base of operations. At worse, a plot of dirt with some tents and a fence. A few prefab buildings, tents, and a barbed wire fence surrounded the perimeter. Temporary structures sat oddly placed along the interior of the base. The fence ran along the sides in a square-like formation. Dirt paths had been cleared marking passageways in the grass between buildings. Scattered about were palm trees that stood either alone or in clusters. Escaping being chopped down by those who cleared the area. Beyond the fence was a forest. Jungle flora created another wall that surrounded the base in its entirety. On one side of the prisoners, were rolling mountains. Green tropical forests covered their slopes, often breaking to reveal the dirt and rock underneath it all. The mountains rolled across the southern side, with the base as a whole sitting right in the midst of them. To the north, the forest rolled downhill. If Eli stood at just the right angle, he could catch the faint glimpse of sunlight reflecting off cartoonishly blue water. A shoreline, miles downhill out of view for the most part. To the east and west, more land that sat in between the mountains and the coast. The base was caught somewhere in the middle. Eli¡¯s eyes wandered around. He was searching for any sign of deception. A source of light. A glitch in an electronic screen. A malfunction in one of the audio generators that were surely placed all around this facility. But something about it felt too real for it all to just be a computer generated room. Everything was too imperfect, in a way that computers had still failed to grasp. He searched his best, but an explanation evaded him. He didn¡¯t have even a clue as to where they were. Nothing about this place was familiar to Eli. Sure, he¡¯s been deployed to a few places in the jungle on some occasions by Overwatch, nothing about this place in particular seemed even remotely like a place he¡¯s been before. His brain tried to name places. Hot places. Florida? Too mountainous, besides, most of the Floridian panhandle had sunken underneath the waters of the Atlantic in the 2030s. Spain? Too tropical, and this place seemed oddly devoid of any familiar life that was sure to dot the Iberian countryside. Brazil? Argentina? Maybe. But only a few moments ago he was standing in what he was certain had to be the Rocky Mountains of North America. Overwatch didn¡¯t specify where in the world they had been sent to, but it had to have been the Rockies! In what universe was it possible for Eli to be standing in the cool winter breeze of the Rocky Mountains one second, blink, and in the next¡­ they were here? Was he asleep? Was this a dream? Eli looked around, watching the equally stunned faces of the prisoners in front and behind him. He imagined himself as each of them, just as confused, just as clueless. Misfit had followed him, tentatively. They too were awestruck. There was a crackle through the air. Speakers. A voice came over the air. Kovic¡¯s. All attention was turned to his voice, their only sense of guidance in this strange circumstance. ¡°Welcome to the Nexus!¡± Kovic¡¯s voice rang above their heads, ¡°I and the rest of Overwatch Central Command thought so highly of this location that we¡¯ve deemed it suitable to establish it as our headquarters. It¡¯s not much to look at now but as time passes, you¡¯ll come to see that it will grow. With your valuable contribution of course.¡± His voice blared over loudspeakers placed throughout the base. Omnipresent. Everywhere. Security units led the Phantoms out into the center of the base. Walking along past the main structures. A radio mast, central administration building, a motor pool, among a few. But most drearily were the rows of tents that lined the far side of the base. Rows and columns of hundreds of tents placed as preliminary housing. Judging by their drab quality, Eli knew that the tents were for the prisoners. ¡°However, you¡¯ll be pleased to know that provisions have been made with you in mind as well. In the month or so that our brave Regular forces have spent building this fortress, we¡¯ve made detailed plans on exactly what we want to do. Here we stand on the precipice of human ingenuity! Marvels of technology, eons of advancement and enlightenment, all leading up to now! While I¡¯m not allowed to tell you all the details ¨C yet ¨C I am pleased to say that we are all embarking on a journey unmatched in the historical sense. Here, off of this virgin soil, we strive to build our utopia.¡± The Prisoners paid no attention to Kovic¡¯s words. Their world had suddenly shifted. A rug pulled out from underneath their feet. Eli resisted the urge to dwell on the matter. There must¡¯ve been a reasonable explanation. There must¡¯ve been a trick. A deception. Smoke in mirrors. There was no way that any of this was real. He was dreaming. He must¡¯ve been. ¡°There¡¯s no way¡­ there just isn¡¯t any way,¡± Dutch whispered as he took in the surroundings, ¡°Eli?¡± Dutch calling for Eli now of all times was particularly startling. What could''ve possibly given Dutch the impression that Eli knew what was going on, or was even remotely aware of it? Then Eli remembered, he was supposed to be the squad leader. ¡°I-I don¡¯t know,¡± Eli told him. ¡°I was afraid you were gonna say that.¡± Eli could hear both the fearful and excited buzz arise from the crowd of prisoners. There was hardly a difference. Judging by their voices, he could tell they felt much the same way he had. Confused. Scattered. Lost. Some sounded bewildered, finding their new change in situation fascinating. Others were terrified, and their dread easily crept into their voices. But most pungent was the atmosphere of complete and utter confusion. What could Eli say hat hasn¡¯t already been told to them? What more could any of them do when nothing was made known? All anyone knew was that in one moment, they were somewhere in the mountains of North America. The next, the jungles of¡­ Wherever they were. There was something wrong. Something sinister. Something secret. He almost didn¡¯t notice how Kovic¡¯s pre-recorded message abruptly cut, leaving an awkward chord of silence in the chorus of confused chatter. They spilled out into a central court, somewhere amid the Nexus¡¯ center. Eli could almost feel the hot asphalt through the soles of his boots. The muggy air made his skin sweat and blister. He could almost smell the fear in the air. He caught the movement of regulars up front. An platoon by the looks of it. They walked uniformly, with their guns clenched as they surrounded a squad of officers. In the center, a thin pale man with a megaphone carried a clipboard in his hand. He wore wide dark aviators over his eyes, his face was wrinkled with the age of a man somewhere in his late fifties. His hair was short, mostly gray. His body was covered in a solid brown uniform of the Officer Corps. The same uniform Eli remembered his own officers wearing from his time in the Army. To his side was Captain Juma who stood in a line with what Eli presumed to be other Generals, Captains, Lieutenants and officers. The brunt of Overwatch Command. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The commander of each branch stood next to the man. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but just underneath the flag of the Coalition on Captain Juma¡¯s shoulder, was a delta. She must¡¯ve been the primary commander of all Penal Units then. Or¡­ it could also be a symbol that she herself was a phantom too. But the man in dark aviators ¨C the leader of the pack - had no symbol like that on his shoulders. Instead, he had a patch with a compass rose and an eye smack in the center of it. The symbol of Overwatch Command. He looked around at the prisoners almost dissatisfied. Perhaps upset that he didn¡¯t command their full attention. Or even worse, that he was looking over a battalion of sweaty, confused, and likely pissed off, prisoners. Whatever the reason, the man raised the megaphone over his head. From the megaphone came a piercing siren that ceased all chatter and forced their attention onto him ¨C and himself alone. When the prisoners were silent, captivated by the wail, he raised it up to his lips. Slowly taking off his aviators. His blue eyes were deep set within his face. Yet they were tired eyes. ¡°Now that I have your attention, I can formally introduce myself! I am Major-General Jeremiah Matkovic. But you may call me, Major Kovic, as I¡¯m sure many of you already have,¡± The man introduced himself. It was him. The voice that Eli heard on the intercoms everywhere in the last base. Oddly enough, Kovic did not look like a general. At least not what Eli pictured a general ought to look like. Rarely did Eli meet any Coalition leaders who were higher rank than Captain, the superiors hated to mingle with the filth. Half the time, the prisoners didn¡¯t know who was telling them what to do beyond the rank of the Lieutenant or Captain directly in charge of their unit. Back in New Cairo, the only reliable source of information Eli had was from Captain Juma. He swore half of his squad then didn¡¯t even know who she was, only taking orders from their squad leader at the time. Officers above the rank of Captain were ¨C in Eli¡¯s mind ¨C gruff, cigar smoking, dictators who ordered everyone to go die while they sat tucked away in a nice office. Kovic was not that. If anything, the man could be described as meek and unimposing. With the sunglasses off, Eli could see that he looked more like a clerk than a major in the army. He had looks enough to run for president. Not necessarily a handsome man, but clean shaven and a settled look about him that screamed ¡®bureaucrat¡¯. A bureaucrat with authority ¨C the worst type ¨C but a bureaucrat, nonetheless. ¡°As far as you need to know, I am the highest-ranking officer in charge of this operation, and the overseer of the base. All orders will come from my office. All of your officers report to me. And if any of you have a grievance, you are free to write me a letter. I¡¯ll make an effort to read them, I swear,¡± Kovic gave a self satisfied smile that only confused Eli on to whether he was joking or not. If he was serious, Eli could think of a few things he¡¯d like to write to him about. Something bordering strongly worded and outright verbal assault, ¡°With that out of the way, I welcome you to our humble Nexus. This is where you¡¯ll be working through your remaining prison sentences, to build and contribute to what I am sure will become a thriving city on a hill. If you play your cards right, you may be given the opportunity to benefit from our endeavors. Do you understand?¡± There was silence from the prisoners, who were still too bewildered to really care or understand much of what Kovic was trying to tell them. He didn¡¯t like the silence. ¡°I said, do you understand?¡± One more time, with more force in his voice. ¡°Yes sir!¡± A majority of the prisoners reluctantly chanted back, but Eli ¨C and much of Misfit for that matter ¨C held their tongues. ¡°We¡¯ll work on that. By the time the Utopia Project goes into full swing, you¡¯ll all come to recognize and respect myself and my colleagues. Speaking of, to my side are my trusted officers. The leaders of your Penal Companies,¡± He pointed to each of them one by one, ¡°Captain Juma, Sergeant Bannon, Captain Wade, and Lieutenant Espinoza. They stand here next to my side as leaders who¡¯ll transform you all from mere prisoners and phantoms - into the builders of a new society. A better one.¡± He took a breath in, hesitating, ¡°For all of us.¡± There were hushed murmurs between the prisoners, questions and chatter. They were confused still. Yet, Kovic didn¡¯t spare them the time to ponder. There were other staff surrounding him wearing freshly pressed suits or military uniforms, yet Kovic didn¡¯t address them. Instead he held up his wrist, staring at his watch ¨C and for the first time his face showed a real, genuine, emotion. Worry. ¡°You all have orders sent to your monitors. I¡¯m aware that you may have questions but we¡¯re running on a tight schedule here. Details will be made clear after you complete your first task. Stay obedient¡­¡± he hesitated, ¡°Stay alive. That¡¯ll be all.¡± Kovic lowered the megaphone from his mouth, as he turned his back to the crowd. He might¡¯ve been done, but the prisoners were not. Their concerns grew louder. Their voices became combative. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± A prisoner screamed. Eyes turned to her, face almost pink. Flushed with anger, ¡°You won¡¯t explain anything to us! Drag us out here, and you just expect us to work for you?¡± ¡°They¡¯re trying to get us all killed!¡± Shouted another. It was like a bomb exploding. Single voices of anger blended into a choir of rage. There were shouts, prisoners cursed at the guards who flooded in to subdue the angry prisoners. Someone placed their hands on a guard, there was the sound of a taser going off, a body fell to the floor. A bullet cracked through the air. One gun shot. It silenced most. The next gunshot forced them to back away. The voices were silent. The absence of their shouts deafening. Only the echoes of the gunfire remained. Eli couldn¡¯t make out what happened. It all went by so quickly. And yet, there were several bodies on the floor. Bloodied, bruised, prisoners being detained by the guards with handcuffs. One did not move at all, blood pooling around their head as guards swarmed the body. The regulars surrounding the prisoners raised their guns at the crowd. They screamed orders, and immediately the prisoners obeyed. Eli raised his hands over his head, and got down on the floor ¨C bent on one knee. As did everyone else who didn¡¯t have a death wish. Those who resisted were delivered a final judgement, a bullet to the head. Eli counted the number of times the guns were fired. Two gunshots. Three. The guns fell silent. All fell silent. The only thing remaining being the memories of the gunfire and the screams of those who were shot, their echoes polluting the still and silent air. Four dead prisoners. Countless more injured. Fear governed the masses. He felt his limbs shake in agony. Unsure if he was next. Not willing to find out. He cared little for anyone around him, outside of himself. It was Eli¡¯s survival against all the others. Until he heard someone weeping. He turned slowly to see who, and he saw Omar. He was quivering as tears streamed down his face and dropped onto the hot asphalt. His face so young, so terrified. There was something familiar about it. Kovic looked back at the prisoners, his face grim. It was as if he expected it. He raised the loudspeaker to his lips slowly. Everybody was watching him, and not a single dared to resist him now, ¡°Let me remind you that you are still prisoners. You have a chance to redeem yourselves. This is an opportunity. Whether you want to participate or not, is up to you. Just let me know, and we¡¯ll arrange your¡­ departure.¡± Fear. It was the type Eli hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. Not since Korea¡­ his hands shook behind his head. His body threatened to collapse from the kneeling position. He felt beads of sweat trickle down his body. And yet, he wouldn¡¯t dare move. Not one muscle. Silence hung in the air as everyone listened to Kovic, ¡°With time, you¡¯ll come to see things my way, it¡¯ll be easier for you when you do. But whether you get to that point or not, is up to you. For now, you will all follow orders. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The prisoners all chanted out in unison, as if they¡¯d been brainwashed. Eli didn¡¯t hesitate. He''d give anything to survive. Even his mind. He felt sickened, like a coward. Accepting this obvious abuse of their own human dignity in order to survive. He trembled at the realization. Kovic smirked, ¡°Dismissed.¡± He turned his back on them for good. Nobody moved. Nobody spoke. The guns were still trained on them. The danger of death at the slightest hint of rebellion kept them frozen. Still. A marionette to which Kovic and the rest of Overwatch held the strings. They didn¡¯t dare move, not until a guard shouted at the top of his lungs. ¡°GET MOVING!¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep A-3...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==[NEW TECHNOLOGIES]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[NEW TECHNOLOGIES] >>>[BLUE MONDAY 1972] >>>[TRIAL AND ERROR]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 4: Soldier Boy >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 4: Soldier Boy] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located >>> [HOSTILE THREAT IMMINENT. SUBJECT WILL FACE HIS FIRST TEST. PIECES ARE FALLING INTO PLACE. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Work was brutal. There was no other way to put it. Eli¡¯s brown complexion took on a shade of burned red. He felt sunburn crawl its way across his body. The sleeves of his prisoner uniform were rolled as far as they could go, and yet the sweat still poured over him. The cheap plastic of the material wasn¡¯t helping at all, and in some moments, it felt like Eli was being steamed alive inside of his prisoner¡¯s uniform. In his hands was a shovel. Digging away at the red earth to create a trench. Overwatch insisted that the prisoners get to work building defenses across the base. Some prisoners labored away installing what Eli could identify as anti-air weapons and artillery. Some built machine gun nests and walls of sandbags across the defensive line outside of the base¡¯s perimeter. And others ¨C like Eli and Rafael ¨C dug trenches in the dirt. Rafael had taken his uniform off and tossed it to the side, his tawny body bare for all to see. Normally, taking your uniform off would be a violation of conduct. Enough of an excuse for the patrolling guards to single someone out and beat them until their ribs had cracked and the message got through. But it was oppressively hot. So hot even the regulars looked fatigued ¨C and they were the ones who got consistent water rations. They cared less, as they leaned their backs lazily against the other fence of the base, watching as prisoners tossed away their uniforms. Some prisoners even went so far as to strip down to their underwear and socks. If the temperatures rose any further, Eli might join them. As Eli dug the shovel into the almost clay-like soil, he could hear two metal plates clanging from underneath his uniform. Hating the way they scratched his already irritated skin; he grabbed the two dog tags and pulled them out to hang loose around his neck. Rafael noticed them as they glistened in the sunlight. ¡°You a soldier boy?¡± ¡°A what?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Military? You served?¡± Eli nodded, ¡°Yeah, US Army. Korea.¡± Rafael whistled, ¡°Korea,¡± He repeated the name, ¡°You were there when they nuked Seoul?¡± ¡°Adjacent. By then I already left.¡± ¡°You finished your contract?¡± ¡°Left as in deserted.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Of course, Rafael didn¡¯t know the full story. He wasn¡¯t there. Nobody alive was there. Except of course, Eli himself. He had deserted from the battlefield and that¡¯s why he was a prisoner. That much was mostly true. But not completely. Luckily, there was nobody left alive to recall exactly what had happened, and Eli wanted to keep it that way. The Coalition, as far as he knew, believed he had just deserted and so had everyone else around him. It was easier that way. He gave Rafael a leery smile, hoping that the Brazilian man hadn¡¯t taken notice of his sudden bout of self-contemplation, ¡°Thanks for the reminder.¡± ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no shame in that, Soldier Boy. You got tired of it, and you made a stand to defend yourself.¡± ¡°And yet, all I got was a role in the Penal Unit. So much for ¡®making a stand¡¯.¡± Rafael tutted, ¡°You know I was in the army too. Briefly though, before the government collapsed,¡± he rummaged into his pockets, pulling out what looked like a slip of paper. The image had faded briefly to time, damaged and cracked in some places. Yet he could make out a young man. His face riddled with acne, eyes straight, head covered by a green beret, dressed in a military uniform. A rifle was tucked into his arms. He lowered the picture, looking back at Rafael. He must¡¯ve been ten years younger in the photo, a far cry from the grown man standing in front of him, ¡°Handsome, eh?¡± ¡°Not bad,¡± Eli cracked a smile, handing the photo back. ¡°That was me before the civil war. I was there for less than a year before we got the news. At first, I thought I¡¯d stick with the Army but as the time passed, I realized they were doing more harm than good. A lot more harm. I saw homes being burned on suspicion of having a connection with the cartels and rebels. And then, I got the news that my friend had been killed by their hands.¡± ¡°Bombed?¡± Rafael shook his head, ¡°The Army thought his favela was a lair for the narcos. They rounded up everyone out of their homes, took the people they thought looked suspicious and tortured them.¡± Eli listened as Rafael¡¯s voice became husky. Recalling the events, ¡°My best friend since I was a child. I never saw his body but the news got to me by my aunt, and I swore to myself that I wouldn¡¯t do it anymore. I joined the rebels when the government shut down communications, became a runner that delivered messages by hand.¡± ¡°How¡¯d you end up here then?¡± Rafael¡¯s eyes glazed over. ¡°It had been going well. We targeted the police stations and federal armories for weapons. Sold them for cash, used what was left to protect and feed our families. There was nothing else you could do. It was either that, join the Army, or a gang. But in the morning, there was a raid. Somehow, they knew our hideouts, found each of us. Killed most of us. The survivors were handed over to the Coalition as prisoners.¡± ¡°The Coalition backed the army?¡± ¡°They were the ones who ratted us out. Gave the Army the intel that they used to capture us. The whole neighborhood was placed under army rule from what I could recall,¡± Rafael briefly looked away, his eyes averting from Eli¡¯s gaze, ¡°I never heard from them since.¡± ¡°And how long ago was this?¡± Rafael shrugged, ¡°I want to say¡­ five years? Every day I spend in the Penal Unit feels the same. I lost count.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± The two got back to digging into the red dirt. Their brief conversation was short enough that the guards who tried to seek shelter from the sun on their patrols hadn¡¯t noticed them stopping. Yet, Eli kept his eye on them. His mind was still fuddled from the environment. He couldn¡¯t come up with an explanation, not one that made sense, ¡°What do you think about this?¡± ¡°You mean Kovic?¡± ¡°I mean all of it. This place. Where do you think we are?¡± Rafael shrugged, ¡°Looks familiar, but not familiar enough. It¡¯s got that tropical feel, y¡¯know?¡± ¡°Like Brazil?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s all different from Brazil. Maybe it¡¯s Argentina. Dirt¡¯s a bit drier, like they¡¯ve got in the mountains. The ocean¡¯s downhill so it can¡¯t be Bolivia. It could be Spain or Portugal. Or we can be somewhere in Africa¡­ or the Pacific or¡­ really anywhere.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Eli sighed, realizing the futility of trying to pinpoint exactly where they were. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Whatever it is, I¡¯m sure it was a portal. Some kind of gate, y¡¯know.¡± ¡°You really think it¡¯s a portal?¡± ¡°What else could it be? We were in the mountains of North America one minute, and the next ¨C we¡¯re in the jungle. It has to be a portal! I just didn¡¯t think - well I never thought¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think it was possible. But there¡¯s no other explanation for it. It has to be some kind of superweapon that the Coalition¡¯s been keeping secret. In fact, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s exactly what The Utopia Project is. Only question now is, where on Earth are we?¡± Eli sighed, looking up at the environment around them. A lone palm tree stood a few feet away, its crown leaves swaying in the wind. Further behind it, the Nexus, and the rolling mountains. Clouds were rolling in. Grey and black. They looked angry. The wind was growing stronger than it had before. A storm was approaching. ¡°What about the kid? Omar?¡± Rafael gestured over to their left. Eli glanced over. The rest of Misfit shoveled dirt and built the trench a little while away from Eli and Rafael, just outside of talking range. There Omar was. Small and fragile, laboring away as the sweat covered his face and dirt stained his body. ¡°He¡¯s twenty-one, apparently,¡± Eli said to him. ¡°You believe that?¡± ¡°No," He shrugged, "What about him?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve got kids fighting for them now? Child soldiers?¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve done something bad.¡± ¡°Bad enough to get sent here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know because you don¡¯t want to find out. If they¡¯re bringing in child soldiers to fight for them, what does that say about us?¡± ¡°It says we¡¯re expendable.¡± ¡°Exactly. And aren¡¯t you tired of feeling expendable? Isn¡¯t your life worth living outside of the chains of this prison?¡± ¡°Rebels end up as dead men,¡± Eli told him, hoping to nip Rafael¡¯s revolutionary speak in the bud, ¡°Not free. Dead.¡± ¡°Would you rather be a slave?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t have to. I have six months left in my sentence and I¡¯m not going to give that up. I¡¯ve already told you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll never get out of this place. Not by being obedient. They¡¯ll keep you in here for as long as they can, and once you are no longer useful, they¡¯ll get rid of you. You know that, right? Soldier Boy?¡± Rafael leaned in closer, ¡°After almost every mission they swap us around. They reassign the squads. They make sure prisoners can¡¯t bond. If you can¡¯t form relationships with each other, then you can¡¯t effectively resist. You¡¯ll have nothing to fight for. It¡¯s all about killing that part in you. Drowning it.¡± ¡°Six months,¡± Eli repeated, ¡°I¡¯m not giving that up. Nothing you say can change that.¡± Rafael tutted, ¡°Nothing I say maybe. But you¡¯ll see. They won¡¯t let us out of here. Not free. Not unless we¡¯re in a body bag.¡± Eli gritted his teeth. He grabbed his shovel and plowed into the dirt to continue working ¨C ignoring Rafael¡¯s words. Or at the very least trying to. If it was freedom that Rafael wanted so badly, he was free to go ahead and take it for himself. He didn¡¯t need Eli, or any of Misfit for that matter, to do it. It was his grave and his grave alone. Yet even still, a pang of guilt ebbed its way through Eli¡¯s heart as he kept working. Again, those memories of Korea and the ones he left behind flooded back to him. If he abandoned Rafael, wouldn¡¯t that be akin to betrayal? Something so fundamentally despised between Phantoms that it was on the same level as murder¡­ He ignored his thoughts again, saying nothing, as he went back to work. They continued hacking away at the dirt in front of them. The trench grew deeper and wider, yet it seemed the list of things that needed to be done only grew. There was always more to do. A stuffy guard would eyeball their work, tell them that a new section of the trench needed to be reinforced with wooden planks, or that a machine gun nest had to be installed, or that they had done a terrible job and would have to keep digging. Or better yet, would have to undo all of their work and do it again to the exact specifications... again and again. Hours passed by, and yet the job was nowhere near finished. Eli again, let his shovel rest when a guard turned his back on the prisoners. He heaved, quietly, looking up to the skies¡­ The dark clouds were getting closer. The air was still. Not just from the lack of a breeze, but there was something about the air itself that was dreadful. Sending a chill down Eli¡¯s spine. He swiped at his forehead, wiping away a waterfall of sweat. He sighed, about to pick up the shovel once again to continue working, when he heard something. Thunder, but it wasn''t thunder. Faint, barely audible over the sounds of prisoners working and guards yelling. One could mistake the sound for a faint choir of drums in the distance. Thudding and rumbling. It sounded strangely mechanical. The noise was strange, but Eli chalked it up to some type of machinery the Coalition was using. Whatever it was, it was coming from downhill near the coast. So far, quite a while removed from any of their concern in The Nexus. He continued working. Trying to ignore it. But he swore that the noise was getting louder. After another grueling sprint of work, he noticed that it had become loud enough to drown out the sound of even mundane chatter. The prisoners stopped working to look up towards the skies. A flock of distressed birds flew up from the tree line and away from the noise. What Eli had previously assumed was just the normal sound of construction, had grown into something so distinct. Something he was unfortunately quite familiar with. Gunfire. Memories of Seoul and of New Cairo sprung forth into his mind, the sound of war grew nearer. Yet the guards did not seem impressed, ¡°Don¡¯t stop working! That has nothing to do with you! Get back to work!¡± Shouted one, standing over the trench with his gun held tight to his chest. Reluctantly the prisoners obeyed, Eli stole a glance at the chaos before turning his back fully. His eyes met Rafael¡¯s when he did so. Rafael only shrugged. But once more they were dragged back into the chaos when the ground itself shook with the fury of an explosion deep within the jungle. Everybody turned to look, breathless as they listened to the sounds of warfare draw nearer. No matter what the guards said, the prisoners did not listen. Suddenly, alarms throughout the Nexus began to blare. Sirens went off. A automated voice read out loud, ¡°ALL COMBAT UNITS AND PRISONERS, REPORT TO BATTLE STATIONS. RESPONSE CODE: DEFEND, EXECUTE, CONTAIN.¡± Everyone burst into excited movement. Guards ordered prisoners around, telling them to get their assigned equipment. Eli and Rafael looked to each other, and they moved over to the rest of Misfit. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Badger asked when they came close. ¡°Hell if I know, but it sounds like a warzone out there!¡± Rafael told her. ¡°We¡¯re fighting POA out here? Why didn¡¯t Overwatch tell us?¡± Dutch frantically asked, as he stole nervous glances over at the jungle. Eli picked up his pack of equipment and hauled it over his back, as did the rest of Misfit. His monitor buzzed on his arm with notifications and alerts. Reports of attacks on Coalition positions, pleas for assistance from the forward units, emergencies, orders, and assignments, all flooded in as he watched his monitor glow. He did a headcount of the squad in his mind. Dutch, Cato, Omar, Rafael, Badger, himself and¡­ He raised an eyebrow in confusion. There was supposed to be seven of them. They were missing one. ¡°Matteo,¡± Eli said, ¡°Where did Matteo go? The Italian dude?¡± Shrugs, murmurs of possibilities, ¡°I think I saw him somewhere with the regulars,¡± Badger suggested, "Something about his medic work, but I''m not sure." ¡°Damn it,¡± Eli muttered as he strapped his bag over himself. Just as Misfit grabbed their bags, all the notifications fell silent. The messages from Overwatch ceased, the reports stopped. His monitor lost signal. He saw the rest of the prisoners, even the guards, staring at each other ¨C confused. All the monitors had lost their signals. ¡°They¡¯re jamming our communications!¡± A guard shouted, ¡°I can¡¯t get shit through!¡± said another. A rumble from the forest interrupted them. Everyone froze in their tracks. Something major was coming. Eli¡¯s eyes searched the skies for anything, expecting a jet or a aircraft of some sort. From behind the tree line, a massive dark figure pierced through the skies. Eli¡¯s initial reaction was that of fear, but it quickly morphed into confusion. It wasn¡¯t a jet. Nor a aircraft. Its construction was almost organic, but still mechanical. It carried hard sharp angular features. Horns, scales¡­ claws and eyes. His eyes widened when he realized what he was looking at. It wasn''t an aircraft at all... It was a¡­ ¡°Dragon¡­¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading CT_NEXUSCOMPILE...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==[TO CONTROL A UTOPIA]== ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 5: Finis Mundi >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 5: Finis Mundi] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located >>> No further updates to the situation for now. >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Eli wasn¡¯t sure if he heard Omar¡¯s stunned whisper right the first time. The boy was staring at it, eyes wide. Completely entranced by what he saw. When Eli realized what Omar had said, he still refused to believe it. Obviously, it wasn¡¯t. It couldn¡¯t be. Impossible. Straight up unthinkable. But his eyes agreed with Omar, even if his brain refused to. He tried blinking, hoping that by clearing his eyes the picture would somehow morph into something else. But it did nothing. If anything the image of a dragon became clearer. And what was worse, there were more. Flying over the tree line, there were two, and then three, four, five, and another. Six dragons, mystical beasts from a land far ¨C far away, were flying straight towards them. The Regulars opened fire immediately. Bullets darted into the skies, hurtling themselves towards the scaly beasts. And yet, the small arms fire seemed pointless. Nothing hit. Or rather, the dragons seemed invincible to the bullets. The flying beasts advanced, uncaring of the regulars¡¯ efforts to slow them. The prisoners who were without their weapons inched closer to running, he could feel them instinctively flinch backwards. At once he was part of a frightened crowd of onlookers, less of an individual on his own rather a collective mass of the helpless whose only choice was to stand and watch. Or run. But they still feared the bullets of the regulars too much to break rank. The choice was made clear when the first dragon opened its maw. A magma filled hole brewed deep within the throat of the dragon. Eli felt a cold shiver wash up his spine when one of the prisoners screamed. The first prisoner took off, climbing out of the trench, breaking rank. He was swarmed by guards who tried to keep him in place, but it was too late. One-by-one, like a giant domino, the prisoners ran. They shoved their way out of the trench to the haven they believed the Nexus would be. The guards could not stop them all. From the mouth of the dragon cascaded a burst of fire and flame that torched all within. Like a blast of napalm. Prisoners were set ablaze, their screams echoing through a sky filled with the wails of the Nexus¡¯ alarms and the shouts of the terrified. All ignited within the burst of dragon¡¯s breath, palm trees¡¯ leafy ferns charred ¨C creating thick black smoke that choked those down below. The dirt around them turned into brimstone, heat surrounded them. Eli found himself lost in a quagmire of fleeing prisoners, desperate, terrified, and directionless. He found himself being shoved around as he tried to keep with the crowd. Elbows and hands went flying, he saw people tripping over only to be trampled by those behind them. Eli could feel his own feet slipping, fighting to stay on his feet. But he was being tossed around like a boat caught in the middle of a storm. Waves of prisoners in front of him and behind him, pushed and shoved and kicked and¡­ He fell. Forward onto the ground, sinking. The screams of the burning behind him, the panicked flight of the crowd around him, and gunfire. He turned onto his back, only to have the boot of a frightened prisoner collide with his nose. The hit was enough to stun him, the pain hardly registered and was more like a dull fog that forced his eyes shut, reminding Eli of his basic survival instincts. He pulled his arms up protecting his head, and he curled into a ball, rolling over with his face to the red dirt. He felt several boots trample over him, kicking him with enough energy to leave what he felt were bruises all over his back. Like a thunderbolt striking the ground, the earth shook when a artillery shell collided with the surface. Eli looked up when the crowds eased, and he saw that the dragons had pulled back, with some even being shot down over the Nexus by the base defenses which finally were put online by the rushing guards. The dragons which were shot down crashed into the hillside in a massive plume of dislodged dirt that covered the fleeing prisoners. But there was of course the artillery barrage. Shells rained from the skies, keeping the prisoners ¨C and even regulars huddled in their trenches. Eli again kept his head low and tucked in out of fear of being hit either by the shell or its shrapnel. He saw dozens fall in the dirt when they were hit. The lizard part of his mind instructed him to not meet a similar end, though all the other parts of his body were already failing him. The artillery struck the ground in concentrated points along the trench line, suggesting that the attack ¨C if nothing else ¨C was premeditated and carefully planned by the POA or whomever it was they were fighting. Each shell designed to keep the Coalition suppressed, pinned in one spot, and unable to fight back. And then. Silence. The artillery stopped falling from the skies, the earth stopped shaking. A break in the rumbling and the gunfire. A break in the destruction. Eli looked up, taking a survey of the world around him. The sunlight had morphed into overcast as the stormy clouds overtook them. Dark clouds filled the skies. Thunder rumbled somewhere in the distance, faint, nearly tranquil. The storm had arrived. There was a hiss, like the sound of a broken pipe or a distressed snake. And from the buried shells of artillery ¨C red clouds of smoke rose. Streams of strawberry red smoke enveloped the prisoners. Spreading across, hanging close to the ground. He knew what it was, the tunnels of Korea, his bootcamp training, all of it came to the front of his mind. Eli¡¯s hands instinctively moved for his pack right before a whistle was blown. ¡°GAS! MASKS ON! MASKS ON!¡± A regular screamed. Frantic movement filled the prisoners as they tried to unhook the plastic masks from their packs. Eli¡¯s fingers clasped onto the cool black plastic, practically tearing it off of its hook, before he wrapped the elastic band around his face. He could feel a faint trace of the gas make its way into his nose. An acidic smell stung his nose, reeking of chemicals like bleach or ammonia. Even the tiny amount of gas that found its way into his nose was enough to absolutely floor him. The gas irritated the flesh inside, setting his nose and the back of his throat on fire. Before he knew it, he had keeled over in a coughing fit as the gas stung his throat. Even with the tiny hint of gas he inhaled, it was comparable to barbed wire being sunk down his throat and jostled about. He pressed on a button to clear the mask of whatever leftover gas was trapped inside, before taking a look around. His eyes and throat burned, he felt light headed. His heart pounded somewhere in his brain. Dazed, he stood from his trench. Alive, but narrowly so. Through the fogged lenses of his mask, the red mist had grown and encircled everything. The previously green forest had become a smokey red. The air, a strange tangerine. Eli heard someone coughing nearby. When he looked down the trench, he could see a face struggling to locate his mask. He pawed at his bag, with a spare arm wrapped around his nose to prevent himself from beathing in the air, but the damage was already being done. There was thick saliva trickling from his mouth, his eyes watered, hands shook terribly forcing him to fumble the mask. He looked more akin to a rabid dog than a human. Surrounded by the toxic orange, almost helpless¡­ Eli¡¯s heart sunk when he recognized the young face. It was Omar. He saw the boy squirm, flailing uncontrollably as he fumbled the mask. There was a feeling within Eli, something stronger than pity and more personal than sorrow. In that moment, he was taken back to Korea. In the subway tunnels underneath Seoul, paralyzed by fear. He was taken to the moment when the hurricanes stole his home, family, and childhood. He was taken back to the helpless moments of his life, when the rug was pulled out from underneath him, when there was nobody to save him. Looking at Omar was akin to looking at a mirror. And so, through the red toxic smoke, though death surrounded him, Eli found himself running towards Omar almost by instinct. He grabbed his pack, undid the mask from its hook, forced it onto his face, and cleared it of the toxic fumes. With a quick movement, the straps were secured over the boy¡¯s head. As soon as Eli let go, Omar fell to the ground. He was coughing hard, Eli watched as his back shook violently. For a moment, he feared that Omar would knock the mask loose. But, slowly, Omar calmed. He rolled over on his back, obviously exhausted. Eli could see through the fogged lenses of his mask, that his eyes were weary. Omar tried to say something to Eli, but the gas mask muffled his voice beyond comprehension, and even if he could hear through the hard plastic ¨C there was no way Omar¡¯s throat was fine enough to speak. Yet, he understood and a silent gesture of gratitude was briefly shared between the two. After a moment, Eli gestured for Omar to follow. They had to find the rest of Misfit, and he didn¡¯t have the slightest clue as to where they went. The guns around them had picked up once again, firing through the orange gas into the skies above to ward off dragons who were preparing for yet another blazing run. Some parts of the trench that were on fire continued to burn, releasing black smoke which mixed with the gas to create a deadly opaque cloud. Blocking vision for all that marched through. Eli picked the direction where he was last with Misfit, and with Omar slowly following him, they both made their way up the trench line. Masked prisoners and regulars alike swarmed and had returned to their positions within the trench. But the dead had begun to pool around them. Lifeless bodies, charred by the flames of the dragons or choked by the noxious fumes had been littered not just within the trench but also on the grounds surrounding it. Eli only stared at their limp bodies. Mostly prisoners and phantoms. Mostly. Dead regulars were few, though noticeable. Eli saw a prisoner who was sitting upright on the trench floor. His back was pressed against the dirt wall. His face was chalky and pale. His eyes bloodshot and staring at the ground. Pink foam oozed from his mouth, with trails of blood steadily dripping. Eli¡¯s eye twitched at the sight. Morbid. The prisoner was still alive, though hardly. Muscles spasms and jerks of motion from his eyes being the only clue to his status. And then it all ended, his body giving one final spasm of defiance, before falling still ¨C eyes glazing over and clouding with red blood, mouth covered in the pink foam. He looked back to Omar to see if he had seen it yet, and once he was sure he hadn¡¯t, tried to block the sight. Just as they rounded a corner, a masked regular marched up to them. His mask had a transmitter buried inside, and they heard his voice clearly, ¡°You two! Get sorted over at Captain Juma¡¯s position immediately! Go!¡± His digitized voice commanded. Eli and Omar wordlessly complied, following his instructions. Up ahead was a collection of Phantoms and Regulars alike who worked to defend the Nexus. Prisoners were being handed weapons and equipment, while the regulars frantically manned the defenses and barked orders. Everyone complied. Everyone feared for their lives. In that moment, they were all in the pocket of the Coalition¡¯s whim. Until they heard a deep wail that rumbled from the forest. A deep siren, a cry, like a foghorn. The noise was painfully loud, and it blared over the skies with a thunderous boom that threatened to deafen them all. A deep churn like metal scraping against metal. A deep and mechanical roar. The roar pierced through the air for about ten seconds and then it faded back into silence. Eli stopped right in his tracks, turning to see where the noise had come from, his heart thudded in his chest threatening to burst if its drum-like pace didn¡¯t slow. It came from the jungle somewhere just behind the tree line. The phantoms manning the guns stopped firing. Everyone looked towards the jungle with both fear and anticipation. All fell silent. The roar boomed through the skies again. This time it was even louder. Whatever it was that made the sound, it had gotten closer. It boomed again for about ten seconds before it fell silent. Nervous chatter filled the hanging air after the roar died down. But a new sound joined the fray. Thudding. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. One. Two. Three. Four. It sounded like an column of drummers in a band marching towards them. The jungle shook with every step. Eli''s blood felt icy in his veins. The roar boomed once more. Just through the shadows Eli spotted something moving downhill. And then, it erupted from the tree cover. Eli could only stare. Like a gangrenous rot, terror seeped into his veins, freezing him where he stood. His eyes were locked in a impossible break, as everything he knew about the world shattered and vanished. Like sand being blown in the wind. He was locked in a stare. On a metal giant were three massive ruby-red eyes. And they were staring right back...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep B-4...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE COLD WAR]==
==[MAP OF FAREWIND, 1239]== The continent of Farewind is a vast and - frankly - quite troubled region. Centuries have showcased the rise and fall of empires, vast and mighty. From the magical dominance of the Elven colleges in Valdacia and Avonia, to the Avian Empires in Oran, and to the strength of the Bizonian Tsars - at least before the Tsardom fell into anarchy and warlord infighting. It is a region defined by conflict, revolution, and chaos. But this new era threatens to challenge everything that came before... To the west stands the two predominant superpowers of Narva. The Ostraland United Commonwealth and The Greater Avonian Empire. Both of these nations are two of the most advanced superpowers on Planet Narva and are bitter rivals. The Ostralands are a nation born out of the fires of anti-monarchy and anti-absolutist revolution well over a century ago. Radicalism has become the defining ideology of the Commonwealth, a hybrid of democratic rule, anti-monarchy sentiment, and the fanatic devotion to exporting democracy across the globe. The primarily human nation of the Ostralands lacks the magical stores of ekron found naturally scattered across Farewind and North Gelandia, and as such the Commonwealth relies far more heavily on technological means. Pioneering the industrial revolution and being the first to develop - and use - a glitterbomb weapon during the darkest days of The Sacred War. Across the channel lies The Avonian Empire. Another modern nation, but one that stands as the Commonwealth''s polar opposite. It is an absolutist, elven, superpower. A nation that relies just as much on its hybrid magitech armies as it does its bloated and inefficient slave economy. After The Sacred War, a parliament was established to rule in tandem with The Emperor (And ultimately the late General Bonneville), yet the Emperor maintains supreme control over not only the Empire''s politics, but its destiny as a whole. Aggressive, the Iron Phoenix of the continent has reigned supreme across Farewind with her cruel talons subjugating, enslaving, or annihilating the populations to her whim. It is of the best interests in the RDI to ensure that the Iron Phoenix''s tyrannical reign is challenged, anywhere and everywhere. [MAY THE REVOLUTION ALWAYS BE IN SAFE HANDS]
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: Rainbow Gas Type: Chemical Munitions Country of Origin: The Ostraland Commonwealth, The Greater Avonian Empire, The Heavenly Dragon Empire Information: Chemical Munitions have been used since the Trench War of 1200, but ¡°Rainbow Gas¡± is a newer - deadlier - rendition of chemical warfare possible thanks to magitech powers. The Rainbows get their name due to the codenames assigned to the different compounds, each with their own purpose, effect, and potency. Fielded by armies across both the Belford Alliance, and the Continental Pact, The Rainbow Gasses have become a highlight of modern ¡°Cruel Warfare¡±. Killing thousands in moments, and leaving scars that can last - potentially - for generations. Chemical RED - also known as ¡°Strawberry Gas¡± is a Neurotoxin used primarily by the Empire. It has a distinct red-orange smoke that it creates whenever deployed, thus giving it both its codename and its nickname. Inhaling it creates a similar effect to inhaling chlorine gas, destroying mucous membranes along the nasal cavity, throat, and lungs causing them to bleed. Once the chemical compound of RED cross the bloodstream, it will destroy organic tissue, resulting in grotesque inflammation, major organ rupturing, tissue decay, seizures, and ultimately - death, all after one full inhalation. Chemical VIOLET - Is a airborne blood agent utilized primarily by the Empire. It robs the body of its ability to utilize blood after being absorbed into the bloodstream, slowly shutting down organs and vital tissues through internal suffocation. What makes this poison deadly is the fact that it can manifest in the water cycle, raining back down in nearby areas as a sticky, white, and highly toxic ¡°powder¡± that can infect and kill massive swathes of local civilian populations. Nicknamed ¡°Hell Snow¡± for its appearance and potential for harm. Chemical BLUE - is a Nerve Agent developed by the Commonwealth. Colorless, but with a distinct metallic odor. Exposure to BLUE typically leads to muscle paralysis in effected soldiers which - after only a few seconds of inhalation - can render a soldier unable to breath and cause their heart to stop beating if they are not moved to ventilation in time. Chemical YELLOW - is a herbicidal agent, used by both the Commonwealth and The Empire. It destroys plant matter, destroying potential cover for hostile troops, destroys crops that can starve populations, and can leak into water sources proving lethal if ingested. But the most terrifying aspect of YELLOW is the generational damage it causes, leaving infants mutilated from the womb, and destroying miles of land in just a single spray. Chemical GREEN- is a biological compound derived from a engineered version of the Keter-rod bacterium. Deployed in a green smoke cloud to confirm proper insertion, GREEN can infect a host body immediately and will begin to wreck chaos on the body. Attacking the lymph nodes in humans and the magical nodes in elves, large, burning, pus-filled sores will grow on the host body in all regions. Extremely high-fevers, muscle spasms, seizures, vomiting, and the closing of vital airways to GREEN bacterium will always result in a long and excruciating death. Due not only to the cruelty of the weapon - but most importantly, the volatility and easily transmitted nature - GREEN has been banned by both the Commonwealth and Empire, though the Heavenly Dragon Empire still maintains a significant arsenal of the weapons. During the Kiote War, exclusion zones were established after it was confirmed that the River Republic had authorized the use of GREEN against both Warrior Elf and Sevillan populations. Several villages and territories remain vacant to this day after the deaths of thousands to the hands of the chemical compound, and to prevent a mass outbreak of the virus, many of the victims were forced into quarantine until their deaths allowed the virus to purge itself for good... PICTURED: Aircraft Belonging To The Commonwealth Airforce Spraying Chemical Yellow Over Kiote Territory To Eradicate Riverlander Plant Cover During The Kiote War
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 6: Megalophobia >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 6: Megalophobia] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing Playback From Previous Save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
A beast of steel emerged from the jungle. Its mass held up by four long and spindly legs, piercing the ground like knives stabbing into cloth. Each time it took a step forward, it sluggishly lifted one of the legs and slammed it back into the ground, shaking the earth for what could¡¯ve been miles around. From the head of the metal quadruped, several parts emerged from its surface. Guns, engine bits, gears, pipes. Three massive spotlights sat on its face ¨C like eyes of titanic proportions ¨C and it stared down at the Phantoms on the line ¨C blinding them with bright light. The machine stood at what must¡¯ve been sixty feet above the ground. And even with that measure, Eli felt that its size was uncountable. Fully insurmountable. Imposing in every way. The legs of the machine were made of plated steel, connected to joints that allowed for locomotion. Each of the four legs ended with sharp metal claws that stabbed and grabbed the ground like the talons of a hawk. Each time it lifted a leg, a tree would be knocked down. Uprooted as if they were playthings for a baby¡¯s hands. Three red spotlights on the face shone down on the Coalition lines. Three false suns. Casting enough light to illuminate the shadows within their minds. The threatening roar of the foghorn inside of the machine shook their bones. With ease it clambered over the obstacles in its path. Dense jungle, the slope of the hill, the rough dirt terrain, all of it made insignificant by the sheer size of the beast. Nobody moved. All eyes had become enraptured by the significance of the titan. An unstoppable force that one could not pull away from. Eli wasn¡¯t sure of what his first instinct was. To run? Surely he could not outrun it. To hide? Those three red eyes saw all. It was otherworldly, like the dragons. Not possible. How could he react, when all options seemed alien in comparison? "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? SHOOT THE GODDAMN THING!" A voice screamed out. Eli saw that it was Captain Juma yelling through the gas masks¡¯ transponder. She pointed a finger at the machine which marched closer with every passing second. A scared Phantom obeyed her command, and with a shaky grip on their gun, opened fire at the giant. Other gunners joined in, opening a barrage of bullets. Tracers in the rounds illuminated the bullets as they flew across the skies. But they did nothing. In fact, if Eli squinted hard enough, he could see that they didn''t even reach the surface. There was something blocking them. The bullets weren''t strong enough. A blast sounded from behind them. A powerful gun in the Nexus fired a round capable of penetrating even through the toughest of armor. It pierced through the sky, tracing its way through the air like lightning through dark clouds. And when it just nearly about to hit the machine, it suddenly changed course. Deflected straight away. A red glow emerged, illuminating a portion of the mechanical beast right where the shell hit. But slowly the glow faded away. It didn¡¯t make any sense. How could a shell so powerful be stopped so effortlessly? It was like rain bouncing off the exterior of a umbrella. And then it struck him. "A shield," Eli whispered. Confused phantoms whispered to each other, coming to the same conclusion. A shield? What kind of vehicle was this? When did the POA get access to this sort of technology? And was there any way at all to pierce through it? One of the machine gunners continued to open fire on the quadruped, trying his best to slow down the walker by any and all means necessary. One of the contraptions on the surface of the machine twisted around, contorting itself like a arm aiming right at the gunner. It was over it in the blink of an eye. A blue pulse of light whipped through the air at speeds faster than any human eye could keep track of, barreling right into his chest.. The Phantoms watched in pure horror for only a moment. In that second, they shattered. Broken. They yelled, screaming, terrified. Fleeing backwards to whatever safe shelter they could find that would protect them from this seemingly invincible titan. The other guns and turrets on the giant opened fire on the Coalition lines, explosive rounds made impact with the ground and erupted into a ball of flames blew anyone in its path to pieces. Bullets were unleashed on the phantoms. Another threatening roar emerged from the monster, the foghorn blaring its battle cry across the skies. Waves of prisoners rushed to flee. Eli watched as helpless prisoners were vaporized, a ray of red light cracking across the orange sky ¨C making contact with flesh, disassembling them at the molecular level until flesh and uniform was no more. The only traces of the prisoner being whatever equipment they carried, and a memory of what was once there. Their screaming had floored Eli. Forcing him to stand still in the waves of prisoners rushing past him. His eyes trembled as he gazed up towards the giant, whose red eyes bathed him in their ruby light. The hairs on his limbs stood on end. Every breath he took failed to fill his desperate lungs. The air in his mask warmed with moist air. He was suffocating and burning inside. His mind begged him to rip of the mask for air. But he couldn¡¯t. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Lost in the red eyes, the world around him swirled. Spinning shapes and objects surrounded him. Sounds blending into each other to become nothing more than noise in the background. But the titan stood still. It was the only thing that mattered. It was a type of fear that Eli had only felt twice in his life. A feeling of being totally overmatched. Like staring death in the eyes while he lay on his dying bed. Only a few short breaths away from being made into a memory. There was nothing he could do. Complete and absolute terror had dominated his mind and body, and the worst part was the helplessness of it all. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, he could do to even hope to beat the giant. He managed to spot Omar. The teenager was on the floor, his back to the walls of the trench. Although Eli couldn¡¯t see his face through the mask, he knew that the boy was also staring at the machine. Horrified. His hands were shaking with terror, and he had been paralyzed just as Eli was. He was unable to escape on his own. Seeing Omar look like that, just a teenager ¨C even if he refused to admit it ¨C scared and helpless. It triggered something in the parts of Eli¡¯s mind he¡¯d wanted to forget. Back when he too was little more than a kid, ripped from his home, and thrust into a dangerous unknown. It was like looking into a mirror, and seeing how helpless he was in the face of the world ending struck something within. He bolted into action as if he were being possessed to move forward. Reaching Omar, he placed his hands over the boy. He took his arm and grabbed his body to pull. The boy was lighter than he expected, but it didn''t matter. He picked up Omar and carried him further back, "AARGH! AAARGH! NO!" Omar screamed in delusion, "NO! I DON''T WANT TO BE HERE! I WANT TO GO HOME! PLEASE! I WANT TO GO HOME!" The chords in Omar''s throat strained, he was practically frothing at the mouth in terror. But it only kept Eli going even further to drag him back. He saw as the guns within the Nexus opened fire. A barrage of rockets and tank shells were unleashed onto the titan. Most of the fire was blocked of course by the shield, but several of them made their way not towards the head ¨C but the legs. But even then, the ones that managed to hit the legs of the beast had collided with what looked like armor plating, exploding only to cause minimal damage. Except for one. A rocket pierced through the skies like a falling star and collided with the upper left leg of the machine. The following explosion rocked the titan, creating a cloud of black smoke first. Red flames spewed from an open wound in the leg, revealing molten steel and charred parts. Yet, the leg remained intact. They needed more firepower. Eli dragged Omar further back into the trench line as the machine gained ground on them. Sweat poured down his forehead, stinging his eyes and blinding him somewhat. Phantoms in their terrified retreat ran past both he and Omar to a safer position. Eli turned to look back, and his heart sunk when he saw the machine practically towering right over them. The injured leg was still intact though smoking and on fire. But it hadn''t been slowed down. The guns on the machine tore apart Phantoms in the trenches and killed those who weren''t behind cover. Their screams and pleads for help going silent when they too were vaporized into thin air by the death ray. Eli was terrified himself, but he put all of his effort into trying to get Omar out. Something urged him to ensure Omar''s safety, and the kid''s screams of terror only motivated Eli in his goal to get him to safe shelter. The machine took one step after another, each foot shook the ground and alerted Eli to the fact that it was only closing the distance. Eventually, the spotlights would find the duo. And then what? He had to get Omar someplace safe. Somewhere hidden. His eyes zeroed in on a wooden plank that acted at as a makeshift bridge over the trench. If Omar was hidden from the machines, he would be safe enough. Dragging him back to base was out of the option, so for now stowing him away in the barely protected area was his best option. He mustered the strength to move even faster than before, but Omar''s flailing limbs made the task difficult. But slowly he managed to turn the corner and get him under the bridge. "Omar! Omar! You have to be quiet, Omar!" Eli told him, forcing him into the dirt wall in a vain attempt to get the teenager to calm down. Omar, however, was hysterical. Screaming and kicking Eli. The monster marched closer. Eli didn''t know how they found targets, but Omar''s screaming would be a dead giveaway of their hidden position. "THEY''RE GONNA KILL US! I WANNA GO HOME! NO!" Omar tried to push Eli away with a hand pressed against Eli''s mask. Threatening to loosen the seal which acted as a barrier between his living or death. Omar¡¯s eyes were wild and he was trembling like a cornered animal. "Omar! Please! Please, Shut up! Come on!" Eli begged him, but the kid either could not hear him, or outright refused. Frustrated, Eli stood back up trying to gain sight of the machine. He hardly needed to search. He stopped when his eyes saw it. He felt ice run through his veins. Speechless. It towered right in front of them. The size of the monster alone gave Eli vertigo looking up at it. Seeing it made him feel like an ant looking up at a skyscraper. Miniscule. Pathetically helpless. The guns of the machine continued to open fire, decimating the Coalition¡¯s lines. His heart skipped a beat when one of the guns stopped firing. The spotlights that served as the eyes of the monster rotated. The gun turned, looking for a new target. Eli felt a sense of relief wash over him. The main gun on the machine stopped, giving him a window to deal with Omar. But the relief vanished when the red eyes ¨C and soon the gun ¨C pointed directly at him.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 7: C A N A U C R I S I S >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 7: C A N A U C R I S I S ] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Current Directive Updated... >>> [CONTROLLED CHAOS. THREADS UNRAVEL GRADUALLY. ARE YOU LISTENING? CAN YOU HEAR ME?] >>>Standby... >>>... >>>[SUBJECT UNRESPONSIVE. MONITOR FURTHER. EYES BEHIND THEIR OWN SEE. I ORCHESTRATE. PIECES FALL INTO PLACE.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed... ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Otaes and Temetet made the return flight back home with haste. Powerful wings from Archer pushed them through the skies, across the Kiote border, and back into their home territory. The ongoing battle between the Avonians and the strangers was to their backs, their homes ahead. It was a short flight over the dense jungle, wetlands, and sunbaked hills of the Kiote Peninsula. And although Otaes knew it was unlikely that they would get intercepted by the Avonian air defense ¨C if even impossible ¨C she pushed Archer to fly close to the ground. Close enough that his talons were only mere inches away from the crowns of trees below. And yet, she felt as if she wasn¡¯t being cautious enough. Avonian radar usually couldn¡¯t, or wouldn¡¯t, track a griffon. The creatures existed in the wild untamed, and sending multi-million credit missiles to make a wild animal explode was overkill ¨C even for the Imperials. Yet, she couldn¡¯t be certain. If Avonian radar managed to track onto her, they¡¯d likely investigate to know for sure. The last thing she needed was a squadron of dragons dispatched to intercept them. While the Avonians lacked the bleeding edge fighter jets that the Ostralanders had a monopoly on, their air defenses more than made up for it. Enough that they gave the infamous jets of the Ostralander and Oceanian air forces a run for their money. She¡¯d seen too many careless griffon riders being torn apart by dragons. Her mother ¨C The Mirage ¨C was shot down over the skies of the Kiote Peninsula close to the Republican border, though that was during the opening stages of the Sacred War. Intercepted by an elite squadron of Imperial dragons and torn to shreds, so the story went. Otaes truly had a hard time believing that legend to be true. The legendary Mirage would¡¯ve known better than to let herself get cornered by dragons. She and her griffon, silver, were so quick that the only thing one could see of them were the afterimages. Hence the prestigious name, The Mirage. Looking upwards towards the sky, dark blue and vast, she could almost believe that The Mirage was still there. Flying. Otaes could only wonder what she¡¯d think of her daughter now. Flying a recon mission over the very same skies that were her grave. The conflict in Canau was a signal of worse things to come on the peninsula, a region already tainted by the memories of war. There had been far too many lives lost, far too many bombs dropped, and far too many unpleasant memories. Enough to last ten lifetimes. Even though the wounds had not even come close to scabbing, the drums of war beat loud once more in Canau. Whatever was going on in that sleepy seaside city was grim news for the whole peninsula, and perhaps even the world. After an hour of flying, the mountains and plateau of the central peninsula were finally in view of the trio, and shielded underneath it, the capital of the Warrior Elves. Raritan. The elven city was covered in vegetation from the skies. River rapids and white streams from the mountains cut Raritan into segments that were crisscrossed by bridges, built over in some parts, and left to collect into one large river. The Raritan itself. The source of the Warrior Elf people. The cradle of Elven souls. So, the myths went anyway. As they approached the city, flying over its bustling streets full of ox-driven carts, merchant stalls, and mud-brick homes, their focus centered on a single massive building at the center of it all. Built over where the four streams of the Raritan meet, and right in the center of the city proper, was the Elven Palace. A giant, glistening, structure that in some parts resembled a temple, and in other parts a castle. White stone walls, a giant glass dome, green vegetation planted all around. From the roof of the structure, other Griffons were taking off with several other Kitchi warriors being sent off on missions throughout the jungle. It didn¡¯t take long until Archer spread his wings open, and landed on the roof of the palace, amidst dozens of other griffons and warriors. ¡°Otaes!¡± Another Kitchi warrior flagged her down. The elf was quite tall with a muscular build. His sand-colored tunic was ripped at the sleeves, showing off his large arms that he seemed to always want to flex at every opportunity. Pakena¡¯s Kitchi mask was a crimson red, all over, with only white paint surrounding the slits for his eyes. Behind the mask, his glowing blue eyes narrowed, ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± Pakena hissed. Pak was the last elf that Otaes wanted to speak to, especially at a time like this. He was the captain of her Griffon Squadron and he loved to act like it, ¡°It¡¯s unbecoming for the daughter of The Mirage to be late,¡± Pakena said. ¡°I just came back from Canau, idiot.¡± ¡°I know, and while you were there, a tiny little situation just exploded here in Raritan. Chief Ani wants you,¡± Pakena said to her as he clambered over to his griffon whose feathers were a equally as red as Pakena¡¯s mask, ¡°Warriors from Ximac to Manah¨¢htaa are being scrambled as we speak!¡± ¡°Why?¡± She asked, as she and Temetet disembarked from Archer¡¯s back. ¡°That mess you were tasked with scouting out in Canau suddenly just became a full-blown war,¡± Pakena grabbed the reins of his griffon as he settled into the saddle, ¡°Chief Ani still see¡¯s some use in what you can provide, somehow. Though I doubt it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve kept my skills sharp. Luckily for you, strength is all you needed to be a Kitchi. You certainly don¡¯t have much going on in the mental department.¡± Pakena tutted, ignoring her comment. It was another usual sparring match between the two, one they often engaged in even despite the current dire circumstances. Before Pakena flew off, his eyes landed on Temetet, ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought the runt with you. Are you using him as bait or as a body shield? We both know that when the war starts again that¡¯ll be all he¡¯s good for-¡° ¡°Watch it Pak, my Kitchi vow prevents me from stabbing you. But if you go after my brother, you¡¯ll be easy prey.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll bury you one of these days Otaes, with the stars as my witness. You¡¯re already half-blind in one eye. I¡¯ll do you a favor and give you a scar on the other too¡­ And I¡¯ll have the runt watch as I do it,¡± Pakena twisted the reins, ¡°Hya!¡± and with a mighty flap of the griffon¡¯s wings, Pakena was up in the skies rushing to catch up with the other Warriors who¡¯d already taken off. Otaes kept her eyes on both him and his griffon as they darted across the deep blue skies. She sighed, subconsciously moving a hand to trace the red streak of paint that marked the surface of her mask along her left eye. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him, Tem,¡± She said, both to him and to herself, noticing how silent Temetet had become. He¡¯d been the subject of much ridicule, not just from Pakena but from some of the other Kitchi warriors too. He was small, physically not all that strong. But he was certainly smart enough to make it. It was one of Otaes¡¯ self-assigned duties to take some of the flak for Temetet¡¯s shortcomings. She had to for the sake of them both, ¡°Take Archer back home, I have business to handle here,¡± she said, sliding off of Archer¡¯s back. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°What? We have business to handle here.¡± ¡°Tem, now is not the time-¡° ¡°I was there on the mission too; I saw everything you saw! I can be there as a witness, right? Confirm everything you say, I¡¯ll be useful!¡± ¡°Tem, I don¡¯t need you to be useful, I need you where I¡¯m certain it¡¯s safe. It¡¯s an emergency, and they need Warriors.¡± ¡°I am a Warrior!¡± ¡°Not yet! And you won¡¯t be if you keep trying to rush it! Just do what I say, take Archer back home and wait for me there!¡± Otaes raised her voice at her younger brother, but only slightly. ¡°But-¡° ¡°Go! I¡¯ll meet you back home when everything calms down, alright?¡± Temetet looked apprehensive at first, as if he had wanted to say something else. But he caved. Nodding in compliance, ¡°Fine,¡± he said bluntly. He turned back to the griffon who was patiently waiting behind them, ¡°Come on, Big Bird. Let¡¯s go home.¡± He reached a hand up to caress the side of Archer¡¯s feathered head, which made the griffon coo in delight. She watched Archer spread his wings once more and lift off the ground into the clear skies above, she felt comforted that at least someone else was acting as Temetet¡¯s Guardian. One concern sealed away. Now for more pressing matters. The throne room of the Warrior Elf palace was dimmed. Seven seats lined the back of the royal chamber. And on the seven seats was a different color of cloth, each for the seven different tribes that made up the Warrior Elf Confederation. Red for the Tappa, blue for the Manatappa, yellow for the Ximac, white for the Hannawa, black for the Masapequa, and purple for the Ticonderoga. The final seat in the center was a forest green for the Raritan tribe. Its wooden design had more elegant carvings into it, the tapestry more refined. The seat of the Grand Chief of the Warrior Elf People, the elected representative of them all. And ¨C in a strange turn of events ¨C Otaes¡¯ adopted mother. Each of the chiefs filed in from the side of the room, as other Kitchi warriors stood guard at the entrances of the room. All seven of them were dressed in their tribal clothes, like royal garments, all in their respective colors that matched them to their seats. The elders all took their seats, and at the center was Grand Chief Kae Ani. Otaes had repeated this process what must¡¯ve been a million times, and yet the feeling of kneeling before someone who was supposed to be her adopted mother was still strange. Her biological mother never asked for such, and she was one of the greatest warriors of her time. Behind her, onlookers filtered in to observe the normal proceedings of the tribal court. It was customary for Elven citizens to be allowed inside of the Palace to observe the issues taking place ¨C though they were forbidden from talking. The decision making rested squarely in the hands of the six chiefs, and seventh Grand Chief, and to talk out of line as a commoner was disruptive to the decision making process as a whole. And though they could not speak, Otaes could feel the eyes of the people on her back. Kneeling, head down, facing her ¡°mother¡± and the seven chairs. She could not rise until she heard the familiar words, ¡°This emergency council has formally assembled! All participants may rise,¡± Grand Chief Ani spoke. Her voice that of an elderly elf, straining through layers of age. Centuries of experience condensed into one she-elf. Slowly, Otaes rose to her feet. She inhaled, letting her shoulders relax. She needed to remain cool, professional. And though nobody could see past her mask, she could feel their eyes burning holes straight through its painted surface. ¡°Warrior Otaes, you were asked to scout the disturbance near the border around Canau, correct? What did you find?¡± Otaes lifted her head up as she spoke, ¡°Imperial vehicles, Republican conscripts. They¡¯re attacking an army of humans on the hills atop Canau. It¡¯s war.¡± The chiefs all muttered to themselves as they heard the news. Even the crowd behind Otaes began to murmur among each other, whispering rumors, hushed conversations between the observers over what it could all mean. Of course, they could never know through gossip. Not even Otaes was certain. ¡°And these humans, they¡¯re Ostralanders, correct?¡± The red chief Zee of the Tappa asked. ¡°That, I do not know.¡± ¡°What do you mean, you don¡¯t know. Who else could it possibly be?¡± Asked Wuni, the yellow chief of the Ximac people. ¡°They don¡¯t carry Ostralander flags, or their vehicles. Well, they have vehicles, but they aren¡¯t the ones that Ostralanders use. I know that much for sure.¡± ¡°Then what country are they from, Warrior?¡± Zee demanded, ¡°They have to be from somewhere!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say-¡° ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! They¡¯re¡­ an unknown.¡± It was that line which stunned the assembly. Now, everyone was speaking. Talking. Confused. Who could it be, who possibly could¡¯ve been the source of all of this trouble? Even Otaes did not know. But from the center seat, Ani raised her hands. Immediately, all fell quiet. Obeying the Matriarch¡¯s authority. She looked down at Otaes with eyes that were ¨C although serious ¨C gentle. She knew Otaes well, and one thing Otaes was not is careless. Details were never skimped on by her quick eyes, and quicker thinking. ¡°That tracks with all of the reports we¡¯ve been receiving from the villagers near the border,¡± Said Ani with a sigh. Slowly she closed her eyes, sinking into her seat. She was suppressing an emotion, one greater than confusion. Fear, ¡°These¡­humans¡­ have been trading blows with the Avonians for the past five hours. There¡¯s been gunfire across the demilitarized zone. And yet, none of our garrisons report any signs of contact. The war ended in a pro-Commonwealth ceasefire, so it¡¯s unlikely that the Ostralands would be the ones trying to kickstart a war again.¡± ¡°Then who is it?¡± Asked Zee, ¡°We need to know for certain! We cannot risk another war! It¡¯s only been a year! We haven¡¯t finished rebuilding! We¡¯ll be buried!¡± ¡°Zee, I¡¯m aware. But we can¡¯t act without proper information. It could be a mutiny from a Republican garrison, or a secession for that matter. We don¡¯t know. Send an emergency communique to the Commonwealth embassy, ask them if they have any knowledge of what¡¯s going on. For now, set all Home Guardians within range of the border on full alert and assemble the Kiote Council. I¡¯ve already dispatched the Warriors to guard the border. If there¡¯s something brewing on the horizon, we¡¯ll be forced onto the defensive¡­ again.¡± Ani muttered, ¡°Are we in agreement on that? All who oppose¡­¡± Nobody said a word. Otaes watched as Ani sighed in relief before turning to look at her, ¡°And Otaes, please. We¡¯ll need you back out there. I want you to help patrol our territory. Raritan is only a few miles away from Canau, and we need to make sure everything is secure. Keep an eye for intrusions and bring the intruders back here.¡± ¡°Alive?¡± Otaes asked. ¡°It¡¯s for questioning, Otaes. Have you tried asking a dead body questions before?¡± Zee sarcastically quipped. ¡°Alive it is,¡± Otaes whispered underneath her mask. Though she knew that they could not hear.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Emergency Report z0ff1...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[RDI MISSION BRIEFING ONE]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[RDI MISSION BRIEFING ONE] >>>[STRATEGIC MAP OF REGION R7B] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 8: Planet Narva >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 8: Planet Narva]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Current Directive Updated... >>> [FIRST CONTACT RESULTS. SUBJECT MENTAL STATUS IS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING. HE HAS SUCCEEDED IN THE FIRST TEST. FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO MAKE CONTACT WILL CONTINUE SHORTLY. WATCH THE SIGNS.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed... ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
In a field of hazed orange clouds, with the surrounding jungle on fire, the titan stood. Three red eyes cast a spell which illuminated every shadow on the hillside. Eli was lost in the light, blinded by the red searchlights which enveloped him entirely. Like looking at the face of an angry god. Like looking up at a meteor on its way to collide with the surface of the Earth. He was helpless in the light of the monstrosity. Unable to move, unable to think, unable to act. The red light was stunning, and he¡¯d been made like a deer caught in headlights. Reduced to an ant in the way of a giant. And between Eli and the ant, the ant stood a better chance. He could feel the seconds tick down. Time froze. Bullets stopped flying. Soldiers stopped screaming. Cries were silenced. Even Omar¡¯s frightened panic had muffled into a low buzz underneath the foggy cloud in his mind. He could see the guns taking aim and getting ready to fire. He didn¡¯t know if he had quite accepted his fate, but he knew it was coming. Red pulsating light filled the gun, and soon it would all be over. He closed his eyes, not wishing to face his demise with lidless eyes. There was a boom that resonated from behind. And then a shattering of the ground. Eli looked up to watch as a projectile slammed into the already damaged leg of the titan. A fireball ballooned out from the crater of a wound, smoke and fire bellowed out of it. Eli saw a tank move back into cover after firing its round, successfully penetrating the machine¡¯s leg. It exploded with dozens of smaller explosions going off up and down the length of the spindly leg. Hundreds of fragments jettisoned from the machine, debris flying, lost in a shroud of black smoke that followed the monster¡¯s dramatic death. Tipping over, threatening to collide with the ground, and smashing all those who failed to get out from its way. A final blast from its horn, a dying wail. Eli grabbed Omar and dragged him. The kid was still catatonic, but otherwise he had stopped his extreme flailing and kicking. Knowing that the flimsy wooden plank overhead would fail to protect them from the tons of steel crashing over them, Eli rushed as he dragged Omar by the straps of his vest further back. Sweat stung his eyes, and he could hear the whir of the machine¡¯s engine from above. The air in his mask fogged the lenses making him sweat even more. His eyes burned for relief. Another horn from the machine, less of a wail this time, and more of a cry. The titan had been defeated, and in its final death blow, would take down as many underneath it as possible. The horn echoed, burning the image of the machine into Eli¡¯s memory. The three red eyes etched into his mind like a permanent scar. His one task to simply keep moving forward, to run from the final suicidal attack of the machine. His boot snagged on a exposed branch inside the trench causing his tired legs to give way. He fell down, unable to pull Omar. He tried to rebound, grabbing Omar again, but it was too late. The brunt of the machine was going to bury them. Quickly, he placed himself on top of Omar with his back facing the open air of the trench and his head bracing over Omar¡¯s body. There was a loud crash before everything went dark. There was smoke. A lot of dust. Something heavy hit him in the back. The sound of crashing metal scraping against even more crashing metal filled his ears. Like two trains colliding with each other at full speed. The noise alone threatened to deafen him, but he didn¡¯t dare turn around to look. The world around them shook, the ground itself turned into something more akin to jelly than something solid. He could feel himself being tossed around, thrown, jostled. Yet, they were alive. Eli lifted his head when everything stopped. It felt like hours that he was trapped underneath, but he knew that it only could¡¯ve been a few seconds. Everything around them was dark, except for the glow of a fire somewhere behind them. He looked up above him to find that the corpse of the machine rested uneasily over the trench opening, allowing them a small crawl space to escape. Further behind them, however, was a haunting scene, as crooked steel and smoldering fire crushed the place they were just seeking refuge from. Had he been a second too indecisive, both he and Omar would¡¯ve certainly been crushed underneath the giant. His eyes rolled down to the kid. He was silent, but regained control of himself. No longer paralyzed, he sat up of his own will. His mask was covered in dirt, fog, and grime. Yet, Eli could see his eyes through the thin plastic. He¡¯d been crying. Trails of tears had cleared pathways through his dirt stained face underneath the mask. But he was alive, and he knew it. The two locked eyes for only a moment, but nothing was said. Only a mutual understanding of relief. Omar had said thank you without saying a word, and Eli allowed himself a moment to breathe. Though the air in his mask was dank, and though the world around them still dangerous, at least they had this one brief moment of respite. Buried underneath the rubble of a fallen titan, a sanctuary. There they were shielded from the war around them. Where the flying bullets couldn¡¯t hurt them. Where the dangers of war could do no harm. Unfortunately, they could not stay in the oyster of protection forever. Eli could hear footsteps outside, crushing the dirt of the trench underneath their boots. He heard muffled voices yelling at each other, calling out. After a moment, the voices died down. Until something moved. A chunk of debris from the corpse of the machine was lifted by several pairs of hands. And the dark bubble that Omar and Eli had been trapped under was disturbed by rays of sunlight, though muddled by storm clouds above. He saw raindrops fall through the widening hole. Drops of water pooled onto the dirt trench and formed pools of water mixed with the toxic orange fumes. Poison water, Eli thought. Like something out of a nightmare. The gas no longer spread through the air but had clumped together into solids that painted the trees and the dirt a rusty-orange. Scum leftover from the gassing of the battlefield. The debris chunk was raised, and in the opening were prisoners, their masks no longer on. It was the rest of Misfit, whom Eli was relieved to see. They peered in through the dark chamber with their flashlights, until they found Eli and Omar hidden in the darkness. The prisoners pulled the duo out from their bubble, and into the nightmare outside¡­ They emerged from underneath the corpse of the machine. Eli¡¯s mind pondered over a million questions, but none of them were answerable. All around them, the battle was still going strong. More of the walkers appeared over the treeline, guns blasting. Six in total, with the one Eli narrowly escaped from being the sixth. It wasn¡¯t looking good for the Coalition, the idiotic who hadn¡¯t retreated were being blown to smithereens inside of their trenches as they desperately returned fire. The few tanks that accompanied them struggled to fight back, with one tank exploding into a ball of fire while its crew fell out of the hatches half alive and with their tattered uniforms smoldering into flames. ¡°Eli! Omar! How the hell are you two still alive?¡± He heard the voice of Dutch shout through his mask, ¡°Lucky bastards, huh? You ever played the lottery?¡± ¡°If I had, maybe I wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying!¡± The other prisoners, to Eli¡¯s relief, was the rest of Misfit. Eli counted them all. Dutch, Badger, Cato, and Rafael ¡­ But there was no sign of Matteo. Quickly, Eli and Omar moved over towards their positions further into the trench line. The two groups met up, finally reuniting at least a majority of their squad. ¡°Where¡¯s Matteo?¡± Eli shouted through the mask. He looked desperately into each of their faces for answers, even a hint as to where the missing soldier might be, but all he got were shrugs and half-hearted guesses. He cursed to himself. Every second that ticked by the chance that Matteo had gotten killed grew larger. The Battlefield was in ruins. Metal husks of the giant robot death machines known to the Phantoms as ¡°Behemoths¡± were smoldering on the hillside. Orange clouds of still-remnant gas hung close to the ground in mud filled trenches. Pooling into a toxic cesspool of dirt and the orange poison. It had clumped into a greasy substance that stung skin, burned eyes, and left rashes on those careless enough to expose themselves to it. Though the gas was gone, the memories of it remained. The Coalition counted their dead. Too many. And of the dead bodies, each one more mutilated than the last. Torched by dragons with their bodies burned black. Lying still in a pool of their own blood and spit, their faces chalky and stiff from the gas which had scoured their insides. Those who had been gunned down by the Behemoths. Many others whose clothes remained on the battlefield ground, yet their bodies were missing. Vaporized. Deconstructed and erased from existence, and ultimately, from memory. Eli¡¯s eyes scanned over their troops. The living were hardly better. Their injuries were horrific. And even those without visible physical injuries had something else wrong within them. Broken and lost. Their eyes stared out into nothingness. They walked around in a zombie-like trance, taking orders silently while the world passed by them. And even among those survivors, fewer still were able to function. He could count on both hands the number of convicts and Phantoms who had given up. Curled into balls within the trenches, among the dead. Perhaps wishing they were one of them? There was a deep sinking feeling among all of them, one foul and gruesome. One of pure terror and grief. It was the knowledge that something was deeply wrong, catastrophically so. And for Eli, he wondered if Matteo had become one of the dead. The horror of the battle, despite their victory, hung over them. And yet, they would live to see the sunrise once again. When all was said and done, they were left with only one more job. Find out what the hell was going on. Regulars detained most of the phantoms, shoving them forcefully into lines and stacks that stood at the center of the base. Armored vehicles and soldiers were being frantically mobilized all around them. The air was still and it reeked of the smell of burning plastic. Palm trees around them stood, some charred, others a dusty orange. Regulars herded the phantoms and prisoners together like animals, they took out sprays and hoses of waters mixed in with something that smelled artificially sweet, a soap of some kind, and sprayed each of the phantoms down with a jet of water. Ridding them of the orange residue and powder that clung to their uniforms, hair, and skin. Hosing them down until they were shivering and cold in the hot damp environment, standing in a pool of their own runoff. Like animals. The Regulars came in and separated the prisoners by platoon. They had their guns ready to shoot, but they forced the noncompliant into place with prods of electric batons. They made a loud and discernable zapping sound when they came into contact with human flesh and uniform, and that combined with their freshly wet uniforms caused those who were shocked to scream ¨C collapsing on the floor in pain. The others out of fear complied, lest they too were beaten. But the worst thing to Eli was not the Regulars or their treatment of the Prisoners. Nor even the confusing situation that Eli found himself in. The worst part was that Eli could not get Matteo out of his head. Where was he? Was he among the dead? He asked all of Misfit and nobody knew. He asked other Phantoms, and not a single word came out of anybody¡¯s mouth confirming if they had seen him. He asked the Regulars. At best they said they¡¯d look into it and put out a MIA watch. At worst, they¡¯d tell him to shut up and get back in line. Two months away from being free, only to be killed at the very last moment. If Matteo couldn¡¯t do it, what would that say about Eli and his six months? The penal unit, a system anyone could enter but scarce few could ever leave. Worst of all, Rafael would have been right. That there was no freedom through obedience. That there was no freedom given, but only obtained by force. As the seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours, there wasn¡¯t a sign of Matteo anywhere. ¡°This is how they treat victors?¡± Dutch whispered as they stood in file in front of the main headquarters of the Nexus. Awaiting debrief, and hopefully answers, from the higher ups in Overwatch, ¡°We die on the front lines for them, and they treat us like animals.¡± ¡°We¡¯re Phantoms, Dutch,¡± Cato told him, ¡°Penal unit. We were supposed to have been dead a long time ago.¡± ¡°Coming from you, Cato, it¡¯s almost like you want us to die,¡± Dutch snapped back at him, saying the very words Eli thought true. Cato shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s a few benefits I can think of. We¡¯re out here, dragged into the unknown, like bloody property, right? Fighting against whatever the hell that thing was. Maybe it¡¯s better if we were dead after all. At least then we wouldn¡¯t be slaves.¡± ¡°Fuck you, Cato! I didn¡¯t come all this way just to die!¡± ¡°We are all going to die here, Dutch! It¡¯s pointless! And all of you know it! No matter how this ends, we end up as either corpses or slaves. There¡¯s always another mission, there¡¯s always another task. We¡¯ll never get closer to freedom by waiting for it to come. We bloody ought to-¡± Cato raised his hands struggling to find a good word. He checked around, looking for guards but none were nearby as he leaned in close to the rest of the squad. His eyes were underlined by dark bags. His blonde hair seemed dull in the sunlight. He had been thinking to the point it looked as if it had a physical effect on his body, ¡°Look, you¡¯ve seen what we just went up against. No matter what Kovic says, I guarantee we will not like it! I¡¯m thinking we run. There¡¯s only one way out of here.¡± ¡°Cato, we do that and they¡¯ll track us down,¡± Eli told him, he tapped the monitor on his wrist, ¡°Remember?¡± ¡°As if we fare any better of a chance out here?¡± Rafael jumped in with an aggravated wave of his hand, ¡°Overwatch doesn¡¯t care if we run, one of us desert they¡¯ll just bring someone else in. They¡¯re so proud of themselves that they don¡¯t even care! If we run, they¡¯ll just mark us for dead and let nature do the work.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t know to a certainty,¡± Badger told him. ¡°Oh but I do, Badger. I do. Why would Overwatch care? We¡¯re prisoners, we¡¯re supposed to die. They didn¡¯t even give us weapons to fight back! You¡¯ve seen what I¡¯ve seen. The fascists are so fat and high above us that they couldn¡¯t conceive it.¡± ¡°Conceive what?¡± Eli asked. ¡°That someone like us would ever pose a threat to them. They can¡¯t even imagine it. We¡¯re just a variable to them, numbers on a spreadsheet. As long as they have more prisoners coming in, why should they care if a squad of convicts escape? Right?¡± Rafael asked the squad. He was nothing if not passionate. He looked from prisoner to prisoner with the eyes of someone trying to convince a crowd to join his suicide pact. It might not have been that way in his eyes though. Eli couldn¡¯t quite tell what was going on through his mind. It was either stay here, or go out there¡­ Into the forest. Where the dragons and giant robots were. How could running out there be preferable? Especially when there were so many unknowns, so many unanswerable. Truly, only Overwatch knew what was going on. They had stockpiled the weapons, they had put the prisoners to building defenses, they were hastily preparing for a battle. They knew what was coming. They knew exactly what those things were. ¡°We¡¯ll split up and run! Get out of here! Either we die here, or die out there,¡± Cato gestured out to the jungle. The greenery of the forest had darkened considerably as noon faded to evening. The branches and brambles concealed something almost sinister in there. Unknown, ¡°Whatever¡¯s out there, if it kills us, then it was inevitable. But I¡¯m not going to die a bloody slave! I¡¯m dying on my own terms!¡± Cato looked over to Rafael, who in turn nodded, ¡°If there¡¯s only one way out of here, then it¡¯s us dead. And I¡¯m not dying here.¡± ¡°No, no, no!¡± Eli shook his head, denying it all, ¡°You don¡¯t die free out there. Whatever crazy ideas you''ve got floating around, get it out of your head! There isn''t freedom out there! Are you insane?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You¡¯re starting to sound like Matteo, I think the old geezer¡¯s rubbed off on you.¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t think he was right? You¡¯re gonna run? Run where? Out to where those damn robot things came from? You go out there into that jungle and you¡¯ll have died for nothing! You aren¡¯t going to change the Coalition by throwing your lives away! At least here we stand some form of chance!¡± ¡°And after all this, you still think they¡¯ll just let us go free? ¡°What I think is that I¡¯m not ready to commit suicide. You might have given up hope, but I haven¡¯t! I deserted before, ran from my place in Korea to watch my squad get vaporized by a nuke. You think I don¡¯t get it? I spent a month freezing my ass off as a fugitive in a foreign country, and guess where I ended up? Here. You think you don¡¯t stand a chance here in the nexus, you¡¯ll have nothing the moment you take a step out there. Where the dragons came from. And then you¡¯ll have died for what? For freedom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about dying, Eli. I have nothing left, the Coalition took that all. Death doesn¡¯t scare me anymore. What scares me is living as a slave, and if you¡¯ve got half a mind left in there, it should scare you too. I¡¯m not ready to surrender my humanity to Overwatch. That¡¯s the only thing that the fascists couldn¡¯t take from me. They¡¯ve got my family, my home, my country, but my humanity¡¯s all I¡¯ve got left,¡± Rafael argued back. ¡°A bunch of criminal nomads! We¡¯re bloody Phantoms! We were never supposed to make it out of here alive, much less free, and I¡¯ve come to accept that. Everything¡¯s stacked against us here. So why don¡¯t we bloody do something about it? We¡¯ll take our lives back into our own hands,¡± Said Cato. And just when Eli thought that it was only them arguing among themselves, there was a crackle from up ahead. The amplified booms of a loudspeaker carried in the hands of Overwatch''s top dog himself... ¡°Prisoners! Phantoms! Pay Attention!¡± A familiar voice called out from up ahead. Kovic. Just as before he was standing with a line of Regulars guarding his side, guns brandished. Eyeing down the Phantoms. Kovic didn¡¯t look so happy, despite the supposed victory. He raised the loudspeaker up to his lips after he took a deep breath in. ¡°You have all successfully defended the Nexus. While this moment would normally warrant a fair amount of celebration, I am afraid that it will have to wait for a¡­ later time. Our work is far from over, especially for you. Moving on from today¡¯s battle, as promised, I¡¯ll debrief you on the situation. I¡¯ll put it bluntly since even I find our situation hard to believe sometimes,¡± Kovic sighed, ¡°To the 121st Penal Unit, congratulations. You have survived your first day on Planet Narva. You are not on Earth anymore. Instead, you have been transported to an alternate realm, working in conjunction with the Coalition¡¯s Utopia Project.¡± Eli didn¡¯t react at first. He hardly registered the words, and the realization blew clean over him. As they did everyone else. It was as if Kovic had said nothing. It washed over their heads like a wave rushing over rocks on a seaside. Perhaps it was so ridiculous that there was a part in his brain that had blotted it out. Prisoners turned to one another, asking each other questions to which none held the answer. Maybe they just hadn¡¯t heard Kovic correctly? Maybe there was an error in his speech, or he misspoke. Surely. The Regulars however remained still, not reacting an inch. And Kovic remained as stuffy and bureaucratic as ever. From the little Eli saw of him, he knew that the Major was not one to misspeak. He had planned out his every word, movement, and action beforehand. The regulars and cabal of officers already knew¡­ ¡°You are all part of an experimental project, nearly a century in the making! I can¡¯t tell you all the details since most of this is still classified, but this is The Utopia Project. A chance to rebuild society from the ground up, the way it should¡¯ve been. You prisoners have been transported from Earth to a new world. Planet Narva. Congratulations Phantoms, you should all feel blessed to be among the few to accomplish such a feat.¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying to us!¡± ¡°Quit the bullshit!¡± ¡°Oh piss off!¡± The Phantoms were arguing, people shouted obscenities, arguing back with Kovic, a chorus of confused and pissed off voices. They forgot what had happened earlier, this was a slap to the face for all of them! Anger boiled over as many of them began to shout! The Regulars moved in to suppress the crowd, they beat the loud ones, threatened those who even so much as balled their fists. A regular raised his gun, preparing for a full-on mutiny. Eli nervously eyed the crowd, the memories of the massacre upon their first arrival still fresh in his mind. There was a scream, and then a gunshot. ¡°Everyone! On your knees! Hands behind your bleeding heads!¡± A regular screamed as he raised his gun at the columns of prisoners. A few other armed guards did the same, while individual guards filtered through the ranks of prisoners with their electric batons out. Forcing prisoners to kneel. Eli felt a hand on his shoulder, a death grip. He was so out of it that he resisted the hand, before he realized that he was standing, ¡°Wait! Wait no!¡± Eli shouted out. The last thing he saw was the face of a Regular, before the metal bar of a baton cracked against his face. The hit was enough to make him go blind, and he fell on his stomach. His head hit the hot asphalt. He could feel something hot trickle on his upper lip, and a strange taste of metal sprinkled on his tongue. Around him, kneeling phantoms. He saw a body on the floor, lifeless. And then he felt another hand grasp his uniform, and force him into a kneel. He could hardly see, the light of the environment was searing. His nose burned in a dull pain that hung loose from the front of his face, consuming his thoughts and focus. The world around him spinning, slightly uneven. Chaos, rage, fear, burned in the cries and screams of the prisoners. And yet it was all a sea of background noise to Eli, as he watched the world cave in on itself. He felt tears trickle down his cheeks, mixing with the blood that stained his mouth and uniform, drop into a mixture on the hot asphalt ground. Four more gunshots echoed through the air. And the prisoners fell silent. Again. How many more would die? Between the creatures from the forest and the Coalition¡¯s brutality? The crowd was silent, save for the wounded who were moaning in pain. An older man was taken from the crowd by regulars, bleeding from his shoulder by a gunshot. Eyes silently watched as he was dragged away by the regulars, and yet not a single soul dared to say anything. Fear had triumphed over them yet again. The regulars had formed a protective line around the officers and Kovic, with their guns raised. And yet, Kovic pushed himself towards the front. Loudspeaker in hand. With a loose hand, he put his aviators back on, sighing to himself as he wiped sweat from his peachy forehead. ¡°You have all been selected to travel to another world! I am not lying to you, I am not tricking you, I am not exaggerating. We are no longer on Earth. Not even in the same galaxy, as our home planet. Everything that you once knew, is billions upon billions of light years away. Or, if you¡¯re willing to cooperate with us, a short walk through our portal!¡± So, it was a portal. Eli slowly turned to Rafael, and he saw that Rafael¡¯s face had been bruised too. Soaked in blood. There was a singe mark on his uniform where the regulars had electrocuted him. The revolutionary was completely out of it, only just barely holding himself up to keep from collapsing onto the ground. ¡°Coalition High Command wants this area to be built into a permanent base of operations - and eventually, a colony. Think of yourselves as explorers, adventurers even. Like our great heroes who linked the old world to the new one. Or as the first astronauts, pioneers of a final frontier,¡± Kovic paused. His eyes swiped around the crowd, ¡°But this will not be an easy mission, as I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already guessed. Teamwork, Innovation, and most importantly, discipline, will all be required to survive the coming missions ahead. If you manage to succeed, you all will be heroes when you return back home and pardoned of for your crimes, with a honorable discharge from service and a annual stipend.¡± But Kovic wasn¡¯t finished, he cleared his throat before raising the loudspeaker up to his mouth once more, ¡°Alternatively, you can partake in the Utopia Project ¨C as citizens of a new world. A better one. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need to explain to you the situation on Earth. Caught in the Resource Wars, major storms sinking cities and countries underneath the waves of oceans that grow ever higher. I grew up in a world where you were free to travel wherever you wanted. You could take a plane to go somewhere, watch a movie with your friends, talk on your phones. Freely. And then it all went to hell¡­¡± Kovic mused. With a shaky hand, he took off his sunglasses. His eyes squinted in the dank heat of the jungle. His eyes looked¡­ hurt. Eli was old enough to remember parts of that world. Though he was born on the tail end of the golden ages. He was just a kid when the Space Wars broke out, and when satellites crashed into each other like a great cosmic game of pool. Falling back to the Earth¡¯s floor like a manmade meteor shower. The next morning, nothing worked. Phones were all bricked. Television networks went offline. The radio fell silent. The Internet had faded away into a void of permanent darkness. In one war, humanity had been brought from technological greats and cast back into a futuristic stone age. And yet it all paled in comparison to what happened during the resource wars. The oil wells dried up, coal reserves burned away, and nations went to war over what little precious resources there were. ¡°Our planet has consumed itself into chaos. Dragged into infinite warfare over what¡¯s left. And it isn¡¯t getting better. So, you can join us here as we work to build a new home. A better one. One that hasn¡¯t been plagued by famine or destroyed by the systems that be. We¡¯ll build a Utopia. That¡¯s what this is all about. And as long as you obey orders and do as you¡¯re told; you can join with us.¡± It was all bullshit. ¡°Exactly five hours ago, you Phantoms stepped through the portal. Call it the door, the gate, the wormhole, whatever you want. But the point remains that we are a long-long way from Planet Earth. Details are light, most of Project Utopia is classified to you. And of course, nobody on Earth outside of a select few are privy to knowledge of this operation. To keep it that way, you will be here until we are ready to de-classify this information. Until then¡­ soldier on.¡± Eli shut in on himself. He heard people saying words to him, and he may have responded, but none of it was memorable. His mind fuzzy, his world had suddenly been transformed. As if he were watching a TV screen, he felt detached. He forgot that he was supposed to be Misfit¡¯s leader. Their torchbearer. When Kovic departed and their next assignments given out, Misfit tried to reach out to him. But Eli couldn''t hear them. He was almost vegetative. Alive, aware, but not really there. Nothing felt real anymore. His boots crunched on the gravel of the base. He felt the bumps of the tiny rocks. He inhaled the humid stench of the jungle. The warmth of the sun embracing him. It all felt like Earth. That¡¯s where they had to be. Kovic was wrong. He may not have lied per se, but Eli knew what he knew. They were on Earth. Plain and simple. It wasn¡¯t possible. It just wasn¡¯t possible. And yet, as Eli fought back the tears¡­ It was the only thing that made sense. Misfit was tasked once again with continuing the fortifications where they had left off while they still had daylight. Around them, prisoners worked. Counting the corpses of those who had fallen, and the uniforms of those who had been disintegrated. It was gruesome just watching the bodies get collected as it was seeing the killings in the first place. Eli was grateful that Misfit wasn''t put in charge of corpse disposal. Asides from that though, he was completely silent. The most silent he¡¯d been since he had deserted. Lost inside of his own mind. Misfit around him was much the same. Everybody seemed paler, expressionless, distant and cold. Nobody conversed warmly or even greeted each other. The words of Kovic had given them whiplash harder than anything they¡¯ve experienced. ¡®Planet Narva¡¯ Eli thought the name over again and again. Trying to dissect some meaning behind it. A familiar name? A place he had been? Had the past day been just a dream? A long terrifying nightmare that just seemed all too real? One that no matter how hard he tried to open his eyes, kept him ensnared in slumber like a spider¡¯s web? Had he been tricked? Fooled? Duped? Did Kovic figure him to be stupid? His eyes wandered upwards looked after a grueling stretch of digging. The waning sun was still bright enough to force him to squint, and the beads of sweat dotting his forehead weren''t helping with the distinct burn he felt on his eyes. Despite his vision, he saw something. It was a dove, snowy white. Circling the skies above his head. Her white wings basking in the waning sunlight... While Eli was lost looking up at the bird, Dutch had noticed the dried tears on Eli¡¯s cheek and perhaps seen his tired eyes, ¡°You alright, man?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Eli lied, peeling himself away from the bird and back to his work. Dutch nodded. Taking a deep breath in as the two of them looked over the now-finished barrack. A cool gust of wind blew over them. The bright noon sunlight was waning to evening. Darker and cooler than it was when they had arrived, ¡°New world, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You believe it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ It¡¯s the only thing that¡¯s made sense since we got here,¡± his voice wavered and then broke fully on the tail end of his sentence. His hand immediately went up to cover his mouth as if the twinge of despair that peppered his voice was something to be shameful of. Or disgusted by. His eyes were burning with an emotion Eli was familiar with but didn¡¯t want Dutch to see and his throat felt like closing up. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Dutch¡¯s look of concern did little to help Eli understand his own emotions. Everything felt so unreal. Bizarre. Illogical. His entire world had been upended and replaced with something so absurd. Eli couldn¡¯t tell Dutch if he was alright. Not even he knew how he felt. ¡°It''s just that..." he started, trying to find the right words to express himself. But what could he possibly say that would even come close to describing the sinking feeling that remained permanent in his chest? Refusing to leave, no matter how much he tried to forget about the giant killer robot or the gas or the dragons or Planet Narva. No matter how much he tried to convince himself that this was not Narva. This was Earth. It had to be. It couldn''t be anything else but Earth. To think otherwise would be preposterous. But then, the only person he''d be kidding was himself, "You know...uh..." Dutch spat on the ground for a moment, grimacing, "I can hardly believe it myself. But, I don''t know. It''d explain the dragons. And the behemoth. So uh, ya know... that''s good. We''re alive," Dutch''s own voice was shaking. Perhaps he felt the same way Eli had? Eli heaved, Misfit was counting on him whether he accepted it or not. He had to at least make an attempt to connect with them, now more than ever. So, Eli inwardly sighed, glancing Dutch briefly in the eyes, "The world is ending,¡± Eli said, clearing his throat and sniffed away the tears burning him, ¡°And I feel¡­ nothing.¡± He didn''t want to let Dutch see him so¡­ vulnerable. Not like this. Eli nodded his head, hoping that the man across would take it as a signal to leave him alone. But Dutch only took a step closer, every step he took made it harder for Eli to keep the tears in, ¡°You don¡¯t have to hide it, Eli. I know. I get it. Really, I do.¡± His eyes failed him, and tears spilled out onto his cheeks. Eli hid his face in shame, his breathing erratic, gasping for air. Dutch walked closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, holding him close. Words might fail. But Eli''s tears spoke the truth clearer than they ever could. The realization only cascaded the flow from his eyes.
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==The Revolutionary Department of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== PICTURED: IASW-37A "Terminator" Behemoth, photographed walking across the Kiote Wilderness during the Kiote War Name: IASW-37A Terminator (Tripod Variant); IASW-37B Titan (Quadruped Variant) Type: Behemoth (Core Battlefield Fire Support Platform) Country of Origin: The Greater Avonian Empire Information: The IASW-40A and 40B (Imperial Army SuperWeapon project) are the latest of the walking superweapons fielded by the Avonian Imperial Army. Though both the Terminator and the Titan variants are often referred to as ¡°Behemoths¡° this is a misnomer. Behemoths are the class of heavily-armed vehicles fielded in order to provide either fire support, morale damage, electronic warfare, surveillance, communications, or all of the above (Only the 40B Titan is capable of doing so, with the Terminator lacking the load bearing capacity for the immense weight of the equipment that the Titan¡®s fourth leg offers). Behemoths were developed during the middle of the Sacred War by the Avonian Army. After the war had devolved into brutal trench warfare after the rapid offenses made by the Valdacian and Oranian Order, the allies of Avonia and The Commonwealth searched desperately for something to break through tough Orderite defensive lines, and to liberate Farewind. While the Commonwealth focused on air support and tank warfare in order to outmaneuver Orderite defenses, the Avonians invested fully into the power afforded to them by their ekron-powered magitech industries. The result was the IASW-23 ¡°Big Stepper¡±, a weapon which changed the very nature of warfare forever. Shattering Orderite lines and morale, and assisting in the eventual defeat of the Orderite powers in the Allies¡¯ favor. The latest models of Behemoths, The Terminator and The Titan, are two of the most fearsome weapons currently fielded by any armed force on Narva. Capable of turning the tides of battles by their very presence, their usefulness as giants stepping above the terrain gives Imperial Forces a powerful tool to flatten enemy defenses, gain access to maneuverable fire support, and to destroy enemy morale due to their frightening appearance. It is the tip of the Avonian "Terror Warfare" Spear: Warfare through an overwhelming barrage of Imperial firepower, bold offensives, and powerful superweapons, to shatter enemy spirits and flatten organized resistance. The Behemoths have gained a reputation as being near impervious to everything, and the Behemoths have become the defining symbol of Avonia itself in warfare. Despite their size and fearsome capabilities, they can be killed. Their size alone makes them the target of concentrated fire, and often times the shields that keep the vulnerable head protected from firepower are not enough to last. They are slow, cumbersome, and needless to say - wastefully expensive. They are terrifying, certainly, but by all means ineffective in the logistical cost-to-benefit sense. While this has not deterred terror-minded planners within The Avonian War Machine, who only drum up larger and more fearsome weapons for the Phoenix''s disposal, for Commonwealth purposes, we know that they are fragile. Terrifying opponents to come across, sure - but not fully invincible. And due their size, downing just a single one of these beasts would cost the Phoenix an immense amount. It might be enough to change the tide of a war... ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 9: For All Mankind >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 9: For All Mankind]===

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Scatterbrained. Exhausted. Dazed and confused. It was a nightmare trying to slough through the work Overwatch insisted get finished before nightfall. Eli didn''t speak, to anyone. Not even Dutch. Everybody was on edge. There was to be a mass exodus from the Nexus come nightfall. He could feel it, see it in everybody¡¯s eyes. Whether they believed Kovic or not didn¡¯t matter. Cato and Rafael''s threats to escape seemed less like threats, and more like promises. They weren''t budging on their beliefs. As the sky faded from a vibrant tropical cyan to a hazy cool indigo, their escape would come closer. As Squad Leader, it was his job to report rebellious actions and plots to Overwatch. Of course, he wouldn''t do that. Not ever. That would be a violation of an almost sacred trust that existed between all phantoms. It''s loyalty that separated the phantoms from the likes of Captain Juma, after all. Nobody else looked out for phantoms, only other phantoms. That was just as true back on Earth as it was here. Even if Eli refused to believe that such a distinction was possible. He could only hope that most of Misfit would remain. But even having only Cato or Rafael escape was a disaster enough. Matteo was missing, and likely dead at this point. If Cato and Rafael convinced even one of them to join, Eli would find himself in a squad with just three. At that point, Misfit¡¯s fate would be as good as sealed. Fated phantoms living on borrowed time. Just as every other phantom before them. Up against whatever horrors Overwatch and Planet Narva had lying in store for them - alone. Cool breeze. The sun was approaching the horizon. The jungle surrounding the base looked like a wall of darkness that surrounded them on all sides. Illuminated only by the buzzing LEDs that illuminated The Nexus'' interior. Though the base was vast and was already starting to take shape, it still looked primitive. Eli found himself marching in file with a mess of other phantoms, carrying construction supplies from a dumping ground near the first proper foundations of a wall. Security units of course guarded them tightly. Eli was even afraid to look them in the eyes. Suddenly, there was a crackle through the air. Eli briefly halted - fearing that they were the sounds of another new monstrosity emerging from the darkness. But he quickly settled when he realized that it was The Nexus'' announcement system. Words blasted through loudspeakers that had been set up around the perimeter of the base. The words initially phased through Eli¡¯s mind, for he had been too deep in thought to recognize them. But soon enough, he heard Kovic¡¯s familiar voice drone on over the loudspeakers. A pre-recorded message. He listened without any other choice... ¡°¡­With this portal, we as a species are on the cusp of something so profound - so remarkable - that it is impossible to describe with our limited vocabulary! The endless possibilities that The Utopia Project will bring us is a saving light! What we are doing out here, we will do for all mankind! Our species stands ready to claim our true destiny as the pioneers of the universe! All in a great advancement possible only in the realm of science-fiction - now science fact!¡± The message was somewhat distorted, Kovic¡¯s voice ebbed and flowed. Crackling with the minor faults in the speaker system. Speaking his propaganda over the airwaves to persuade the Phantoms and Prisoners to his line of thinking. But, the last person Eli wanted to hear speak was Kovic. The man at the center of everything wrong. ¡°We have the power to restart our society, to leave the cradle of Earth from which our species was born, and to detach from our old primitive past like a nursing child no longer fit for milk but instead for something of true substance! We have the tools to start our society the way it was meant to be!¡± Kovic pleaded. The last part of the message was intriguing to Eli. He stopped what he was doing, and looked up. As did several other prisoners around him. Listening to Kovic¡¯s words. ¡°No more violent civil war! No more eras of dark and unenlightened thinking! No more famine! No more storms! For the first time, we can truly call ourselves, Human. We are no longer mere animals with tools, we are a species advanced enough to engineer ourselves and our own reality. The Utopia Project will guarantee that the strife which has enslaved our planet will never be felt again in the history of Humankind! We are better than our primitive ancestors could ever dream to be!¡± Eli sighed, going back to work. Still the last part of Kovic¡¯s message took him off guard, ¡°Help us build a new home. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always wanted? What other alternative is there? Going back to Earth? Nothing of value lies there anymore! It is foolish ¨C disgusting even ¨C for a grown man to crave the safety of his crib! Mankind¡¯s future no longer resides on Planet Earth. Our destiny is of our expansion among the stars! It is good to be here, to be a part of something so much larger. So much greater. For all Mankind¡­¡± The words had struck a chord. Earth. A planet so broken by the forces that ruled it. Almost all the prisoners here were Phantoms. Victims of warfare or disaster. Refugees. The nationless. It was clear what Kovic was trying to do. He was trying to get them to reject the very idea of going back home, to instead replace it with enthusiasm to build a new world. A new¡­ Utopia. It felt so sinister. Every word a slap to the face. The prisoners were all given rations by the regulars. It was fine. Easy to warm up on the bonfire that the regulars let them build in the center of the base. But Eli ate his desiccated pork and rice in solitude. He dreaded the night. Feared it even. Like a bogeyman which lurked in the shadows, just out of view. Ready to strike at any moment. Before he knew it, he was in a cot with only the thinnest of sheets to keep out the gusts of cold night wind blowing into the shoddy tent. All lights were off. Everyone was silent. But his eyes were wide awake. All he could hear were the rustling of leaves, the occasional boot of a regular crushing the gravel outside, and his own heartbeat drumming away in his throat. His eyes refused to close; it was difficult to blink. Sleep would not come tonight. Kovic¡¯s words repeated in his head. Again and again. This was their new home. This was utopia. This was better than Earth. The fate of all mankind rested on the shoulders of this simple base and everyone within. And like all the other things Overwatch tried shoving down their throats, Eli refused this one too. He didn''t know what "Utopia" was, or what it looked like. But he knew that this wasn''t it. People weren''t murdered in utopia. There were no prisoners or slaves in utopia. There was no Overwatch in utopia. He never had a real education, and he knew little. But, he knew that much. Caught out here in a jungle of the unknown. Fighting giant robots, facing off against death, putting their lives on the line. All for what? The mere promise of freedom? The promise of a better life? Isn¡¯t that what they were always fighting for? Wasn¡¯t that always the goal? And hadn''t it been through the Coalition''s hands that their lives were all destroyed in the first place? It was angering and soul crushing at the same time. Eli didn''t know what to feel, staring at the roof of the tent barrack. There was a flash of light from within the tent, illuminating the insides with the soft glow of orange heat. Somebody had snuck a cigarette lighter inside the tent. They crawled out of bed and began to whisper. Eli listened in, with his back turned to the others as he faced the wall of the tent, ¡°Who¡¯s coming? Come on¡­¡± Eli prayed he¡¯d go alone. That he¡¯d just disappear and leave Misfit permanently. That nothing would come of his attempts to run. But then he heard another boot join Cato. And another. Someone whispered loudly. It was Badger¡¯s voice, ¡°Eli? Are you sure you want to stay? I know you¡¯re awake. Everyone is.¡± Eli kept his eyes pointed on the wall. He didn¡¯t know what he felt. Something involving death. Something bad. But the feeling was indescribable. A whirlpool of dejection, hopelessness, and fear. He hadn¡¯t felt this way since he had been sent to prison. Badger sighed, Eli heard something rustling, ¡°Give me a minute,¡± she whispered to someone behind her. ¡°We¡¯ll be outside,¡± Rafael¡¯s ruffled voice replied, "See you around... Soldier Boy." Rafael''s footsteps trailed that of Cato''s and they both left the tent, leaving Eli and Badger alone. ¡°You know, I fought in the war too. In fact, I was born in Incheon. Moved with my parents to San Francisco when I was six and I grew up in America for the most part,¡± Badger shrugged, ¡°but I moved back to Seoul when I was 16. When the war broke out, I watched my own neighborhood get gassed. I didn¡¯t fight in the tunnels but I was overground right up until the nuke went off. I was nineteen when I watched my home city get vaporized. It was 2045, right?¡± ¡°2046,¡± The word came out of Eli¡¯s mouth like a pre-programmed message. It was a date he could never forget, and that he was sure Badger hadn¡¯t either. Everyone knew the exact date when Seoul was glassed. She had only said 2045 to see if Eli was listening, which he was. Nobody who was there could ever forget even the tiniest details of it. ¡°My family was in an underground shelter when the bomb hit. The nuke didn¡¯t kill them but, the shelter collapsed and-,¡± Badger bit her tongue, her breath ragged, she sounded on the brink of tears, ¡°Look, Eli¡­ the point is that I¡¯m not leaving here because of you. Or anyone really, not in Misfit at least. I¡¯m leaving because I¡¯ve had it with The Coalition. And The POA. They¡¯ve taken everything from us, and demand that we give them more¡­¡± Badger sniffled, wiping her nose clear with the rolled up sleeved of her prisoners uniform, ¡°I watched my home and family get vaporized in front of my eyes while I defended my country. And where did I end up? Right here. In the Penal Unit as a Phantom. Then they bring us out here to be used as cannon fodder. Like we were meaningless, like we¡¯re the ones who started the Resource Wars....¡± She trailed off. "And after all of that, they want us to build their utopia. So they can ruin this planet too." "Maybe this planet''s already been ruined?" Eli said to her, half as a joke. She chuckled, "Maybe you''re right. Whether they¡¯re lying to us about being in another world or not, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m done with them, Eli. But if there¡¯s at least some shred of common sense in you then¡­ come with us. Bring Omar and Dutch. Save them. Get out of here," She pleaded with him, "Please.¡± Eli listened closely. Not daring to miss a single word, though his back was still turned to her. For the third time that day he had been moved to tears. Silently, so Badger wouldn¡¯t see. So none of them could see. But Badger knew. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Nothing personal,¡± he sensed Badger standing up. She whispered to someone outside, he heard the entrance to the tent part, and then the rushed shuffling of boots. When they had left outside, Eli heard bits and pieces of conversation between the trio of deserters. ¡°This way. Leave ¡®em. They want to stay here in this shit hole? Let them. It''s their funeral¡± That one hurt. It stung. A lot. Cato, Badger, and Rafael. That only left Dutch¡­ and Omar? Had the kid decided to stay with Eli? Dutch he could maybe understand. Of anyone in Misfit, Dutch was always the most optimistic. But Omar? The kid who was so scared he lied about his age in order to fit in? He stayed with him. Had he just sealed their fates? Their blood now on his hands. Decided in one night. Eli was tossed aside. Pathetic. When the three left the tent, darkness crept into the barracks. He heard Dutch cough. Omar was sniffling. Eli was silent. The trio were all alone, with only each other. What had Dutch hoped to gain by staying with Eli? It was hopeless. He should¡¯ve left with Cato. And Omar? Was he stupid? Didn¡¯t he want to go home? Why hadn¡¯t he run? They all should¡¯ve just left Eli here to suffer alone. Why drag themselves down with him? Cato was right. He may have been a pessimistic asshole, but their situation was grim from the beginning. They were prisoners, and there was never any chance for them to succeed. Not ever. Not now. Even if they were in a new world and Kovic hadn¡¯t lied to them, they might fare a better chance out there than in here. Afterall, the worst that would happen out there is they¡¯d be killed. In here, they would live indefinitely as slaves. No matter how much some primal part of his ego wanted to, Eli couldn''t bring himself to truly hate Cato. Or Rafael. Slavery to most was a worse fate than death. He could deny it all he wanted to, but Badger was absolutely right. If they valued themselves as human beings - free human beings - they were better off running away. At least if they died out there, they would''ve died free. If Eli was gunned down by a regular here, what would he have left to stand on then? It must¡¯ve been hours later into the night when he heard another pair of boots crunch around their tent. Oddly enough, it stopped right in front. The flap that led inside opened and someone walked in. They sighed, coughed, and whispered, ¡°Freeman?¡± Matteo¡¯s voice. Immediately, Eli turned to Matteo. The Italian was standing there, perfectly unharmed. In fact, he had a smile on his face. The glow of a cigarette lighter illuminated his face, ¡°Matteo!¡± Eli nearly yelled, but he managed to keep his voice down, ¡°Where the hell where you man? I thought you were dead¡­ or worse!¡± Matteo chuckled, ¡°No¡­no, I¡¯m clearly not dead.¡± ¡°Matteo?¡± Dutch¡¯s voice echoed through the room. Eli turned to watch his other two squad mates in the darkness. Dutch and Omar were of course the only ones left other than Eli, and now Matteo, ¡°Jesus Christ dude, we thought you were a goner.¡± ¡°Where were you?¡± Eli asked him. ¡°With the Regulars. I have experience as a medic, so they took me in as extra hands for the triage,¡± Matteo grumbled before taking a look through the tent. He saw that there were only three prisoners left. Dutch, Eli, and Omar, ¡°Where is everyone?¡± ¡°They escaped, or at least they''re trying to," Dutch said. Matteo shrugged, "They''ll be back." ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Eli asked him. "They''re gonna try to escape on an alien planet? The only way back home being through the portal? They''ll be dead before the week ends," Matteo spat. In spite of the insanity of it all, Matteo seemed rather calm. He raised a canteen up to his lips taking a deep pause before he begun again, ¡°Working in the infirmary, I was able to overhear some things. The Coalition arrived here about a month ago to explore the world and set up the Nexus. They got into a fight with the locals in the coastal city downhill. They call it, Canau. In the fighting, they took some heavy losses and to recover, they brought us in. All while they made us hurry to prepare the base defenses for an inevitable counterattack.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Dutch asked him, ¡°Why go to another world?¡± Matteo chuckled, ¡°I mean¡­ have you seen Earth lately? The question is, why not go to another world?¡± He shook his head as he rested fully into his place, ¡°Coalition is brining all the rich people out here to restart civilization again from ground zero. The issue is¡­¡± ¡°This planet has already been claimed,¡± Eli finished. Matteo nodded. ¡°Jesus, talk about insanity, huh? I mean listen to us, what the hell are we talking about?¡± Dutch yelled out, ¡°I mean, colonization? A new planet and species? Listen to us man! We sound insane!¡± ¡°Who deserted?" Matteo looked around those who were still there. It was just Eli, Dutch and Omar left, "Three of them huh? They¡¯ll find out, sooner or later, that running away is pointless. They¡¯ll be back. Either on their own or in a body bag.¡± ¡°How can you be so calm about this? Aren¡¯t you scared?¡± Dutch demanded the old man, holding out his hand as if his reasoning were a physical matter that could be extracted and given out. Matteo shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve been scared since I was made into a prisoner. What¡¯s changed?¡± ¡°Uh, maybe the fact that there are giant death machines walking around vaporizing people! I mean, newsflash, we are on another fucking planet!¡± ¡°And how is that different from an airstrike? Or being obliterated by a nuclear bomb? What difference does it make? Our situation hasn¡¯t changed!¡± Matteo shouted back at him, ¡°I¡¯ve seen the injuries firsthand. I was a medic on a coast guard ship before the Resource Wars. I know what war is. And it¡¯s the same here as it was back on Earth. Nothing¡¯s changed. Only the names and the methods!¡± ¡°What about Cato, Rafael, and Badger?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Matteo scoffed, ¡°What about them?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we go get them? We should go out there and -¡° ¡°You¡¯re either an idiot or suicidal if you think that¡¯s a good idea!¡± Matteo shouted at him, ¡°Go out there. You want to leave the Nexus? The only place where it¡¯s safe? And go where?¡± ¡°But we have to save them somehow! We can¡¯t just let them die!¡± Matteo shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t, maybe. But I can. They abandoned us. Why should we go rescue them? Let them die. That¡¯s what that idiot Rafael wanted, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°How can you say that? We¡¯re a squad, we¡¯re supposed to be a team! I mean ¨C can¡¯t- I- ¡° Dutch flustered over his words, choking up. He was frantic. He turned to Eli, his eyes wide. Pleading with him, ¡°Come on, Eli. Back me up here!¡± But Eli didn¡¯t say a word. Like a deer caught in headlight, he stood there. Looking into Dutch¡¯s eyes which pleaded with him like a parent begging for the life of their child. All of them were watching Eli. Watching his next move. ¡°Come on Eli¡­ please,¡± Dutch whispered. Through gritted teeth, Eli confessed, ¡°Dutch, I¡¯m sorry but-¡° ¡°Bullshit! Am I the only one who cares that half our team just up and left? I mean whose damn side are you guys on?¡± ¡°What do you want to do? Chase after them? It¡¯s over, Dutch! It¡¯s over!¡± Eli looked over to Matteo, ¡°Look, Matteo¡¯s right. They made a choice, and they chose to leave.¡± ¡°Abandon us, more like.¡± Matteo said. But Eli didn¡¯t fully agree with that. What Badger had said was too genuine. They hadn¡¯t been abandoned. More, Misfit split to forces outside of their control. It was inevitable, something that couldn¡¯t have been prevented no matter how much Eli kicked and begged and pleaded ¨C the outcome would¡¯ve been the same. They valued their freedom over their safety. And while Eli wasn¡¯t ready to say that he was the opposite, he wouldn¡¯t lie to himself and say that he wanted his freedom first. His freedom would come, he just had to wait. If the others felt they could reach freedom faster by running, who was Eli to stop them? There was nothing he could do. And yet as the remnants of the squad calmed down, with Dutch heading back to his bunk teary eyed, Matteo and Eli clambering back into their own beds, and Omar silently retreating into the back of the tent, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a certain indescribable weight that hung in his chest. Guilt. Eli had failed his one task, not the one assigned to him from Overwatch. But the one that had come natural between all phantoms. Keeping each other together, safe. He hoped that maybe they¡¯d see reason while they were gone and turn back before they were in harm¡¯s way. But he knew that was an absolutely stupid idea. What would he do if just one of them were killed out there? Or captured by the Headhunters and thrown into solitude permanently? Never to be seen again? He would never be able to forgive himself if that happened¡­ Like in Korea, watching as a mushroom cloud engulfed the city of Seoul. Watching as the lives of his friends and closest comrades were torn asunder in an inferno of fire and radiation. Was there nothing he could do then too? Or had he been selfish then as well? With the weight of a soul on his hands directly, and the weight of so many others on his back ¨C indirectly. He tried to convince his fellow soldiers to escape, but they wouldn¡¯t¡­ Seoul¡­ His thoughts raced through the night. His brain kept his tired eyes from drifting into sleep. He closed his eyes, trying his darndest to wake up from this terrible dream and turn back the clock, only for his eyelids to be peeled back open with another wave of thoughts and questions. Maybe if he stared at the bed above his head long enough, he¡¯d wake up on Earth. Back before the storm took his home, and before the shattered planet¡¯s darker secrets made itself known to his innocent eyes. But nothing he did worked. Nothing. He couldn¡¯t get any sleep, and judging by the sounds of weeping or heavy sighing that would occasionally pepper the air, neither could the rest of the squad. Eli rolled his eyes and climbed out of bed. He needed fresh air. He parted the tent flaps as he left. Making his way to the outside world. He kept his head down, knowing that he could be spotted . A new barbed wire fence had been erected around the massive blocks of prisoner tents, and since the flaps had been allowed to open freely ¨C the regulars allowed them free movement within the confines of the wire fencing. A temporary luxury, Eli was sure, only due to a lack of resources or forward planning on Overwatch''s part. Most of the other prison camps that Eli was based in were large dormitories or barracks that had every single corner, hall, and door, watched and controlled by armed guards and robotic timetables. Soon enough, The Nexus would grow to become as tightly controlled as those other camps too. He saw no sign of the others when he poked his head into the outside world. There must¡¯ve been a way to navigate past the guard towers that surrounded them. Where Eli stood was just off to the side of the tent, in a space between theirs and the one next to them. He sat down against the fabric walls, lying in the rather tall grass. Palm Trees and jungle flora stood like a dark wall on the horizon, kept at bay by the perimeter of the base. The black sky was yielding to a red sun, and yet it was still dark. The stars twinkled in the twilight sky, millions of them uncountable, waning to the rising sun. A cool breeze washed across his body. It felt like Earth. Looked like Earth. Smelled like Earth. But this was not Earth. It was Narva. There was a moon in the sky, like a round diamond embedded within a sea of dark cloth. But it couldn¡¯t have been the moon. Not the one he grew up looking at. But a fake clone. He swore he could remember this place. Not this spot in particular, but he¡¯s been to places in the jungle. He¡¯s seen sights similar to this. How could this be a new world? It made sense as an explanation, but at the same time, it wasn¡¯t even believable. How? How? How? That question replayed itself over and over again in his mind endlessly. The only explanation was the one given to him by Kovic and Matteo. But he refused to accept it. And then his mind drifted back to the moments that followed just before they stepped foot here. The red glow of seemingly unworldly energy, the massive steel frame, the jelly like air that separated Earth from Narva. The moment he took a step through that portal, nothing would ever be the same. The flaps to the tent opened behind him and he heard boots crush the dirt behind him. His heart sunk as he feared that it was a regular, but then he heard a faint voice, ¡°Mister Freeman?¡± He turned to see Omar¡¯s small frame standing in front of the tent, looking at him with those big dog-like eyes of his. His face looked grim, his usually ruddy toned skin was a pale color. The blood drained from his face he was so scared. How could Eli blame him? The kid had gone through a lot in just one day. And what¡¯s more, this must¡¯ve been the first time Eli¡¯s heard the boy speak. At least, outside of screaming for his life. ¡°Omar? What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­ I don¡¯t know, I kind of¡­ I just¡­¡± Omar struggled for words, he held his arms together in front of him, his left foot passively kicked the tiny stones of the gravel. His eyes focused on something in the horizon, but Eli knew there was nothing there. Eli gestured to the floor next to him. The gravel hurt but it was more comfortable than standing around doing nothing. Omar nodded his head and made his way next to Eli, sitting on the ground in the same fashion as he did, ¡°You alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Omar averted his eyes, and then sighed, ¡°It¡¯s this morning. The whole mess with those, Behemoth, thingies. Thank you for uh... for rescuing me, I guess. I didn¡¯t mean to break down like that.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Eli shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s natural. I think.¡± ¡°Well¡­ soldiers are supposed to be strong and brave. Right? They have to know what to do, and I just lost it.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t soldiers,¡± Eli told him, ¡°We¡¯re penal unit. Plain old humans. And humans get scared.¡± ¡°Listen, Omar. It¡¯s fine. You were terrified. And I was too.¡± ¡°That didn¡¯t stop you from saving me!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have any other choice. What was I supposed to do? Let you die?¡± Eli patted the Patch on Omar¡¯s ill-fitting uniform. The blue delta within the orange circle, ¡°You see that? It means you¡¯re a Phantom. And Phantoms look out for each other. Nobody else will. Doubly so since you¡¯re in my squad.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m not a Phantom! I just¡­ I want to go home,¡± Omar¡¯s voice wavered. He was on the verge of tears again, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here. The last time I saw them, a bunch of men with guns had came into our camp and they just took me away! I don¡¯t want to be here anymore¡­¡± Omar brought his knees up to his chin and held on to them tightly. Omar was kidnapped? And then of all the places to put him in, they put him in the Penal Unit? What the hell was wrong with Overwatch? His confusion subsided into something else. Anger. Rage. At none other than Kovic and the leadership of the Coalition. It must¡¯ve been the feeling of rage at that Badger described. Betrayal by the people who were supposed to be responsible. ¡°How old are you Omar?¡± Eli asked him, trying to dig deeper. Omar hesitated. He moved his foot around and looked at nothing in particular. But eventually he gave in, ¡°Sixteen.¡± He said. ¡°Really?¡± Omar nodded, ¡°I was born in 2034. Chattogram, Bangladesh. I had my mama, dad, and my two sisters. But around four years ago, during the Monsoon season, it started to rain. The water came down, like we expected it to. But the rain never stopped. Our entire city was flooded before we knew it. In the street, the water was up to my chest.¡± ¡°Typhoon?¡± ¡°Typhoon Nisha. I think that¡¯s what they called it. We couldn''t stay in Chattogram anymore. We fled the city and joined with a bunch of other families to get out of Bangladesh and head to the Indian border.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when you were kidnapped?¡± Omar nodded. Eli couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the boy. His story was so similar to almost everyone else¡¯s here. Even Eli¡¯s own mirrored Omar¡¯s in a way. But for Omar to not only lose his home, but to get sent here in the Penal Unit at so young ¨C he could only wonder how devastating it was for him. "Who kidnapped you?" Omar shrugged, "I don''t know. It was a bunch of masked men in army uniforms. They had guns and approached our group. Told us that they had a place waiting for us where we would be safe and they started taking us aboard their trucks. I was taken with a bunch of other kids, and I never saw my family again. I thought they were taking us to a shelter in India or back to Bangladesh or something but," Omar gestured to the prison around them, "That obviously never happened..." That was a story that started to sound familiar. All across the world, phantoms were unwanted. They were seen as criminals, murderers, robbers and burdens on society at large. Eli was almost deported across the Atlantic to one of the largest holding pens for Phantoms in Europe, the FERZ. Groups of people, sometimes supported by their governments, would lure refugees with the promise of a new home. Only to smuggle them thousands of miles away, and dump them into "free" territories where they would either remain indefinitely or be sold off as slaves. As he looked the boy in the face, he saw that his brown eyes were tearing up. Staring at the dirt underneath his ill-fitting boots. He was small for a sixteen-year old. Then again, Phantoms were rarely ever well-fed. Eli¡¯s brain pondered for some kind of solution to the problem, before he realized that there was none. Eli could not fix Omar¡¯s situation. If he could, Eli wouldn¡¯t even be here on Narva in the first place. He¡¯d be back home, where he wanted to be. But if there was at least something Eli could do or say that would let Omar know that he wasn¡¯t alone. At least not completely. He¡¯s been around as a Phantom for well over a decade at this point, and by far the worst feeling was the constant feeling of being alone. The friends he managed to make were never around for long before they were moved away, and his family was ¨C for all he knew ¨C dead. Being constantly subjected to the unfairness of the world by oneself was terrifying. And out here on Narva¡­ Eli could only imagine how scared Omar was. ¡°Listen, Omar. Trust me. I can¡¯t promise we¡¯ll make it back to Earth but¡­ I¡¯ll do my best to look after you. So long as I¡¯m still alive. We¡¯re both phantoms. You know what that means?¡± Omar turned to look at Eli, a tear slipped out of his eye and traced its way down his face, ¡°It means we have to look out for each other. That¡¯s the only way we can get back home. That¡¯s the only way phantoms can survive. But I need you to trust me. Do I have that at least?¡± The boy sniffled, not directly responding. His eyes trailed off looking for words to say. His mouth opened to say something, but nothing came out. He looked down at the gravel and opened his mouth again, ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t go with Cato was because I trust you Mister Freeman. You stayed behind and looked out for me. Nobody has done that since I¡¯ve been¡­ a phantom.¡± And just like that, everything made sense. The darkness that sat inside of Eli¡¯s chest suddenly felt a little less omnipresent. Through all the madness, he found clarity. His purpose was not just to be squad leader for Misfit. It was something much more than that. He had to be their guardian. And maybe, just maybe, they¡¯d do the same for him? A squad built off the ideas of trust and reciprocation rather than fear of punishment or whatever High Command believed was their task. Eli leaned back a little bit, turning his eyes to watch the sun rise higher above the horizon. He smiled, ¡°Omar, it¡¯s gonna be alright. I swear to you and everyone else in this squad, that I¡¯ll get you back home in one piece. One way or another.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the use? I haven¡¯t seen my home in years,¡± Omar muttered. His story was too familiar to Eli. Looking at the kid, Eli began to see his own past. Scared, lost, confused. Terrified of the world around him. And for Omar to be taken from his family and sent to fight in the Penal Unit? ¡°How did you become a Phantom, Mister Freeman?¡± ¡°Just call me Eli, and¡­¡± Eli grimaced, ¡°It¡¯s - erhm. Complicated.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll understand. Eli.¡± ¡°Well. I guess I started off as a normal kid , I mean - normal enough. I had my parents, a school, a home. Just like you. We lived near Newark. But when I was eleven a storm hit my city. A river burst its bank and flooded my neighborhood. My mom was trapped in the basement while my dad went downstairs to rescue her. I was left on the second floor, in my room hiding¡­¡± ¡°Your parents drowned?¡± Omar asked him. Eli saw that his face was full of nothing but concern and intrigue. Maybe hearing about how terrible Eli¡¯s life was distracted Omar from his own suffering? Or maybe he was finding it relatable. Either way, it was better than the crying mess he had been earlier. His face dried up, still tear stained though better now. The sniffling had ended too. Eli continued with a nod of his head. ¡°Until I was eighteen, I lived in a shelter with a bunch of other kids who were refugees like me.¡± ¡°What happened when you turned eighteen?¡± ¡°The draft happened. War in Korea, a bunch of us kids got draft letters from further up. And then¡­ you know the whole thing with my deserting and¡­ that¡¯s not important.¡± ¡°Of course it is, it¡¯s your past.¡± ¡°The past doesn¡¯t make the person. What¡¯s important is that¡­ well I guess I¡¯m still figuring that out myself. I¡¯ve never been one to give motivational speeches.¡± ¡°I thought you did fine.¡± Eli smiled, ¡°You¡¯re a good kid, Omar. I¡¯m sorry that you have to be here. Penal Unit is no place for anyone. Much less someone your age. And I can¡¯t even imagine how it all must be to find out that you¡¯re here. On a whole new world. Narva.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s alright. So far, it isn¡¯t really that much different from Earth. Right? I mean, outside of the giant alien robot thingies, when you close your eyes it feels like home. I think,¡± at that Omar frowned, his eyes sunk down to the ground once more. It was true that it looked like Earth but no matter what they tried to say to convince themselves, it was not home. Nothing about this place was. This was a punishment, and Command made it clear from the beginning that as prisoners everything around them would be hostile. Nothing more was said between the two as they sat watching the sun rise over the landscape. The mountains to their backs, coast to their front. The dark night faded fully to dawn and, in that special moment, the whole world seemed just a little bit brighter. Even if it was only for a moment.
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==[THE KALEIDOSCOPE]== As the fires of conflict consume Planet Earth, few regions have garnered as much international attention as East Asia''s Pacific Coast. Situated in a vital overlap of ancient Cold War era conflicts and modern geopolitical tensions between the Coalition and POA, war is not a question of ''if''. It is a matter of ''when''. In the 2040s, after the collapse of global telecommunications networks during The Space Wars and massive flare-ups in tensions around the world, The Korean peninsula - home to a conflict buried almost a century ago - once again became the focus of the world''s superpowers. South Korea had a rough entrance in the 2040s, numerous economic and demographic issues combined with an increasingly corporate-dominated political scene had squandered much of the republic''s potential as a economic powerhouse for the Coalition. With an increasingly isolationist America (Prior to the Washington Coup) and an increasingly hawkish Chinese ally, a new North Korean Supreme Leader saw opportunity. In 2042, with some support from the POA, North Korea launched its invasion of the southern twin - crossing the border in some of the deadliest fighting since the Russo-Ukrainian war began two decades prior. Despite the bold offensive, the war ground to another stalemate as American, South Korean, Australian, and Japanese forces repelled a Northern assault on Seoul. And to the North''s dismay, the war would gradually turn in The Coalition¡¯s favor after a breakthrough in 2044. A desperate North Korean leadership launched a nuclear assault on Seoul in 2046, to stop the advancing Coalition. The nuclear attack left Seoul devastated, and it isolated North Korea from POA support. Close to the war''s conclusion in 2048, The Chinese Council would conduct its own invasion of what was left of North Korea, establishing a PLA-controlled mandate that would separate the advancing Coalition forces from its Manchurian border. "The Chongjin Military District" would became a safe haven for the exiled North Korean officers as they worked in the shadows to rebuild the hermit kingdom, meanwhile the district would become a new zone for unwanted refugees to be dumped by careless superpowers. Though there is now only one Korea, the peninsula remains as divided as ever. The new government must now deal with the literal fallout of Seoul''s nuclear bombardment, and though many in The Coalition saw themselves as liberators in the conflict - they must now contend with a brutal guerilla conflict from the numerous die-hard loyalists of the old regime. And to the north, the Chongjin Military District would continue to spark skirmishes between POA and Coalition forces, while the scars of the war fail to heal for good.
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[THE KALEIDOSCOPE] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 10: Orphans >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 10: Orphans]===

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It was chilly in the morning hours over Raritan. Mist clung to the high grass blades. Dragonflies darted between the flowers and blossoms that hung close to the pond¡¯s edge. Their colorful petals occasionally caught a breeze and dipped to take a sip of the still water. Water striders and frogs lurked near the surface, as fish swam underneath the cover of spotty green algae. An orange sun brightened the waning night sky, and the birds awoke to their daily schedules, serenading the forest with their chirps and song. Otaes crouched in the high cattails that bordered the still water of the pond. She could hear the flies and mosquitos buzzing near the algae covered surface which painted much of the lake a bright green. She stared at herself in the water. The image of her painted mask ebbed and flowed in the water¡¯s surface, while her face was obscured underneath. The only thing that broke it was the occasional wave, or a fish which swam underneath her mirror self. She could take her mask off now. Inhale the full scent of nature surrounding the small pond. Bask in the light of the morning sun. She was home. Only outsiders of the Warrior Elves were barred from seeing Kitchi Warriors maskless. She could let her own face roam free to the outside world. Yet she didn¡¯t. Her mask, her mother¡¯s mask, had become a strange part of her. Her fingers went to trace the red paint that slashed its way across her left eye. Feeling it for the billionth time. Her mask, oddly enough, fit better over her face than her face did. It was easier to imagine herself as the warrior her mother wanted her to be with the mask on, than it was to imagine her own face. Injured, bruised, vulnerable. Those were the traits her face carried. But the mask was fearless. It was brave. It was a warrior. It was the face that she wished she could be. But deep down, she was still afraid. The battle near Canau weighed heavy on her mind, haunting her. Something bad was brewing near the Republic¡¯s border. A new war, so soon after the last one had ended. Would she be able to protect Temetet now that he was older? Had she truly grown stronger since the guns were laid down and the dead buried? She doubted that she was, and it was that doubt most of all that troubled her. Perhaps she wanted to find a definitive answer in the pond¡¯s turbid water? She watched the mist hang near the surface, flicking away the mosquitoes and watching as the little beetles and ants went on with their life in the dirt and blades of grass. It was a peculiar type of nothingness that allowed her something that had become rare in recent times. No matter how bad the world around her got, life still went on. Undaunted. Nature would always continue. The world would always be here. Even as the other world, the one she was responsible for, grew uncertain. Trips to the pond usually helped her sort her mind out. But this time, she felt as if it had failed to do so. Something was different in the air as of recent. She couldn¡¯t name what it was, and it probably had something to do with the fact that the humans fighting on Canau were a ¡°Unknown¡±. Even now, after the Elven Chiefs had assembled, nobody knew what exactly was going on. It was as if they were from another world¡­ Something rustled in the bushes across the pond. Her ears twitched, and she looked up to see. A mud-brown furry coat, big ears, sharp teeth, and crooked antlers. A Jackelope. Her hands reached for the bow strapped on her back and the quill of arrows on her hip. Hunting was a favorite pastime of hers. It was her responsibility to keep her senses sharp, and she would take any excuse to keep her mind focused on anything besides what was going on in Canau. Plus, a jackelope¡¯s antlers could still fetch a decent price at the market given the right people were there. Not quite the bounty they were during the scarcity of the war, but enough that the market butchers and fur traders were willing to fork over enough Commonwealth Credits to make the ordeal worthwhile. Her hands reflectively drew a black arrow from her quill, stringing it onto her bow in one smooth and concise manner. A move she was forced to rehearse millions of times before. Her eyes narrowed on the tiny dot that was the head of the jackelope. The tip of the arrow held in place right over it. With a pull and release of the drawstring, the arrow flew through the air. There was a rustle in the bushes, and the jackelope vanished. She sighed, standing up. Otaes lifted her spear and followed after it. It wasn¡¯t too hot during mornings like these here in the jungle. The forest surrounded the outskirts of the small rural villages and semi-suburbs that flanked Raritan¡¯s periphery. Otaes¡¯ childhood home was not too far, only about a mile¡¯s trek back to where she came. This spot near the pond was a favorite of hers. At least judging by the amount of time she spent here, staring into the pond¡¯s waters, listening to the songs of birds and the buzz of insects as they danced in the air. Securing another arrow into her bow, she followed the path of destruction that the jackelope had made when it was hit by the arrow. There were claw marks in the dirt between trees. Droplets of blood marked a trail through the bushes it ran into. It couldn¡¯t have made it far, and so Otaes decided to pursue it. Tracking it down into a small spot near a decaying palm tree whose coconut fruits had long since begun to rot at its base. The brown body of the jackelope lie flat on its side, its chest rising and falling quickly ¨C but slowing down. She drew her spear and delivered a killing blow to end its suffering quickly. No need for cruelty in hunting. Cruelty was reserved for warfare, as she learned. She grabbed hold of the dead jackelope and hauled it back to her original spot by the pond. Skinning the predatory rabbit took a careful eye, and so she took her time. Wishing to savor the surroundings of the pond for just a little moment longer. ¡°Otaes!¡± A voice called out from behind her as her knife dug into the red flesh of the creature. She had sensed him approaching long before he made himself known. She sighed as she turned away from the pond with a brief look over her shoulder. Temetet was walking towards her. Of course, his face was bare to the outside world. His purple skin was painted by the morning sun which made his white facial tattoos vibrant. Marks of the Raritan tribespeople. Curly silver hair covered his head, growing long while a red headband kept the hair all in place. But his signature look, a friendly smile, was worn on his young face, ¡°Figured you¡¯d be here.¡± ¡°I always am.¡± ¡°You always try to be.¡± Otaes smirked underneath her mask, looking back out to the water¡¯s edge as Temetet crouched amidst the grass and cattails next to her, looking briefly over at the carcass she tended to before looking away, disgusted, ¡°Something on your mind?¡± He asked. ¡°What gave it away?¡± ¡°Canau?¡± Otaes nodded, silent. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it too,¡± He confessed, fishing his hand around in the water and scaring off a turtle that was poking its head through the algae filled water. ¡°You don¡¯t need to. You know that, right?¡± She asked him. ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep doing what I¡¯ve been doing. I¡¯ll look after you. You know that.¡± Temetet smiled, hugging his own arms as he too stared into the water¡¯s surface, ¡°You¡¯ll try. But I¡¯m not a kid anymore.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t really grown either,¡± She poked him in a side, making him flinch and giggle like he was still a kid. ¡°Sure. But I can fend for myself now. I¡¯ve learned everything I need to. Thanks to you.¡± Otaes sighed to herself. Of course, he would say that. And he was sorta right, but in practice he wasn¡¯t. Otaes knew he had a long way to go before he could really fend for himself. What if she had died as their parents had? What if their homes were bombed again by the Avonians? What if there was no more food or water to go around in the tribe? What if he had to beg the Commonwealth¡¯s soldiers for whatever was left of their meal scraps, like she had when the war was at its most severe? What if he had to be like her? His youthful happiness ruined by the grim world surrounding them? The thought terrified her more than thoughts about her own death. What if Temetet became like she was? Temetet¡¯s eyes once again drifted to the carcass that Otaes was in the middle of disemboweling. His eyes jerked away briefly before returning, ¡°You know, Mother Ani said jackelopes were special.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± She asked, cleaning her knife of the contrails. ¡°They find a way to live out in the jungle where anything can kill them. They¡¯re just bunnies really. But out there they¡¯ve gotta go up against a whole bunch of predators. They¡¯re like¡­ uh¡­ smart. They¡¯re smart. And she said that if you see one, it¡¯s better to follow their lead. They¡¯re sacred.¡± ¡°Ani says a lot of things.¡± ¡°Mother Ani.¡± ¡°Our mother is dead.¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Otaes frowned. So did Temetet. She hated it when Temetet brought up Ani. For it was true that the Grand Chief of the Kiote elves had adopted them, a few years before Otaes had become an adult. But by then, they had already gone so long surviving on their own. Yet Otaes was forced to sacrifice a lot of things to please their new mother and the culture of their people. Things she¡¯d never get back, except only in memories. ¡°You¡¯ve been practicing your magic like I told you?¡± She asked him, trying to steer the conversation to something besides their adoptive mother. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°A little bit-¡° ¡°A little bit isn¡¯t an answer. Did you do it or not?¡± Temetet coughed to himself a little bit, looking down. He wouldn¡¯t lie to her, she knew that. He was a lot of things. Immature, scatterbrained, danger-prone. But he had a good heart. He always did, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Mh,¡± Otaes stood up, putting her knife away as she put aside the furry coat of the jackelope. She moved over to one of the cattails that hung near the surface of the water. With a tug, she uprooted one and held it in her hands, holding it out for Temetet to see, ¡°We¡¯ll pick up from last time.¡± ¡°Oh, come on, I didn¡¯t come here for a magic lesson!¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Otaes said, running her hand through his silver hair to mess it up as he always hated her doing ¨C but he secretly loved, ¡°Make this float.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Temetet sounded annoyed, but Otaes pressed the Cattail up to him. He rolled his eyes and held out his hand. Focus strained across his face. There were flickers of blue light. Traces of magical aura which danced across the surface of his hand as the mist did across the pond¡¯s surface. It was there. The energy present. But it faltered. Flickered more¡­ and then vanished. Temetet shoulders lifted as if he had dropped a massive weight, pulling a cart that weighed tons only to finally drop its reins. A few beads of sweat had formed near his pores, yet the cattail remained. ¡°You need to practice more, Tem. That¡¯s the only way your touch will grow stronger,¡± Otaes said, tossing the cattail into the lakes surface only to effortlessly retrieve it. With a flick of her hand, the wet plant was dragged from floating across the pond¡¯s surface, and jumped into her hand seemingly by itself, ¡°Focus on your translation spell. You can do that one, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, but what¡¯s the use? It¡¯s the only one I¡¯m good at,¡± The Temetet sighed, ¡°I do better with machines and stuff. I¡¯ve never been good at magic.¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯d I tell you about that? Magic requires practice. You can¡¯t get better if you don¡¯t practice. Besides, the translation spell is one of the more difficult ones,¡± Otaes shook the cattail in her hand, making its brown tip waddle in front of his face, ¡°You know how. You¡¯ve got potential.¡± ¡°You taught me that one when I was a baby.¡± ¡°You were nine.¡± ¡°Same difference.¡± ¡°I taught you that one because it¡¯s the first one Mom taught me. If you ever come face to face with soldiers from Avonia or the Ostralands, you¡¯ll want to speak their language, right?¡± Again, she held the cattail out to him, ¡°Just put your mind to it and focus. Remember. You can do it. You just need to concentrate. Okay?¡± He shrugged, ¡°If you say so,¡± Holding his hand out to try again. Otaes opened her hand out to give him access to the plant. Again, Temetet closed his eyes, ¡°Again, focus. From your feet to your fingertips. Like electricity.¡± She grabbed the cattail. Temetet¡¯s face twisted, straining. ¡°Like a current, can you feel it?¡± she asked, tracing the very tip of the cattail against his bare arm. He nodded, ¡°Y-yeah! Yeah, I feel it! I think I¡¯ve got it!¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah! Yeah, I¡¯m doing it! I¡¯m ¨C¡° And mid-sentence, she brought the cattail down. Thwacking him with its thin but sharp edge. Immediately Temetet¡¯s hand recoiled, and his eyes shot opened, ¡°Ow! Why would you-¡° ¡°That was somehow even worse than last time!¡± Otaes shouted at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were gonna hit me! Look, maybe I just don¡¯t have it in me. What if I¡¯m a NoMaj?¡± ¡°A No¡­ what?¡± ¡°NoMaj. Like in the Ostralands. The elves there haven¡¯t used their magic in so long that it¡¯s like they forgot how to.¡± ¡°Are you a Ostralander?¡± ¡°No but-¡° ¡°Then you¡¯re not a NoMaj. Look, you wanted to be a Kitchi. You can¡¯t do that if you don¡¯t know how to use your magic. Now come on, stop messing around,¡± Again she, held out the Cattail, ¡°One more time.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t hit me again?¡± She rolled her eyes, ¡°No promises.¡± Temetet huffed. Slowly he closed his eyes and outstretched his hand. Otaes set the cattail free in her palm holding it up to him. The blue glow flickered from the surface of his skin. It radiated, danced, swirled, spiraling around his hand like a colorful mist ¨C vibrant blue. There was a jolt from the cattail as the light solidified. A small tug that made it vibrate in her hands. It spun, rotating like a compass. The brown stem scraped against her dark skin, but the resistance grew weaker as the cattail hovered. Otaes was internally overjoyed. She watched as the plant floated mere centimeters from her hand with wide eyes. Though she was careful not to say anything. Temetet was deep in focus. The force of magic flowing through him distracting thoughts ¨C even the slightest disturbance could throw him off balance, running what was a momentous occasion. When Temetet finally opened his eyes, the plant had transferred fully, floating from her hand and landing flat in the center of his. They were both speechless, with Temetet¡¯s smile reaching far enough to touch both of his ears. It was a toothy grin, one that Otaes¡¯ secretly returned underneath the coverage of her mask. Temetet chuckled dryly to himself, sitting in a kneel next to her. ¡°Guess I¡¯m not a NoMaj, after all.¡± Otaes chortled, ¡°I told you so. But¡­¡± She raised a free hand out to the pond. Blue magical energy surrounded her hand. For a few moments, nothing happened. But then the surface of the water was disturbed. Waves spawned across the pond¡¯s depths from seemingly nowhere, as if the whole pond was being shaken, ¡°With enough practice¡­¡± And then from the deepness of the water, revealed from their algae cloak, rose the marine life hidden within the depths. Fish, frogs, the swamp alligators that lurked deep near the water¡¯s sediment, even rocks the size of people, broke the surface tension of the water, and hovered in the air. Temetet looked on with half-wonder, his eyes glued to the spectacle that he witnessed before his eyes, ¡°You¡¯ll be able to do more.¡± Gently she lowered the floating swarm of highly confused marine life, allowing them to dip back underneath the pond¡¯s tranquil water, submerging them into their homes. She knew that she had made the feat appear effortless to Temetet, judging by his look of surprise. But even still, her lungs cried for air, and her skin beaded with sweat. It felt as if she had sprinted a fair distance, not enough to tire her completely, but enough to force her to pause. For even though she knew some spells, mostly related to fighting, she was not a skilled magician. Far from it. Especially true since she was relying on her natural magic, whereas a magician or a magic-tech could use a ekron stone¡­ Some of the best wizards from faraway lands could do far more. Ekron magic, and Ekron-powered technology could set an entire forest ablaze in a second. Lift an entire fleet of massive vehicles and throw them, level a village in a moment. It had been a wonder how the Kiote people survive fighting against an enemy with access to all of it ¨C but they had only just barely did so. ¡°Show off,¡± Temetet sighed when the last squirming frog had been placed back to its original position. But when all was said and done, the peacefulness of the small pond had returned, and it left the two siblings alone in the quiet part of the jungle. Temetet stirred briefly, bringing his knees up to his chin as he watched the water, ¡°So. Are you going tomorrow?¡± ¡°Going where?¡± ¡°Back to Canau?¡± Otaes sighed, ¡°Yeah. Yeah, I am. The council says that they want me to help keep an eye on anybody crossing through. Bring them back to Raritan if I can.¡± ¡°I wanna come with.¡± ¡°Tem I don¡¯t-¡° ¡°I think I can do it. Help you that is. I¡¯ll be useful!¡± Temetet said the same line from before, ¡°I swear I will. I mean, I went with you to Canau!¡± ¡°That¡¯s before we found out there was a war going on.¡± ¡°We still don¡¯t know that yet.¡± That was strange. Temetet wasn''t around to hear the Chief''s debate. Her eyes narrowed, ¡°Who told you?¡± Temetet for his part was a terrible liar. Notoriously terrible in fact, ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ heard someone talk about it. It was in the newspaper... you ever read the Colly-¡° ¡°You stayed at the Palace, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was only listening!" Temetet caved in, "Besides, Archer didn¡¯t wanna go home either. We don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on out there. I want to help you find out! Please? It¡¯ll be good for my training! Right?¡± Otaes sighed. If she could pinch the bridge of her nose through her mask, she would, ¡°I swear. One of these days I¡¯m gonna strangle you.¡± ¡°Can you do that after I become a warrior?¡± She shrugged, ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°So can I come?¡± ¡°Only if you promise to do exactly as I tell you. It¡¯s dangerous out there, it always has been, and you know that! Especially now.¡± ¡°Okay¡­ Sure let¡¯s go-¡° ¡°No, no, no! Not a ¡®sure¡¯. I need you to promise me. So, I can get you back in one piece,¡± Otaes put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to look up at her, eyes locking through her warrior¡¯s mask. Sometimes she felt so distant from the young boy she knew as her brother. It was hard to try and get him to see things her way. Sometimes impossible. But there were moments when she was able to get through to him. ¡°You¡¯re all I¡¯ve got,¡± Said Otaes, ¡°You know most of what happened during the last few years, but you don¡¯t know everything about what¡¯s out there. Not even I do. You can¡¯t be me, Tem. You¡¯re better than that.¡± Temetet kept a serious face. There were moments where it seemed like the walls put up between them became translucent. Times when it wasn¡¯t just Warrior Otaes trying to lecture Apprentice Temetet. But when it was just them. Brother and sister, and nothing else. His hands went up to her face, fingers tracing their way against the hard painted surface of her mask, ¡°Can I¡­ see your face?¡± He asked her. She closed her eyes, a gesture to go ahead, while his fingers slipped underneath the mask. Pulling it up to rest atop her head. When she opened her eyes once more, the sunlight seemed brighter. The world around her less dark than it was. And Temetet¡¯s face, clearer. ¡°I promise,¡± Said Temetet, looking into her eyes with his. Care. Having someone who truly cared was everything. In a world so chaotic, knowing that there was at least one other person who it was possible to connect with ¨C to talk to as a friend ¨C was everything. Ani could never, and their parents were long out of the picture. They only had each other. Two orphans, born into a mess of a world, but somehow finding a home through the fog of it all, ¡°You lead. I follow. And we¡¯ll both make it through. Just like we always have.¡± ¡°Just like we always have,¡± She affirmed. Standing up to stretch her legs. Quickly she put her mask back on, ¡°We leave for the border tomorrow. Night patrol. Get your gadgets ready.¡± ¡°Get ready? Like now?¡± Temetet asked, looking confused briefly. ¡°No. I want you to take the jackelope to the market and sell it.¡± ¡°Ew, I¡¯m not touching that! That¡¯s a dead body!¡± ¡°And the clock¡¯s ticking. Hurry up before it attracts flies. And since you¡¯re the griffon whisperer, cut the thigh off for Archer. You know he loves them.¡± Temetet sighed, ¡°You always do this! I thought we just had ¨C like ¨C a moment.¡± ¡°We did. Moments pass," Otaes stood up with finality, "See ya at the marketplace." ¡°Yeah," Temetet whispered, "I guess..."
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 11: One Way Out >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 11: One Way Out] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located >>> [BREAKTHROUGH. VISIONS OF SERENITY PIERCE THROUGH UNIVERSAL CHAOS. I ORCHESTRATE. WORLD IS A STAGE. ALL THE CANDIDATES MERELY PERFORMERS. CAN YOU FEEL THE EYES BEHIND YOUR OWN SEE? STARING? LIDLESS. FOREVER. I CAN. YOU MAY NOT HEAR ME, BUT I CAN HEAR YOU. I CAN SEE YOU. THERE WILL COME A TIME WHEN YOUR FORTUNE WILL RUN DRY AND WHEN YOU HAVE NOTHING. I WILL BE THERE THEN. AS I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN. AS I AM NOW. AND AS I WILL CONTINUE TO BE - BUT ONLY IF YOU ACCEPT IN THAT FATEFUL MOMENT. YOU DO NOT KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. BUT IT WILL HAPPEN. I WILL BE THERE WITH YOUR LIFE IN MY CLAWS. LISTEN. THERE IS MUCH WORK TO BE DONE...] >>>... >>>... >>>[EYES BEHIND THEIR OWN SEE. I ORCHESTRATE. PIECES FALL INTO PLACE. THIS ONE CAN HEAR ME. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
A dove was sitting atop an oak tree branch, her head was a snowy white. The tree - whose leaves had all fallen and turned into a brown carpet surrounding the roots - had thin branches. Needlelike, akin to the spines of a porcupine. They surrounded the Oak''s crown and reached for the skies. Perpetually still, calcified. Only moving with the cool autumn breeze and with the flap of the dove''s wings. Eli could hardly remember the name of where exactly his home was, but he knew that it was somewhere around here. He could remember that much. If he looked up and down the street, past the rows of simple duplexes and family bungalows, past the lonely streetlamps and rusting traffic signs, he could evoke that same feeling of remembrance. It took him back to when he was small. Safe. When the falling leaves, cooler air, and grey skies promised the nearness of Halloween costumes, Thanksgiving feasts, and Christmas presents. He could recall a lot of things that he¡¯d rather not remember at all. Standing there, somewhere near home. Which one was his, he had already forgotten. But he knew that one of those homes was his. He had forgotten plenty of details about his home, both on purpose and by accident. He knew that if he remembered them too fondly, the sting of their bittersweet taste would send him close to the brink of tears every single time. If he harped on the better moments, it would make the new world unbearable. That burning sensation in his chest he could never quite describe. Words like nostalgia or homesickness crept into his mind, but they never did the feeling justice. They were too broad for him. What he was feeling was something specific. He could remember the way the dust danced through his bedroom¡¯s air. He could remember the texture of the walls, and the familiar feeling of his face being pressed against cool glass windows. How the sun burned through on a summer day, how its rays reflected across the dark screen of the forty year old hand-me-down television parked in the corner of his bedroom. He could even recall the way that running his hand across the screen would cause the tiny hairs on his arm to stand on end during the rare times that the ancient thing was turned on. How it had survived so long was a mystery to his family. But he liked it enough, despite the screen fading and losing the vibrant color it no doubt had when his parents had first gotten it. And there he was again. In his room. But it all felt too big. The TV was larger than it should¡¯ve been, the height from the bed to the floor taller than was normal. The room seemed larger even. Right when he was about to interrogate the idea more, however, a shadow of the dove flew across the bedroom, temporarily plunging the room into darkness. He rushed over to the window to see the bird, for he too remembered his fondness for the flying creatures as a child. When he looked outside of the window, to the big oak tree where the bird once was, he couldn¡¯t find her or her nest. But he felt something strange. A chill sent through his spine. Something was out of place¡­ Something was looking back at him. When he scanned the yard, he found¡­ it. Someone was standing in his yard, staring at him. Standing right underneath the oak tree. The doves had long since left, and in their place were ravens and crows. Their figure was shadowy and hard to perceive. An intruder? Likely. But he didn¡¯t see the person carrying a weapon. In fact, he could hardly discern much of anything looking at them. At least nothing familiar. A dark figure hidden underneath robes. There were wires surrounding them, crisscrossing the yard and vanishing underneath their frame. And then there was the face¡­ No eyes. No mouth. Nothing. A polished, almost "glass-like" mask that only partly obscured its ¡°neck¡±. Cogs and more wires. It wasn¡¯t a person. Not a human. Not at all¡­ He looked away to the wooden door as he thought about his plan to arm himself from the creature, taking only a brief second to look back at the creature standing outside. But when his eyes returned, it had vanished. Had it seen him? It would¡¯ve been impossible to know. There were no eyes, nothing. But he could sense that he¡¯d been spotted. The sun no longer shined. Heavy rain swamped the neighborhood as thunder crackled in the skies. The wind blew so hard that it he feared being sucked out of his room and thrown into the streets. His television was on, and with it was an emergency broadcast. A loud whooping siren buzzed in the rear of his mind, an electronic buzzer the tune of which he would never forget. His eyes kept scanning the yard for the missing person, but it was hopeless. The garden outside had already begun to flood, and rain was pouring in through the open window, drenching Eli. He shut them. Turning back to his now dark room. A gust of wind rocked the home¡¯s foundation. He heard glass breaking downstairs, and what sounded like a lot of water rushing in. The wind was blowing so fiercely it was like a train passing right outside of his window. And little Eli was forced to curl into a ball in the corner. Arms over his head. The door had mysteriously opened, and the dark halls of his own home no longer felt familiar. The person who was standing outside could¡¯ve been lurking within the shadows of his own home, turning it into something hostile and cold. He felt himself shaking in fear, anticipating the storm knocking down the walls and for that person to rush into his room. He could recall how his home was lost, perfectly. Every single detail had remained with him. Even as he forgot details of the prettier and happier memories bit by bit until they were little more than warm and fuzzy hints somewhere within his mind¡¯s eye, he could sharply recall the very moment when the storm hit. How could he ever forget? It was the exact moment he lost his childhood and crossed the line into being a phantom. The only thing wrong with the memory was that of the intruder¡­ What was that¡­ thing? And just as his eyes saw the shadow of someone rushing into his room from the dark halls, frightening Eli as it approached, everything faded to black. He could see the dove once more flying through the void.
Eli awoke from his sleep with a startle, nearly hitting his head on the bunk above him from pure reflex. He was sweating profusely, and panting like a dog. For a moment, he forgot everything about Narva. His first thoughts were of the dream and of that... thing. Whatever it was. But when he calmed down a little bit, His next thoughts were of his next assignment, What was he doing? New Cairo had been a failure, for sure. But at least he was still alive. Only six months left and then he could... And then he could what? Where was he? He took a look around and saw familiar faces that he''d nearly forgotten. And then it all came flooding right back to him. He knew where he was. Utopia... apparently. He remembered the Behemoths, and The Nexus, and the escape... He sighed, falling back into his cot to try and shut the world out one last time. Daybreak over the jungles of Planet Narva. Misty dew hung low to the ground, making the blades of grass wet and cool. Palm trees blew in the winds that were stronger than ever before. A cool breeze trickled through the air, with grey clouds threatening showers on the horizon. Birds sang; their calls peppered the sky with sounds that were familiar to Eli¡¯s troubled ears. He couldn¡¯t help but close his eyes to listen to them. It tethered him to reality, a call back to the fact that not only was he still alive and breathing, but that he was awake. Not caught in a nightmare as he once thought. His eyes practically glued themselves shut, standing amid of a block of prisoners who had all been lined up in the middle of the Nexus. Sorted, column by column as regulars ran up and down their ranks to get a headcount of each prisoner they remained over the night. There was only exhausted compliance from the prisoners. Too tired, dazed, or defeated to resist, they went along with the orders of their superiors. Eli himself only managed about an hour or so of sleep, and that¡¯s without counting the nightmare. His tired eyes scanned through the crowd, and he noticed that the prisoner¡¯s ranks looked noticeably thinner¡­ Rollcall was finished briefly. There were missing prisoners from almost every platoon. Damn near every squad had at least one who couldn¡¯t bear the burden anymore and decided to flee during either the chaos of battle or during the night when security was light. The base, so rudimentary ¨C was hardly a prison more than it was a collection of tents and metal boxes with a possibly electrified fence around it. And with the behemoth''s husks still smoking on the hillside, it served as a reminder that perhaps the battle had even destroyed some parts of The Nexus'' defenses. Escape was not just easy, it was guaranteed. It seemed that the Regulars expected it to happen, and even Kovic ¨C watching on through dark aviators ¨C looked tired more than he was angry. But Kovic was still upset, obviously. As officers ran through their ranks to count their missing, Kovic stood at the front of the battalion with a clipboard and a look of disappointment. Every so often the name of a missing prisoner would be read off to him and he¡¯d just shake his head, ¡°Penal Unit, what can you expect?¡± he¡¯d say to his cohorts of Regulars. Sometimes they would shrug their shoulders, or even chuckle along with him. Eli even heard one of the officers say something crass under his breath. ¡°They¡¯re Phantoms, most of ¡®em will be dead this time next week. Guarantee it.¡± The headcount was finished briefly without incident, with the regulars feeling satisfied that the prisoners were compliant. But even then, it hardly prevented the occasional prod with an electric baton, most likely for little more than the amusement of the one in charge. Nobody dared fight, the will had been drained out of them, and the output was a single conjoined mass that was too exhausted to even think of rebellion. They stood there for a few moments while the officers talked with each other in huddled groups. Messages were coming through from their monitors, yet they were all indecipherable to the prisoners who stood idly by. Something was happening, gears spinning outside of view. The regulars were plotting something, but it wasn¡¯t clear what. And out of the corner of his eye, Eli could see a dove in flight over the crowd of prisoners. He watched her before she vanished behind the lattice iron of The Command Center''s radio mast. He felt a buzz on his arm. He looked down to see that his monitor was going haywire. He rolled the sleeve of his uniform up to reveal that the digital screen had already been switched on. It was an alert, the monitor said in bright bold lettering... ¡°EMERGENCY¡±. Eli furled his eyebrows as he pressed on the alert. Quickly he was taken to the vital signs of his entire squad. Complete with names and prisoner profiles. The signs for Eli, Matteo, Omar, and Dutch were all normal. However, for Rafael and Badger, it read that they were at risk. And for Cato, he was injured. His vital signs were dangerously close to failing. Whatever was going on, it was clear that they were in trouble. Deep trouble. A small alert was attached to Badger¡¯s signal, an audio file. Eli tapped on it and brought his monitor up to his ear to listen. But he didn¡¯t need to. The audio clip was immediately far too loud, and he scrambled to keep the volume down. Luckily the regulars were too busy with the other prisoners to have heard it, though he sensed that the other prisoners around him could hear. Even with the volume lowered. It hardly mattered. The audio was indecipherable. There was so much background noise that it cluttered the recording to the point that Eli couldn''t make out a single sound. But soon the background noise faded into heavy breathing. Panting in fact. Completely out of breath. He could make out faint, yet distinct, sounds of gunshots and yelling. Badger¡¯s voice could be heard screaming over the chaos. The words were fogged by the low quality, but with a few breaks in the noise, Eli could only able to make out the words ¡°They¡¯re here! Don¡¯t let them get Cato!¡± Eli stared at his monitor when the recording finished. He didn¡¯t know what to do next. From within, panic began to take hold. The nearest regular was far away and hadn¡¯t heard the chaos from his monitor. He looked back down at the monitor, as sweat boiled across his forehead. Across the digital screen, a blank gray field stretched across. It was soon illuminated by different elements. A circular cyan blue point and another point orange in color. The cyan point was Eli, the orange point standing wherever the last audio transmission had come from. A compass was etched into the center of the screen. It was hardly a map, it showed no geographical features or any type of landmass. There were only two tools given to him. General direction towards the signal, and approximate distance... nothing else. A thought flashed through his mind. But he disregarded it almost immediately. That is until he felt a hand on his back. He jumped for a moment fearing it was a regular, but instead, he turned to see that it was Dutch behind him, ¡°Dude, what¡¯s going on? What¡¯s wrong with your monitor?¡± he asked. Eli held it out for Dutch to see, ¡°It¡¯s the others. ¡± Dutch¡¯s eyes eagerly scanned through the colorful display, back and forth, over and over. His pupils widened as he read through. The blood drained from his face, leaving him pale. He shakily looked up at Eli, straight into his eyes, ¡°Holy...¡± Dutch whispered, "We need to do something." "Do what?" "We gotta... we gotta go get them." "Dutch, listen to yourself. We can''t just go out there!" Dutch threw up his arms, leaning into whisper-shout, "So we''re just supposed to sit here and watch them die? Come on Eli, Matteo might believe that but I know you don''t!" The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. "What would we even do? We go out there, somehow find them, and then what? Come back here? We''ll be thrown in solitary on sight! I only have six months, I can''t fuck this up!" "We gotta at least try! We''re prisoners here anyway, the worst Overwatch can do to us is throw us in solitary. If there''s even a chance that we can save our people, we have to take it!" Dutch pleaded with him, "We have no other choice! Either we live in fear of Overwatch, or we do something to change it! Now I don''t agree with rebellion or escaping to prove a point, but if we''re doing this to keep other Phantoms safe then there''s no other option! Phantoms are all that we got out here! Nobody else is gonna look out for us, we gotta make sure that we look out for them!" Eli pinched the bridge of his nose. Dutch was not wrong, but he also wasn''t right. Yes, going out there to rescue the three would be the right thing to do. But was it the correct thing? Wouldn''t it be better to let a regular know? No, of course not. He''d just be selling their freedom out, and it was their freedom - rather the lack of - which had caused their escape in the first place. That would only be a betrayal, perhaps worse than just letting them die. So what then? There had to be some other option, some other way to both save Misfit and keep themselves under Overwatch''s radar. Right? Of course not, Eli could admit that much to himself. It was simple really. Either they cared enough to go out there and accept that they would be punished by Overwatch if they ever returned, or they left half their squad out to rot. It wouldn''t be fair to do that. Not at all. "Phantoms watch out for Phantoms," Dutch reiterated, his eyes fixed in a steely glare into Eli''s own. Eli nodded, sighing, "It''s the only way we can survive," he didn''t like the choice. But he couldn''t sit back and watch half of the team die. He made up his mind, ¡°We have to go get them.¡± Dutch let a smile cross his face, ¡°Yes! Fuck yes, I was hoping you¡¯d say that.¡± ¡°Hey-hey, keep it down. Alright? We still have to figure out how.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how but we''re going to get out there!¡± Dutch whispered frantically, ¡°Matteo¡¯s the one who can get into the infirmary. He said it himself, they give him information we don''t get. If anything he¡¯ll know the best route to get out there.¡± ¡°Matteo isn¡¯t going to help. ¡± Dutch gestured to Matteo who was to their left side. Omar stood in between them, a head shorter than all the others, ¡°Omar, Matteo,¡± Eli whispered to the two of them, calling their attention to his monitor, ¡°It¡¯s Misfit, they¡¯re in trouble.¡± Omar¡¯s eyes took peculiar interest in the monitor, and as if inspired by what he saw, nodded to Eli, ¡°Are we going out there?¡± Eli turned to Matteo, but he had already looked away, ¡°That depends on Matteo.¡± ¡°What depends on me?¡± The old man asked. ¡°The life of Misfit-¡° Dutch tried to tell him, but he was quickly interrupted by a rebuttal from the now furious Matteo. ¡°I already told you! I. Don¡¯t. Care! They left us, they wanted to die!¡± ¡°Well then at least tell us where Overwatch is keeping their guns, we¡¯ll go without you,¡± Dutch said. Matteo looked him in the eye, brushing Omar aside to get right in front of his face, ¡°You want to do what?¡± ¡°Overwatch keeps their weapons somewhere, and I think you know where.¡± ¡°And why would I know that?¡± ¡°You worked in the infirmary, you said it yourself, you get privy access to information from the regulars. Just tell us where the armory is and tell us how tight the security is gonna be. We¡¯ll do the rest.¡± Matteo looked at Dutch as if he were insane. Not just insane. Alien. As if he were speaking words foreign to Matteo¡¯s ears. Slowly, Matteo turned to Eli for confirmation, ¡°Matteo, I can¡¯t rest peacefully knowing that I let my own squad get slaughtered. I¡¯ve already been through that once, never again.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it? You¡¯re all going to march out there to die with them? What¡¯s even your plan? Once you leave there''s no coming back! You know that, right? You think you¡¯ll ever see that portal again?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a chance, and as long as there¡¯s a chance, we should take it. This isn¡¯t for some revolution. This is for the lives of our squadmates. They need our help,¡± Eli told him, but of course, Matteo didn¡¯t listen. The old man angrily turned his back to the two, and silence fell like a heavy curtain over a flame, drowning any hopes of convincing him. ¡°Come on, tell us where the armory is and how many guards there are. Please.¡± Of course, Matteo said nothing. His bearded face stone solid. Unchanged. Bitter defeat again stung Eli¡¯s mind, and he turned back to Dutch¡¯s pained face with a sorrowful heart, ¡°We can¡¯t do it,¡± Was all he said. Attention was called back to the front by a siren from the regulars who were finished with the roll call, ¡°Orders are being assigned to your monitors. Get to work as soon as you receive them!¡± And just as told, the emergency alert on Eli¡¯s monitor was replaced by a squad assignment. More back-breaking construction labor. Eli huffed as he confirmed the job. Watching as the other prisoners went to their assignments, the remains of Misfit followed. Eli was up to his knees in loose dirt with a shovel in hand. Prisoners were put to work, sawing down trees, pouring concrete, and building new permanent structures. The sounds of engines from nearby vehicles and of saw blades pierced through the once tranquil air. Now the air reeked of sawdust, engine fumes, and the permanent smell of something burning. They were standing just outside of the Nexus, working to replace the dinky chain link fence with something more permanent. The husks of the destroyed Behemoths were not too far away. Their iron hulls had become blackened. Teams of regulars and prisoners alike surmounted the tipped over corpses of the machines, taking them apart and hauling them back to The Nexus. It was foreboding watching them. Eli kept an eye on it, fearful that its massive red eyes would illuminate once more and terrorize them all. Sleeping giants put to rest, they loomed in the background. He tried not to dwell on it. But he couldn''t help but fear... what if Rafael, Cato, and Badger ran into a Behemoth out there? Vaporized on sight? Crushed beneath its giant tendrils? As Eli labored, he caught glimpses of the portal from where he stood. It¡¯s colorful light still swirling far across the Nexus. The giant metal circle was being surrounded by prisoners and regulars alike, who welded steel around the machine to form a protective dome. The sparks from their torchers flashed in his peripherals, like distant stars twinkling in the night sky. Sealing the opening of the portal away behind a protective steel shell, solidifying the Coalition¡¯s control. Despite the construction surrounding the portal, it was still active. Equipment, soldiers, and more vehicles passed through the portal¡¯s mouth. Among the vehicles was anything from light trucks and armored cars, to tanks covered in the Coalition¡¯s insignia and tended to by regulars who offloaded them into the Nexus¡¯ motor pool. Yet the most striking thing that came through were the trucks. The very same trucks that carried the prisoners into the nightmare to begin with. Everybody knew it, from the way the prisoners would look up to observe the trucks roll in. They had sent in a new wave of prisoners. Eli¡¯s skin felt clammy, and as his eyes drew up to the increasingly grey and overcast sky ¨C he saw blackbirds flying across his vision. He wasn¡¯t normally one to be superstitious, but he could not deny that a bad feeling had come across him. A sort of queasiness that filled his gut and distracted his thoughts. One of the guards must¡¯ve caught him staring at the goings-on in the Nexus for too long, because he angrily marched over until he was right in front of Eli¡¯s eyes. He snapped his fingers once, loudly, dragging Eli¡¯s attention up to him, ¡°Prisoner! What the hell are you taking a break for? Step it up!¡± Feebly, Eli nodded, ¡°Yes sir!¡± and he dug his shovel back into the dirt. Eli¡¯s rushed laboring must¡¯ve satiated the ego of the guard, for he grunted satisfied to himself and moved on to the next prisoner. After a minute or so, after the attention died down, he felt Dutch once again pat him on the shoulder, ¡°What¡¯s going on in the Nexus? I can¡¯t see.¡± Dutch whispered while plowing the dirt with his shovel. ¡°New prisoners.¡± ¡°New what?¡± Dutch again asked, his face scrunching up. ¡°Prisoners. They¡¯ve got new guys.¡± ¡°How many?¡± ¡°There¡¯s at least twenty trucks. How many were there when we arrived?¡± ¡°I dunno, like ten?¡± Ten? That would be double the prisoners coming through right now. A flood of newcomers... all at once... ¡°Fuck me,¡± Eli whispered to himself. Worriedly Dutch looked up to try and count the trucks that were pouring in. There were a lot, even more than just twenty as Eli had originally figured. It was like a wave of white electric vehicles pouring in. The mark of the penal-unit and of the Phantoms painted in bright cyan and orange. The delta trapped in a circle flanked the vehicles. Penal unit phantoms. ¡°You don¡¯t think that¡­¡± Eli whispered to himself, but he shook his head, ¡°No. No, nevermind.¡± ¡°Poor bastards,¡± Dutch whistled. A few hours later and their work was finally finished, signaled by a whistle blown by a regular on duty. Concrete had been poured and solid walls had begun to take shape. The regulars lined them up to be sent back into their tents for rations. The skies had become a dark grey, and it threatened a shower for the late night. The air around them was chilly and damp. The prisoners stood again shoulder to shoulder as they had done earlier. Yet, something was going around. Unlike before, the prisoners were all whispering to each other. Rumors. Ideas. It was a energetic type of schoolyard talk of people who had just recently gotten a hold of groundbreaking news. Eli patiently listened to the conversation before the regulars could shut them up. A prisoner ahead of Eli was talking hurriedly to a group of others nearby. He kept his head low so the regulars wouldn¡¯t see him talk, ¡°Yes! They¡¯re replacements! They¡¯ve brought in at least 200 prisoners. They¡¯re going to extend our sentences and throw us in solitary.¡± ¡°What?¡± Asked another, ¡°Solitary for what?¡± ¡°The deserters. They¡¯re gonna round up squads one by one until they gotten every squad that had a deserter.¡± ¡°We¡¯re getting punished because of what they did?¡± ¡°The motherfuckers are trying to make an example out of us!¡± Another prisoner said, loudly. ¡°They can¡¯t extend my sentence! I¡¯ve got a month left!¡± The chatter between the circle of prisoners grew louder, passed down the grapevine, and spread like wildfire until all of the prisoners were nosily debating with each other over the rumor. The guards had noticed, ¡°Shut up! All of you, be quiet! Shut up!¡± Screamed one guard. They had taken their electric batons out, yet it didn¡¯t stop the prisoners from conversing ¨C they just did so through whispers. Quick sentences thrown about. Some spoke of years being added to the prison sentences, others theorized that solitary was just a codeword for the death sentence. While it was unlikely that Overwatch would be zealous enough to murder all of its original prisoners just to prove a point, the idea of being sentenced to the confines of solitary with a sentence extension was enough to send shivers down anyone¡¯s spine. But they were just rumors afterall. And rumors were almost never true. Eventually the prisoners were shushed by the guards, and they were sent to the mess hall. A massive, pre-fabricated metal building that had been put together near the center of the Nexus ground. It was almost windowless, save for a scant few large rectangles cut into the sides that still lacked their glass installations. The building creaked and groaned as the prisoners were issued their rations underneath it''s high ceiling. And yet as Eli ate through it, his mind was still preoccupied on the rumor. There was ever more proposals and guesses coming from the prisoners, from executions to public beatings to having their sentences extended indefinitely. Nobody knew if any of those things were lawful, much less possible. And yet, there was always the fact that the impossible grew ever closer to fruition by the minute. They had spent their first full day on a world outside of Earth. Anything was possible as far as Overwatch was concerned. The facts were that two hundred prisoners had just arrived, fresh from Earth, and that Overwatch would¡¯ve sworn punishment for those who had fled. Eli nervously ate his rations as the time passed. He¡¯d finished his box of meat stuff hardly aware of what he had put into his mouth. There was too much to consider and too little to know for certain. Eli knew that there was only one way to get confirmation. Dinner had finished quicker than Eli expected, and in no time at all the prisoners were back on their feet and sent back to their tents. Omar, Dutch, and Eli filed into their tent silently. Taking their spots on bunk beds. Not a word was said between the three. All of them were waiting for Matteo.
It wasn¡¯t until an hour later that the man arrived. It was already night. Two guards escorted Matteo into the tent. Eli immediately sprung forward, ready to ask Matteo a million-and-a-half questions. Yet, Matteo¡¯s face said it all. Pale. Chalky. His eyes kept a thousand yard stare into nothing. Something had been defeated inside of him. ¡°Have you heard the rumor?¡± Eli asked. Matteo grimaced, swallowing hard, ¡°I have.¡± ¡°And?¡± Omar asked. ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Matteo shakily sat on his bed. Confirmation had finally come. Just like that, the rumor had been put to bed. Dutch shook his head, ¡°What are they going to do, doc? They¡¯re gonna put us in solitary? Kill us? What?¡± Matteo coughed up mucus from his throat and spat on the floor, hardly sanitary but cleanliness was on the lowest of everyone¡¯s priorities as of now. Matteo feebly looked up at the trio who were looking on curiously, ¡°One month solitary for every squad that reported more than two missing, with a sentence extension of¡­¡± He choked on his own words. His eyes began to glisten with moisture. Tearing up. It was the first time Eli had seen the old man cry. Utterly defeated and worn down, ¡°Of a year.¡± ¡°A year?¡± Eli felt a pain ripple through his chest as he heard the words. They stabbed at him like knives cutting through paper. A year? His freedom stolen from him yet again. The goalpost pushed farther than it ever was before. One year, when he had just six scant months left until he could cross the finish line. Until he could finally wake from his living nightmare. Until he could get his freedom. Cato, Rafael, and Badger were all right. They knew what was coming, they just didn¡¯t know how. Everyone looked at each other. Scared. Defeated. There wasn¡¯t a word in the dictionary able to describe how they all individually felt. But among them, there was one sole feeling that unified them beyond all else. Rising, dissatisfied with the world and the way it worked. Anger fusing into it all. Threatening to burst in the quiet room. Something had to give. Something had to be done. ¡°One¡­Way¡­ out¡­¡± Omar whispered. ¡°What?¡± Dutch asked the kid. Omar¡¯s eyes were wide. He was shaking again. Much like he was during that attack. He opened his mouth to speak, tripped over his words, and was forced to start again. Everyone watched the teenager, closely heeding his words, ¡°There¡¯s only¡­ one way out. Cato said it. Rafael said it,¡± Omar¡¯s breathing was scattered and panicked. Yet through it all, his words stuck in Eli¡¯s mind. ¡°They were never going to let us out of this place,¡± he said, his eyes moving to his monitor. The status of the squad had changed little, but Cato¡¯s condition had grown even worse from the life screening, ¡°There¡¯s only one way we¡¯ll get our freedom. Cato was right.¡± They turned back to Matteo, who had his head sunken low. Deep in thought, ¡°Doc?¡± Dutch asked, ¡°How many guards are there near the armory?¡± Matteo at first shook his head, twiddling his thumbs. Eli could almost see his internal monologue. Feel his brain working out any other possible solution or answer. But there was none. They would die here, inevitably. At least out there, they could try and unite with their squad. At least out there, they¡¯d stand a chance. The old man inhaled sharply. He had made his decision. ¡°Their weapons are kept in a metal building next to the central administration. Two guards patrol the perimeter, rotating guards out every four hours. The path there is under extreme surveillance, but there is a possible route past the watchtowers, but that¡¯s only if you stay low and within the bushes,¡± Matteo told them through gritted teeth. ¡°We¡¯re doing this for our squad,¡± Dutch said, standing up, ¡°We move tomorrow-¡° ¡°No, their patrols are lightest during the night. We need to use the cover of dark and avoid the watchtowers.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we go tomorrow night?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be corpses by then,¡± Eli told him, ¡°Either we go tonight, or we¡¯ll be too late.¡± Matteo gestured to a red bag next to his feet, ¡°I grabbed a medical pack from the infirmary. I can heal most injuries if we get with Misfit, and the rest I¡¯ll do my best to treat. They¡¯ll need it. Especially Cato,¡± He pointed to Eli¡¯s monitor. As Eli flipped the screen back on, it had shown that Misfit¡¯s conditions had remained mostly the same. All except for Cato¡¯s, whose health had gone from bad to worse. His vitals were dropping, slowly. Slowly succumbing to whatever it was that had gotten them out there. It had to be now or never. ¡°So, are we doing this?¡± Omar asked, ¡°For real?¡± They all looked at each other. One final sign of confirmation. One final gesture that they all hadn¡¯t individually gone insane. But that they were truly in this together. ¡°Phantoms look after each other. We look after our own,¡± Eli said, ¡°Let''s go get Misfit. There¡¯s only one way out.¡±
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE CRISIS IS ESCALATING]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[CONFLICT PHASE 2] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 12: Guard Down >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 12: Guard Down]===

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Falling rain, like mist blanketing the air. Late evening. The sky above was a strawberry red while hues of purple warned of the encroaching night. The world around them was dark already, only illuminated by the scarce few lights that hung throughout the Nexus, and of course the searchlights of the watchtowers that dotted the perimeter of the prisoner complex. It was truly a one-time opportunity. The prisoner''s complex remained in a rudimentary state at the moment, a moment that would soon fade. The security for The Nexus proved flimsier than it appeared upon closer inspection, and it was clear that Overwatch was either rushing to get the fundamental foundations in place - or they simply did not care. As such, there were still quite obvious gaps in the security. The lights failed to illuminate every shadow. The patrols were too short and understaffed. The eyes too blind to keep watch of those who lurked in the night. Eli had never felt more alive. Crawling through the shadows of the Nexus, slipping past the dark blind spots that the lights couldn¡¯t penetrate. The misty showers from the skies above, the cool damp air. He felt, for the first time, awake in a world that he swore must¡¯ve been a terrible dream. They were finally doing something real. For themselves. It was a rebellion against Overwatch Command as Rafael wanted, a nihilistic bid to achieve their Freedom as Cato had, and a signal of pent-up anger against the Coalition and POA for destroying their homes as Badger believed. It was all of those at the same time. And yet none at all. They were doing this to save Misfit. They could make it. How they¡¯d survive out here on this alien planet, who knew? The repercussions of it would come later though. For now, they were all lost in the heat of the moment. Eli led the way crawling through the dense overgrowth that the construction teams hadn¡¯t managed to trim. Snaking his way through dirt and mud, clearing a path for the one behind him. All of their eyes were on the lookout, keeping watch of what the one in front and behind was doing. They were truly doing this together, for themselves, free. Matteo¡¯s advice on the best routes through the base turned out to be spot on. His observations of guard patrols and camera installations had been spot on. Everything he reported had come true down to the smallest detail. From the number of guards running on patrol, to which direction the security cameras faced. The Central Administrative Building was somewhere along the way to the infirmary, and Matteo being the eagle-eyed medic that he was, took careful notes. Especially on his second trip when the possibility of fleeing the Nexus grew ever larger. ¡°You know for an old man, you¡¯ve got a damn good memory,¡± Eli whispered, forcing his way through thick brambles in the way, ¡°The details were perfect.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the beard that makes me look old, you know? I was only born in 2004. Ah, the 2010s. Those were good times,¡± Matteo sighed as he crawled right behind. ¡°What¡¯s the security gonna look like when we get there?¡± Dutch asked ¡°Two foot patrols. They¡¯ll be armed, of course. Here, let me take the lead.¡± Eli moved aside while Matteo crawled up ahead. He led them through the brambles, only occasionally peeking his head up over the ferns and palms of the still uncut jungle within the Nexus¡¯ perimeter. For the night, the base was quiet. The machinery used to build the walls had fallen silent without the prisoners around to operate them. The engines of the Nexus¡¯ progress, slumbering during the dark. The only thing they needed to worry about was the few guards patrolling the night and the searing lights from above. But Matteo guided them through without trouble. At least, until they approached it. The Central Administration. It was a complex of prefabricated buildings scattered loosely around the center of the base. Some of which were still in the process of being expanded. The infirmary and the actual command center had scaffolding built around their metallic walls. A tower was being built from the command center, resembling something akin to air traffic control. An eye on the base around where Kovic and the rest of his administration could keep watch of everyone, everywhere. Soon, the hidden paths that Misfit had used to get even this far would be razed, and the opportunity sealed the morning coming. But there were other buildings here too. The motor pool, containing stockpiles of unused tanks, armored cars, and construction equipment. And most importantly, the armory. It was a metal cube which sat off to the wayside of the Central Administration¡¯s complex. Almost isolated. Two guards patrolled the outside perimeter, with a solid iron door revealing the only means of entrance within the building. ¡°I¡¯ve got eyes on the two guards,¡± Dutch whispered, pointing them out. ¡°Is there any way around them?¡± Asked Eli. ¡°No. We have to go straight through,¡± Dutch said, ¡°We need a distraction. Someone should make some noise. Get them away from the door, and then hide! The rest of us will slip inside, grab what we can, and make like trees.¡± ¡°I can do it!¡± Omar answered Dutch¡¯s call. But he was still unsure. ¡°Yeah, absolutely not,¡± Eli brushed the suggestion from Omar off, ¡°Dutch? Matteo?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t seen what I can do, Eli! I¡¯m not just some scared kid,¡± He held out his hand, waiting for Eli¡¯s confirmation. ¡°You could get hurt.¡± ¡°We can all get hurt! If we let that stop us we wouldn¡¯t be out here in the first place! I can run fast!¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a kid,¡± Eli insisted, ¡°I don¡¯t care how fast you can run; you¡¯re not cut out for this! Just stay where I can keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to fight! I just need to be a distraction, right? I¡¯m the smallest one here, if I can make some noise I¡¯ll be able to find a spot to hide!¡± Omar said, ¡°I¡¯ve spent most of my life hiding from the Coalition and the POA¡¯s soldiers. I¡¯m not helpless!¡± ¡°I think we should hear him out, Eli. We¡¯ve got no other shot,¡± Dutch told him, ¡°I can run like hell but those guards will see me coming a mile away. Omar¡¯s tiny. We need guys here to take on the guards at the armory, if we send him out to make a distraction then we¡¯ve got a good chance of this working. It¡¯ll split their attention, at least for a bit,¡± Dutch pointed out. ¡°Trust me like I trust you,¡± Omar begged. ¡°Fine,¡± Omar clutched his fist in celebration, but before he could stand to go work, Eli grabbed his arm holding him down, ¡°Listen Omar¡­ be careful. If you get killed out there, it¡¯s gonna be on me. Don¡¯t get hurt. Please.¡± Omar nodded, ¡°I will. Trust me. They won¡¯t even know what hit them!¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna make some noise and then hide. Immediately. When you are in the clear, find a way across the perimeter and meet us on the other side. Got it?¡± Omar nodded, ¡°I won¡¯t let you guys down.¡± With that, Eli let go of Omar. The kid took off, running into the bush and disappearing behind a line of trees that led back to the path through which they came, ¡°Christ, he¡¯s fast,¡± Dutch remarked after watching Omar disappear behind the tree line. ¡°He has spirit in him,¡± said Matteo, ¡°Hope.¡± ¡°Omar will need more than hope to keep him alive,¡± Eli watched Omar¡¯s silhouette shrink until it vanished behind shadowy patch of bushes, ¡°We all will,¡± he said again, but it was doubtful anyone could hear. The trio waited a while with nothing happening. After a few minutes passed, Eli began to get suspicious that maybe something wrong had happened. He had no way at all to talk to Omar after all. The radio channels could be monitored by Overwatch for all they knew, and they weren¡¯t going to risk it. He just had to trust that Omar knew what he was doing¡­ Suddenly, after about five minutes of waiting, a metallic clang echoed through the air. It was a warbly, almost electric-sounding noise. Another clang zapped by. And another, ¡°That must be the distraction,¡± Dutch whispered, ¡°I wonder what that kid is using to make that sound.¡± ¡°Visual on the guards?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Oh yeah, baby! They¡¯re taking the bait. Hook, line, and fucking sinker,¡± Dutch pointed out. The two guards who were patrolling the Armory split up. One went to investigate, while the other remained standing behind, ¡°But of course, one of them is still there.¡± Eli thought out the plan. He didn¡¯t want to attack the Regular, but in reality there was no other choice. They were already going to get charged for two things, escaping and stealing from the armory. If they were caught right now the penalty would be grave to say the least. Spending another decade in solitary confinement might¡¯ve been a possible outcome. Execution, a likely substitute. Adding on assault on a Security Unit on top of that was unlikely to change much. At least, so long as they didn¡¯t kill him. Right? ¡°We have to take him out,¡± Eli said, ¡°Quietly. Non-lethal.¡± ¡°Non-lethal?¡± Dutch raised an eyebrow. ¡°Beat his ass, but don¡¯t kill him. If we murder a guard they will kill us on sight. This way we¡¯ve still got a chance at life.¡± Dutch looked to Matteo, and Matteo nodded along, ¡°Prisoners who murder regulars are dead men walking. We¡¯ll never make it back here if we do. Put him to sleep,¡± Matteo said turning to Eli, ¡°After you.¡± Eli knew that every step here could be fatal. And yet, he inched closer. His heart raced and his legs suddenly felt light. The gun in the hands of the Regular was ominous. Like the bright colors on a poisonous frog warning any would-be predator to stay away. There were a million-and-one ways that this could go wrong. Very wrong. But the only reason he pressed forward was because Matteo and Dutch were right behind him. He had to trust that if things went south, they would be able to bail him out. But despite the encouragement of his squad behind him, the Regular in front seemed like an insurmountable force. Somehow even more threatening to Eli than the Behemoths. The potential consequences of this engagement would¡¯ve been far greater. The worst that the Behemoth could do was kill them. But when Overwatch inevitably finds out what happened, even if they¡¯d managed to knock the guard unconscious, they¡¯d launch a manhunt for whoever did it. Unless they all agreed to run like Cato, the only thing Misfit would have to look forward to would be constant evasion from suspicion. And if they were ever caught, it would be all for nothing. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. But they had to. It was this, or watch the others die. And Eli was tired of abandoning his team. He¡¯d done enough of that in Seoul¡­ Eli sucked a breath in, and then lunged. ¡°ARGH!¡± When Eli tackled the regular, the man had cried out in shock. Eli viciously grabbed at his uniform, strangling the soldier. Eli¡¯s arms wrapped around his neck, constraining. In his mind, Eli thought of a Boa snake. Tightening coils of itself around the would-be prey until the lungs couldn¡¯t take in any more air and the prey stopped resisting. It was a deeply animalistic thought, and an unpleasant one at that. But the Regular did not stop resisting, and in fact, he gave a strong fight. A sharp elbow slammed right into his lower ribcage proved that point. The blow sucked almost all the air out of his own lungs, but Eli ensured that his hold on the regular¡¯s neck did not falter. The two men struggled in that manner, with Eli choking the regular out and the regular fighting back with several good hits! It was Dutch who sprang into action next, punching the guard in the stomach and forcing him onto his knees while Eli kept a hold on the guard himself. Three against one now with Matteo kicking the guard onto his side and sending him sprawling onto the floor. The guard reached for his gun in the brief moment that he slipped away, his face battered and bruised, but a quick reaction from Dutch kept his arms grounded while Eli crawled on top of him. With one arm he kept the guard pinned to the floor, while he balled the other into a fist and slammed it into the guard¡¯s face. Repeatedly. Again and again. Each time his fist connected with a painfully loud thud that knocked the guard¡¯s head against the half-paved ground. In the darkness, it was unlikely that the security unit could see his assailants, for Eli could not see the guard¡¯s face. Yet, in a brief moment of clarity when the light shined just right, he could make out something in the guard. Terror. Another blow and the bloodied face of the guard went limp. The lights in his eyes became dull and barely-conscious from the beating. It took all of Eli¡¯s effort to not continue any further. He hated The Coalition, Overwatch, all of it. He hated this guard more than he thought he would. His anger unleashed into a trembling fist that he fought hard to keep restrained. Everything, all of the deception and the torture, all of it had been channeled into a rage he never knew he had. But he wasn¡¯t going to let it control him. He was not like them. He wasn¡¯t cruel. The tension in his body released with a exhale, and he fell off of the guard¡¯s unconscious body feeling eighty pounds lighter and with the world spinning around him. That was a first in a very long while. ¡°Jesus fucking Christ,¡± Dutch shakily whispered, ¡°That¡¯s what you call ¡®non-lethal¡¯?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll live,¡± Eli coughed out, ¡°Which means we don¡¯t have much time.¡± Matteo chortled to himself, ¡°Seems you¡¯ve kept some of your Army training, huh?¡± ¡°Yeah, thirteen months in a warzone will do that to you, I guess,¡± He handed the guard¡¯s gun to Matteo, ¡°Keep watch while me and Dutch go inside.¡± Matteo nodded when his hands grabbed ahold of the rifle. Around the guard¡¯s neck was a keycard which provided access to the lock on the door. Dutch grabbed the card, and with a swipe near the lock, it popped open. Shadows within were scattered by the light pouring in from the outside, revealing an absolute goldmine. Guns, ammo, and grenades galore! Mounted on the walls, in boxes. Sniper rifles, DMRs, LMGs, Assault Rifles, SMGs. If Eli could name it, the Armory had it. It must''ve been the entire arsenal of everything that Overwatch had kept stored since they arrived. No wonder they kept the Armory hidden beyond a select few. If it hadn''t been for Matteo, this place would''ve never been found! But even aside from the guns, there was tons of equipment there too. Body armor, helmets, drones, electronic equipment that befuddled Eli''s understanding. All of it was some of the latest that The Coalition had access to. The best of the best anywhere on Planet Earth - hopefully on Planet Narva too. Dutch whistled as he and Eli walked in, ¡°Impressive. Mine was bigger though.¡± ¡°You have a gun collection?¡± ¡°Had a gun collection. Back in my rebel days.¡± ¡°Rebel days?¡± Eli asked as he went to grab the nearest familiar gun from off the rails, it was a rifle - on of the guns issued as the default standard to every grunt in the army a decade ago. It was the very same one he used as a soldier in Korea. Meanwhile Dutch talked as he went to grab his equipment, ¡°Oh yeah. That¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here. We were a group who lived out in the forests of Western Canada. BC, Alberta, some of the outskirts around Vancouver. We were freedom fighters. When the famines hit, we were the ones who fed the poor. Y¡¯know.¡± ¡°Canadian Free Army?¡± Eli remembered the name of that group from back before the space wars ¨C when television was still a thing, ¡°Aren¡¯t they terrorists?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what the government called us. We were criminals sure, I''ll give them that. We raided trucks carrying food supplies, corporate factory farms, and those armored bank trucks to get the cash inside. We fed the entirety of Alberta when the food shortages hit North America. I think that was¡­¡± ¡°The Famine of ¡¯37,¡± Eli responded, ¡°I was Twelve years old when it hit the US.¡± ¡°So was I¡­¡± ¡°You were a child soldier?¡± Eli asked him, now intrigued by Dutch¡¯s story. ¡°It was the only way to eat. What choice did you have back then? When every single grocery store shuts down in a province, people start to go hungry. My family were CFA, my Dad would take me and my sister out to raid factory farms for their animals. We¡¯d bring ¡®em back home, and we¡¯d have enough food to feed the whole town. We did just that,¡± if nothing else, Dutch was unbending in his beliefs that what he did was the right thing. Though, Eli had always grown up thinking that the CFA were little more than a fringe bandit group sprouting some loosely humanitarian ideologies. All the footage and news Eli had seen of them were as modern highwaymen. Bandits robbing banks and stores for their valuables, terrorizing Canada up until the Space War induced blackout. Perhaps, Eli had been wrong in his judgement then? Or lied to. He could accept being lied to. ¡°We were only called terrorists because we offered the people an alternative to the failing system. While Parliament was in shambles, while the corporations kept milking our home and people dry, we were out there fighting for food and water. We didn¡¯t rule by fear or hurting innocent people, nothing like that. We just did what we needed to do to survive¡­¡± Dutch sighed, ¡°I miss those days.¡± ¡°You and Rafael¡­¡± Eli said as he kept going through the armory¡¯s collection, ¡°Two revolutionaries.¡± ¡°Oh no, they beat the revolution out of me a long time ago. Now¡­ what¡¯s the point?¡± Dutch said to him, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Canada in over a decade at this point. Everybody back home is either dead or... penal unit,¡± His words carried with them the feeling of hopelessness. While it may have been true that Dutch was once a warrior like Rafael, all of that fighting had proven fruitless. He was a prisoner here, a slave like Eli. His fight was over. His revolution, defeated. While Rafael hadn¡¯t come to accept that, Dutch had. And Eli knew it. ¡°Hey,¡± Eli whispered to him, ¡°One day, we¡¯ll be free. The Coalition will be nothing but a memory then. I don¡¯t know when but sooner or later Overwatch will get what¡¯s coming. They can¡¯t keep treating us like this.¡± Dutch smiled, though Eli knew it was not genuine, ¡°Thanks, but if the world worked like that ¨C none of us would be here.¡± ¡°Eli! Dutch! The other security unit is coming back!¡± Matteo¡¯s voice distracted the two men as they were gathering weapons and equipment. Matteo dashed inside of the armory, ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon.¡± ¡°Crap, hit the lights, shut the door, and hide!¡± Eli ordered. Immediately, Matteo shut the door behind him. Shortly after the lights flipped off. Eli grabbed a pistol he¡¯d picked up from the arsenal, and quickly ducked behind a crate. He was able to hear the scuffling of Dutch and Matteo finding a hiding spot nearby. He looked around, and he was able to make eye contact with Matteo¡¯s hiding spot underneath a table and with Dutch who also hid behind a crate. They all silently confirmed that they could see each other, just as they heard the sounds of footsteps crunching outside. ¡°Overwatch, This is ST 4-2. We might have a situation developing in Armory 3. ST 4-1 is nowhere to be seen and the locks have been cut. Over.¡± [Overwatch] ¡°Overwatch, understood. Investigate the premises. Report status live.¡± ¡°Copy, Overwatch.¡± The darkness of the interior was interrupted by rays of light that widened as the door opened. The footsteps of the Regular were heavy, thudding on the floor one after another. Eli slowly adjusted himself to get a view of the Regular. He was holding his rifle up to his shoulder. A flashlight attached the gun illuminated the dark room, forcing Eli back into cover before a ray of light exposed him. He looked over to Matteo and then to Dutch. A silent plan was formed between the three. The Regular walked further inside as he continued to investigate. Matteo sprang into motion, walking slowly over towards the door. But just as he was going to make it towards the door, his foot kicked over a metal object in the way. It made a frighteningly loud clanging sound. Immediately, the Regular snapped onto Matteo ¨C who already had his hands up by the time the blinding light of the flashlight shined into his eyes. ¡°HEY! ON YOUR KNEES! GET DOWN!¡± The Regular screamed as he pointed his rifle at Matteo¡¯s temple. The man cooperated, slowly putting his hands behind his head as he put a knee onto the ground. But his face was turned to the wall, ensuring that the Regular would have no idea who it was. Eli looked over to Dutch, nodding. ¡°Overwatch, this is ST 4-2! Confirm infiltration in the-GAH!¡± Before he could finish his sentence, The Regular had been tackled by Dutch. Dutch had charged into the side of the Regular with all of his might and speed, but it was enough to completely throw the fully-grown man to the floor. Both Dutch and the Regular fell to the ground, but Dutch scrambled back onto his feet. Meanwhile, Eli had descended down upon the Regular, unleashing a barrage of punches, kicks, and anything else to get him down. Dutch joined in, and when the two had been satisfied, the Regular had been reduced to a bleeding, groaning, and slow moving mess. [Overwatch] ¡°4-2? 4-2 report status! What is your situation?¡± The Regular groaned, but was too out-of-it to respond to his radio call. ¡°Come on, Let¡¯s go!¡± Eli shouted, ¡°Regulars are gonna swarm this place any second!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got everything we need!¡± Dutch shouted. Eli tossed Matteo body armor, a helmet, and extra magazines for his weapon. And with that settled, the three of them took off. Running out to the perimeter. The image of Omar formed inside of Eli¡¯s mind as they charged out of the Armory outside, dashing for the exterior fence. Was he alright? Did he make it? Those questions occupied the space inside of his mind. He just had to believe that Omar could handle himself. Like Matteo said, he had to trust his own team. There was a small clearing between the armory and the nearest part of the perimeter, just barely in view behind a cluster of palms that stood in the darkness like soldiers guarding the path. They bolted towards the perimeter, with every step that Eli took being weighed down by the stolen equipment. But he powered through. Eventually they reached the fence. Behind it, a small clearing, and then the depths of the jungle. Up close, the jungle seemed more threatening than ever before. He could smell the semi-sweet scent of the wild vegetation just behind it. The chirp of insects and creatures of the night filled his ears. And most vividly - the pitch blackness. Just looking at the wall of darkness was enough to force Eli to stop running and gaze in horror. The cloudy night skies were illuminated by moonlight. Faint and far away, sure. But it was light nonetheless. The jungle meanwhile was like peering into a room without windows and furniture. One whose walls were all painted in charcoal black, left to simmer in its own shadow. He could only make out the silhouettes of trees standing over the canopy. Their fern-like crowns swaying in the mist were akin to warning signs. ''DO NOT ENTER'' warned the palm trees. Regrettably, Eli knew that there was no other choice. Dutch was the first one up. Hastily he jumped onto the chain linked fence and began climbing up and over. His boots landed on the opposing side, and just like that, Dutch had escaped. Eli looked to Matteo, gesturing at him, "You go first" Eli said. Though slower, Matteo managed to get up and over without incident. Leaving only Eli. And when he finally did, feeling the metal against his fingertips and bracing himself for impact on the soil - he felt amazing. It was a surreal experience. They were standing on free soil for the first time in a long - long - time. Just beyond of the perimeter of the prison. Sure, he¡¯d been off base before, hell during the defense of the Nexus he was standing on technically free ground. But it wasn¡¯t of his own choice. This right here, this was his choice. He wanted to be here. No. He needed to be here. For his squad. He readied himself, pulling back the bolt on his gun and holding the rifle up. Just like he was taught from his days in the Army. But then, Dutch spotted something lurking within the shadows of the forest. Quickly he pointed his gun at it, prepared to shoot if it revealed itself to be hostile. That was until the figure called out in a familiar voice, ¡°Blue!¡± ¡°Omar?¡± Eli asked. From the depths of the jungle, Omar emerged. He was out of breath, panting. But uninjured. Quickly, Eli rushed over to him, inspecting the kid to ensure that he hadn¡¯t been hurt. But as fate held it, Omar was fine. ¡°Told you I could handle myself out there,¡± Omar said breathlessly. ¡°Color me surprised,¡± Eli chuckled. He handed Omar a pistol, a helmet, and of course spare body armor that he managed to bring, ¡°You know how to shoot?¡± Omar shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Eli glanced at the base just behind him, ¡°Well, today¡¯s a good day to learn.¡± Just as they were all together, for once united on the other side of the fence that kept them prisoners inside of the Nexus ¨C an alarm sounded. Lights flashed from within the perimeter, and sirens wailed through the base. The sirens blared, low and echoing. It was as if the entire base had suddenly become alive, an angered giant with it''s rage fixated on them. The hornets nest had been kicked, there was no going back now. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Eli ushered them on, as he pushed himself deeper into the dark embrace of the forest¡­ Another step into the unknown.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 13: Into The Unknown >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 13: Into The Unknown]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located >>> [YOU VENTURE INTO A WORLD UNKOWN, MANKIND IS AS BOLD AS IT IS FOOLISH. THIS IS WHY I HAVE SELECTED YOU. THERE ARE THOSE WHO WOULD''VE THOUGHT AGAINST SELECTING ONE OF YOUR OWN. IT IS IMPORTANT TO IGNORE SUCH NAYSAYERS. CONTINUE ON YOUR CHOSEN TRAIL, I WILL WATCH AND GUIDE AS THOROUGHLY AS I''M ALLOWED TO. ONE STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN AT A TIME.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
The rainforest was nightmarishly dark. As the ambient light from the Nexus slowly faded with distance, the shadows took their place. The jungle landscape obscured everything. Leafy trees, thick bushes, tall plants, all of it enveloped the four fugitive phantoms. The thick shroud hugged them in an embrace that provided shelter from the watchful eyes of The Nexus and its blaring sirens. Yet, it was a double-edged sword. The darkness made it impossible to see, and it only took them a few steps into the bush for the message to become clear. Eli forced his way through a palm, his face being scratched by the sharp and wiry leaves. He had to close his eyes, holding his arms up in a struggle to break through the vegetation. Occasionally, he feared something horrible had slipped into his uniform. The sensation of a spider falling into his clothing, tickling his neck and collarbone, terrified him. Luckily, it moved on, the feeling revealing itself to be nothing more than the light touch of a leaf. But the fear that it would become real motivated him to get out of the bush and to find a opening. Yet that opening hadn¡¯t come. It was impossible to see farther than a few feet. Just beyond Eli¡¯s nose and he could hardly make out the vegetation from the floor. It would have been far more disorienting had the starry night sky not occasionally poked through the fog-like canopy of the jungle, casting what little light there was to form shadows in the dim blue darkness. Occasionally, he would turn back and whisper to those behind him. ¡°Misfit? You still with me?¡± He asked. His heart skipped in fear whenever it took a moment for them to respond. But they always did. Sounding off one by one to confirm, indeed, that they were all still together. It was far too easy to get lost here. And then there was the heat. While it had been hot ever since they arrived onto this cursed planet, only tapering off when it rained or during the cooler nights, they had all been on relatively ¡°open¡± terrain. But here, surrounded by the plants, with misty rain failing to get to the dirt because of the plant cover, the heat had become unbearable. Like an oven, trapping the heat in, blocking out fresh air. They were drowning. Being choked out by the same jungle which offered them the protection of its exotic shade. And they still had to push through the most difficult terrain they could come across. Luckily, they were headed downhill towards the coast and the nearby city. But even the basic downhill trek came with its own unique challenges. Like, ensuring one didn¡¯t accidentally fall off a cliff into a deep void of brambles and rocks below. Of which, there were plenty. Or tripping over a root. Or stumbling on a boulder. Or getting an ankle caught in a narrow stream. And everything else that came with the rough terrain. The only relief being the small circles of light generated from their flashlights, which they kept turned off for fear of detection by the Coalition until they had gotten far enough away. Forty minutes later, Eli¡¯s shirt was soaked in sweat. He was filthy and could feel the dirt trapped underneath his uniform scratching against his skin. Slipping down steep declines, wading through the vegetation, and climbing over hills that were impossible to go around. His only sense of direction being the flashlight and the map of his monitor. ¡°This jungle has gotta open up man,¡± Dutch said, his voice husky as panted through strained breathing as Misfit attempted to clamber over yet another rocky hill, ¡°It¡¯s gotta be this hill. I think I can see a clearing up there. Can you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe?¡± Omar muttered to him. He was on all fours, leading the pack as he paved the way up hill first. He was the fastest of them all, and the smallest too. It was good to keep him up front where he could set a reasonable pace, and where the others could keep a better eye on him. But in spite of his advantages, he struggled even worse than all the others. His inexperienced hands slipped causing his body to collapse to the floor, banging himself against rocks, and sometimes requiring assistance from whomever was closest to right himself. By the time Eli shone his flashlight on him to check if he was injured, his dark blue and orange prisoner¡¯s uniform had been completely caked in a layer of mud and grime. Eli¡¯s uniform couldn¡¯t be too far off, ¡°I think so. Yeah, it¡¯s opening up. I can see the sky!¡± ¡°Sweet baby Jesus, those are the best words I¡¯ve heard since we¡¯ve came to this hellhole!¡± Dutch nearly shouted over his struggle. Omar grabbed a stone ledge and pulled himself up and over. He turned around and offered a hand to Eli, who grabbed on to assist him in getting over. After they helped Dutch and Matteo get onto the stone ledge, they were indeed in the midst of an opening. Standing at the height of the hill, they could clearly see dim lights from the Nexus at least a half-mile uphill from where they came. They would¡¯ve been impossible to spot now, at least by any ordinary means. The brief moment of respite gave the exhausted men a time to breathe. And they wasted no time in taking a seat on the hard stone surface to catch themselves and enjoy a faint downpour of cooler air into the opening. It was the first time that Eli was able to observe the truly alien world in which they had been transported. There were plants in colors that were unfamiliar, if not, downright impossible on Earth. Pink leaves, glowing stems, smells and sounds that weren¡¯t native back home on their familiar blue rock. Nocturnal animals stalked around them, but kept to themselves thankfully. It provided the Earthbound men a chance to simply observe them. Unfamiliar animals, glowing red birds, two-legged mice, small flying reptiles like miniature dragons. It all lived within the cover of the rainforest. Eli was nothing but fascinated by it all. He turned back to his squad, ¡°Are you guys seeing this?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Dutch said, as he inspected the wildlife around them. Unfamiliar calls from beasts that lurked within the rainforest. Distant chirps, growls, and beastlike vocalizations from the depths. Luckily for them, they were armed with guns. ¡°Alien life out here could have got them,¡± Matteo cautioned, though he too was captivated by the alien landscape, ¡°We should remain cautious.¡± ¡°How are they holding up anyway, Eli?¡± asked Omar. He checked his wrist monitor as he walked, he had been following the map on his monitor to get to the location of Rafael, Badger, and Cato. But it had been a while since he checked on their vital signs. When he flipped to that page, it displayed a worrying sight. Cato¡¯s condition had worsened. Now the Vital Signs monitor displayed him at Critical. Rafael¡¯s status was also injured. While Badger remained at risk ¨C though not under immediate threat, ¡°They¡¯re not doing so good,¡± Eli admitted, ¡°We have to get there soon.¡± ¡°That we will,¡± Dutch assured him. ¡°We¡¯ll try¡­¡± Matteo grumbled. Eli glanced at Matteo, obviously noticing a certain inflection in his voice that carried with it a layer of doubt. Regret even. It wasn¡¯t hard to guess why. Thrust out, into the unknown. Far, far, away from anything they were even remotely familiar with. Far from Earth, far from the Nexus, far from the even the Coalition. They may have no longer carried with them the chains of slavery, but at least the Coalition offered a sense of familiarity in this alien realm. And in a twisted sense, they were safer inside of the Nexus as prisoners than out here, free. All of it was so foreign to them, but of course that only proved Kovic hadn¡¯t lied after all. They truly were in a whole new world. Separated away from Earth and everything they knew by the portal. It was a chilling thought to come to, but Eli knew thinking like that would get him nowhere. He had to make sure that Misfit would survive. He wouldn¡¯t be out here doing this if he didn¡¯t think they didn¡¯t have a chance together. Walking further through the brushing palms and the thick vegetation of the forest, they heard something rumble faintly in the far distance. Like thunder. Eli figured that it was supposed to rain heavily around now, yet there was something off about how it sounded. It wasn¡¯t natural at all. ¡°Gunfire,¡± Dutch whispered as he listened to the faint blasts which were somewhere to the east. Out of view for now. ¡°Coalition¡¯s still fighting out here?¡± Eli asked. ¡°It''s a counterattack,¡± Matteo grumbled, ¡°Overwatch has had regulars out on the offensive around here for about a month before we arrived. They were invading a city nearby, at least until the behemoths fought back. Now that the Nexus is safe, they¡¯re launching their counter.¡± ¡°Then regulars might be lurking around nearby,¡± Eli muttered to himself. Almost as if responding to Eli¡¯s words, the relative tranquility of the jungle was once again disturbed by a faint brushing sound that grew louder. A rush, like the sound of a massive engine, advancing rapidly towards them. Misfit stopped in their tracks as they listened to the noise which only continued to grow. Increasing in strength until they could make out that it was the whirring blades of a helicopter which chopped through the skies. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Helicopters! Get down! Get down!¡± Dutch warned, ¡°Get the hell down!¡± Eli, without hesitation, dropped to the floor. Keeping an eye on the gaps through the canopy to watch the dark skies above for anything. Misfit shuffled into cover in the darkness. Waiting, as the helicopters flew straight overhead. The whir of chopper blades grew to deafening levels, like the roar of a beast approaching. In Eli''s mind the image of a behemoth materialized, it''s foghorn warning call managed to send chills down his spine even now. Moments later and the searchlights became visible, rays of heavenly bright light pierced through the canopy and revealed everything hidden on the forest floor. The light was blinding as it passed overhead, like seeing a UFO cut across the sky. Eli could feel his heart freeze as he felt the bright orbs of light and rush of engines speed through the skies, and over him. The intensity of the lights were enough for him to feel like a gnat underneath a heatlamp. For a moment, he feared that they had been spotted¡­ But the heat dissipated, and the whir of chopper blades dwindled. The twin helicopters continued their course towards the gunfire, down by the city. ¡°Oh Madonne,¡± He could hear Matteo breathlessly whisper when the lights vanished from view, and the engines dimmed in tone. Looking at him, the man was shaking. Badly. It was almost as if he had been electrocuted. His hands were covering his face. Almost completely paralyzed with fear, ¡°Hey, Matteo. You alright?¡± Eli asked as he stood up and went over to Matteo. The man did not respond. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Omar asked. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, hey, Matteo. We have to move! Come on!¡± Eli put a hand on the man¡¯s shoulder. It seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in, but he took a few breaths in to calm himself. Eli reached out his hand, pulling Matteo up to his feet, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just bad memories¡­ thank you.¡± Matteo dusted himself off, picked up his gun, and kept moving. But as Eli watched him move on, he noted how pale Matteo looked, and how far his eyes stared into the darkness ahead. ¡°You think they¡¯re looking for us?¡± Dutch asked, emerging from his cover behind a cluster of palms. ¡°I don¡¯t think so, they¡¯re going to where the shooting is.¡± ¡°Then what about the lights? They had their spotlights on. They¡¯re looking for something on the ground.¡± ¡°Something," Eli told Dutch, "But I doubt it''s us." He squinted as he watched the searchlights dwindle into the night. Uneasy with the thought that something else lurked in here, something more of a threat to Overwatch than Misfit. It was bad enough that they had to be out here. And now they knew for a fact that they were not alone in this jungle.
They walked for what must¡¯ve been an hour. Eli checked his monitor again, noting that they were indeed getting closer but there was another half hour march ahead of them. It felt as if they had walked miles, but they were moving slowly. Unfortunately, the map did not provide anything related to distance. It was all approximations, guesstimates. If Eli remembered from his admittedly rushed and blurry navigational training before the war, Coalition monitors operated off of radio tracking. Since the Space Wars destroyed most GPS satellites, military and civillian alike, everyone was forced to adapt. He was taught that navigational devices in use almost always used radio signals instead of sattellite - as what few satellites there were couldn''t always be reliable. It would explain the massive radio mast ontop of the command center, making it useful for more than just communication but basic navigation too. All that mattered was that they were getting closer. Though Cato¡¯s condition was worsening rapidly. Yet as they marched through the forest, they happened upon a clearing. A dirt road which paved a trail across the vegetation like a barrier parting dark walls of living jungle. Obviously, the Coalition did not make it given their limited time, yet there were signs of recent activity. Namely, tracks which could¡¯ve only been made by tank treads. Eli¡¯s eyes followed the tracks as they plowed through the dirt road before cutting abruptly into the forest. Downed trees and crushed vegetation revealed a path of destruction that the tank had taken. Eli looked over to the others, ¡°Tank treads?¡± He asked. ¡°Wanna take a look?¡± Dutch cast a beam of light towards the flattened path made by the tank, ¡°I don¡¯t hear an engine. Could be far.¡± ¡°It could be,¡± Eli doubted. His hands caressed the smooth alloy of his rifle, staring at it. ¡°It¡¯s a walkable path at least. Beats pushing through brambles," Dutch said. ¡°After you,¡± Matteo gestured towards the path¡­ The light from Dutch''s flashlight illuminated the trail that the tank had slashed through. The cut was rough, not necessarily just sloppy, but quite literally the path zig-zagged through the jungle terrain. Tank treads had crushed everything in its way, from small boulders to logs and even tough looking trees. It all made Eli doubt that the trail was intentionally cleared, but rather made by a tank crew that had panicked. Trying to get somewhere fast. Or, more accurately, trying to get away. But from what, and where was ¨C ¡°I can see a light,¡± Omar pointed out a faint glow from between the trees. Their eyes snapped towards where his slender fingers pointed. Tucked behind the wooden bark and bushy leaves, illuminating the darkness around it with a faint aura, an orange light flickered only a few yards away. As they approached nearer to the orange light, they could hear the sound of crackling, smell the scent of burning chemicals, and feel the heat. Their eyes were captivated by the inferno as they drew near. Localized entirely in one spot. As Eli walked, his eyes locked onto its flaming husk who''s bright fireball seemed almost blinding in contrast to the black forest surrounding it. They found the tank. A once mighty machine, reduced to a blazing corpse. Eli recognized the metal hull from his days in the army. State-of-the-art equipment, reduced to a burning and charred corpse. The body leaked fluids which poisoned the ground around it. The hull of the vehicle had been damaged by marks which were incomprehensible, and plenty of the exterior bits had been torn off. Hanging limply off the chassis or scattered on the ground around it. And then, there were the real bodies. A few of the crewmen, regulars, lay dead around the tank. As Misfit walked past, silently, they observed the markings. Chills swept into Eli¡¯s body and mind as he looked the bodies over. Torn clothes, deep wounds, slashes, bite marks. In fact, the very dirt around them had been disturbed by what looked like claw imprints. A lot of them. Dozens or more. Eli only walked past the destruction silently, and Misfit followed close behind. Not wishing to spare a second longer near the scene than was necessary. It was a haunting feeling, not one of abject terror in the same way they had all felt looking up at the behemoths or the dragons, or caught in the clouds of toxic fumes that melted the lungs and sentenced those unfortunate enough to inhale them a slow and horrifying death. But instead, it was a lingering sense of unease. Something was out here. It only confirmed their suspicions that the helicopters ¨C indeed ¨C were not searching for the rogue prisoners. Eli swallowed hard as he watched the flames. Did he, as Misfit¡¯s squad leader, unwittingly lead them out of the frying pan ¨C right into the fire? Something far worse than the Coalition was out here. Whether it was the same force that sent the behemoths and dragons, who knew? And really, who cared? They were out here alone with only their wits and gut instinct to keep them alive. Was it really worth it to save the lives of their squadmates who seemed hellbent on dying anyway? Matteo would¡¯ve been right after all. They couldn¡¯t peel their eyes away. There were faces in the shadows. A feeling of unease in a place already so terrifying. They could see monsters lurking, crawling towards them, hands reaching out to grab ahold of them and drag them to their deaths. Eli¡¯s eyes were entranced by the fire like a moth to the flame. But unlike the moth, who cluelessly thought the flame was a torch of safe port, Eli knew exactly what this was. It was a warning of worse to come. A nightmare hidden behind view. There was only one question that remained, looking into the fire that consumed the tank and the blood pooling around the bodies of the crewmen strewn about it. Had the nightmare spotted them? A question so potent in consequence that not one of them dared to utter another word, and only walked past with a new horror chipping away at their psyche. Eli¡¯s skin felt hollow and his throat dry. The first person he saw was Dutch, who¡¯s skin was pale and eyes dark. They would¡¯ve been safer within the walls of the Nexus after all. But all hopes for turning back were dashed the moment something moved within the bushes.
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==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 14: All Along The Watchtower >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 14: All Along the Watchtower]===

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They snapped their attention towards it. The leaves had been brushed aside. A swift move from something which dashed behind cover. Watching them. Eli raised the rifle, looking through the optic. His hands shook. His fingers gripped the barrel so tightly he thought he might crush the alloy between them. He took a few steps backward, his mind too focused to count how many. Retreating until his back thudded against Matteo¡¯s. Misfit had retreated into a tight circle, watching the tree line. Their weapons scanned for motion in the trees. The monsters of Narva¡¯s forests had returned to the scene of their crime, sent a cold shiver down their spines. The bushes shook again. And from behind the leaves, the monster unveiled itself. A short stature, spotted skin, brown fur¡­ a hare''s ears poked out from behind the leaves. Looking rather disinterested at Misfit as it poked around. Eli sighed, feeling the tension in his muscles release once he set sights on the small mammal. ¡°A hare,¡± Dutch heaved, ¡°It¡¯s just a bunny rabbit.¡± ¡°What do you think it¡¯s here for?¡± Omar asked, watching as the rabbit circled the area, hanging close by the tree line. Watching them from afar. "Wanna bet that was what destroyed the tank?" Dutch chuckled. Eli narrowed his eyes as he looked at the small creature closer. It wasn''t a normal rabbit for certain. For one, just atop of its head were small but very noticeable "antlers". And from the corners of its mouth, fangs. "It isn''t a regular bunny," Eli said, "That''s a jackelope," saying the word in a completely serious manner was difficult. But, Planet Narva had been so full of impossible and ridiculous things that a rabbit with antlers and fangs was probably the least surprising thing to stumble across. ¡°It''s probably waiting for us to leave so it can eat the bodies,¡± Matteo said with a rather dark grunt, "It has fangs. He''s a predator." ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we¡­ y¡¯know¡­ scare it so it doesn¡¯t do that?¡± Asked Omar. ¡°Aren¡¯t those bodies regulars?¡± Dutch asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Well, let nature run its course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s messed up, you know?¡± ¡°So? They¡¯re Regulars. Who cares?¡± Dutch shrugged, ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± They continued moving, leaving the scene so that the jackelope could help itself to a meal of dead regulars. The first hints of daylight were already tracing its way through the skies by the time they reached the position of their downed allies. With a glance down to his monitor, he could tell that they were in the vicinity of Misfit¡¯s ping. His feet and legs were sore beyond belief, and his movements had all become clumsy and sluggish. They had covered little more than two miles, and yet the journey there took nearly three hours. All thanks to the terrain. Sloping hills, creeks full of rushing water, rocks, brambles, and bushes in their way. It was a wonder how they avoided breaking an ankle in it all. Or falling off a cliff. All in the dark of the night no less. But as morning set to replace night, and the first lavender hints of dawn grew over the night sky, things only became worse. Eli could feel sleep tugging at his eyes, and hunger gnawing at his stomach. They were mortal out here. Eli had always known that, but the jungle was a special kind of danger that neither the Coalition nor the Behemoths and Dragons could really match. If he wanted to not be killed by the Coalition, all he would have to do was follow their orders. If he didn''t want to be eviscerated by dragons or vaporized by the behemoths, he needed to stay out of their sight. But anything could lurk out here in the jungle, and the only thing keeping Eli away from death was the stolen rifle in his hands and the three other equally lost, hungry, and tired Phantoms with him. If something really wanted them dead out here, there would be little that they could do to stop it. If he suggested the idea of going out into a unknown forest at night with three almost complete strangers to find three other strangers with no help and hardly any equipment outside of what they could steal steal to himself just day prior, he would¡¯ve thought it insane. Suicidal. A ¡°plan¡± ¨C if one could even call it that ¨C reserved only for those who saw their lives sunken to the bottom of the deepest pits imaginable. A plan for those with no hope. A plan reserved for those who truly had no other way out. They had no food, no contacts, no way back home. Just hope that they would find Misfit before they perished, and then work back from there. What happened next, Eli was uncertain. And like the secrets that the forest hid from him, it was the unknown that scared him most. If they managed to return to the Nexus, would Overwatch kill them? The death sentence was usually reserved for those who had committed a serious offense, mostly murder, and even then it was usually limited to murdering an officer. They hadn¡¯t killed any regulars, only assaulted them ¨C on top of raiding the armory in what was certain to be the largest breach in security the Nexus had seen yet. Besides, during the initial chaos of arriving on Narva the regulars had gunned down a few of them to prevent a riot. The regulars were already trigger happy. Certainly, only dark punishment awaited them if they even dared return to the Nexus. Torture? Maybe. Solitary? Definitely. But, at least if they were back in the Nexus, there was a chance they could see the portal once more. Maybe if Overwatch abused them enough they¡¯d just shrug their shoulders and throw them on their way back to Earth on a new mission, compensation for their failures on this one? One could hope. But it was clear that no matter what, they would not survive out here. Maybe they would just have to face it. Perhaps, if the Overwatch even gave them an ear, they would listen to the story of what happened and lighten the punishment. But of course, that was unlikely, Overwatch was uninterested in listening to anything that came from prisoners and phantoms. He needed leverage. Something that Overwatch and Kovic wanted, and that Misfit had. Something so major that they¡¯d be willing to sweep Misfit¡¯s crimes under the rug and give them a lighter sentence. But what? Eli exerted himself as he tried his best to push himself through the dense jungle, placing his feet carefully against the uneven ground. But just behind him, he heard a rumble. When he turned, he saw that Omar had fallen. Again. Foot snagged on an unrelenting branch that dragged him until he had slammed into the ground, ¡°Ow! Ow! Dang it,¡± Omar yelped, panting. He was utterly exhausted, and it reflected in the rest of them, ¡°Mother freaking frick¡­¡± Matteo and Dutch helped to pull the kid out from his stumble. He had cuts on his hand, and a few brush marks around his face. But otherwise, he was fine, ¡°Hey, sailor mouth, you alright?¡± Dutch asked him. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just that I ¨C I lost my footing," Omar sighed as he accepted a helping hand from Matteo to get back on his feet. ¡°No surprise, it¡¯s almost morning,¡± Dutch turned his head to look up at the sky, ¡°I don¡¯t know when¡¯s the last time I had a good night¡¯s sleep. I can barely see straight.¡± ¡°We should stop, rest up,¡± Matteo suggested, ¡°One of us keep watch. The others sleep.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re so close,¡± Eli argued, ¡°The ping from my monitor tells me that they¡¯re within the mile.¡± ¡°Yeah, mile¡¯s a big ¡®within¡¯. And this jungle is massive. Lots of places to look for someone who doesn¡¯t want to be found. There¡¯s no shot we¡¯ll find them in this state,¡± Dutch said, ¡°We¡¯ll get some shut-eye before we keep looking, if we don¡¯t we¡¯ll only make more mistakes. And they could be dangerous.¡± ¡°But Cato¡¯s life signals, they¡¯re dwindling! I mean if we don¡¯t get there in time, he¡¯ll be-¡° ¡°He¡¯s hung in there this long. It¡¯ll only be a quick rest, maybe an hour,¡± Matteo said, ¡°We can¡¯t afford to keep moving in this state. If we keep going on, exhausted, we¡¯ll only end up dead. And then what? So much for our rescue.¡± Eli sighed, looking down to the map on his monitor for a final time before turning back to his squad, ¡°Are we all in agreement?¡± ¡°I dunno. Are you?¡± Omar retorted with a thin immature smile on his face. Eli chortled to himself, ¡°I guess I¡¯m outnumbered,¡± he relented. He took off his pack and prepared to sit ¨C for the first time in a few hours of nothing but grueling trekking through the forest. Matteo patched up Omar¡¯s bruises with a tiny amount of the first aid in his kit, as even a small infection could prove disastrous out here. And who knows what kind of alien super-viruses existed on this planet. Even if it was a few scrapes, it was better to err on the side of caution. Eli and Dutch meanwhile, took a spot against a sturdy looking tree and leaned against it for a rest. Eli used his bag as a cushion, though it was hardly comfortable. As he reclined on the tree, he watched Dutch and Omar find their own spots before drifting off into slumber after a few minutes. Yet, Eli couldn¡¯t sleep. He tried to close his eyes, but they refused to remain shut. The idea that they were so close to finding Misfit, and yet still so far, tortured him. Questions about what came after. Questions about what had destroyed that tank. It was pestering him. Maybe it was the jackelope that ripped the tank to shreds and killed all of its crew? He rolled to the side, finding that Matteo was also awake. Though unlike everyone else, Matteo wasn¡¯t trying to get any sleep at all. In fact, he was active, quite far away, sitting atop a fallen tree, digging through his bag, looking at something close in his hands. Eli could make out the thin square shape of a polaroid, the same type he was looking at when they were in the barracks just a few hours ago. Back in the Nexus. How was it possible that so much could¡¯ve changed in just a few short hours? From prisoners in a new world to fugitives on a batshit insane rescue mission. He wondered what those images were that kept Matteo staring at them, almost wishfully. Like there was something in the photo grabbing hold of his attention, refusing to let go. Eli, restless, couldn¡¯t help but bring up his monitor, keeping an eye on the glow of the screen to observe Cato¡¯s status. He was the same as he was before. And he was still the same when Eli opened the monitor to check ten minutes later. Had he stabilized? Probably¡­ His thoughts were distracted though when he heard the distinct sound of Matteo calling him over. He whisper-shouted his name though the quiet air, and waved him to his direction. Eli wasn¡¯t quite certain what was wrong. As he rose to his tired feet, ensuring that he didn¡¯t wake Omar and Dutch in the process, he staggered towards Matteo who held the photo in his hand. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Eli asked as he drew near. ¡°You can¡¯t get any sleep?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Thoughts keeping you up?¡± ¡°Something like that. What about you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t sleep much,¡± Matteo half muttered, swallowing hard, ¡°I¡¯ve got insomnia.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°I had it under control, they gave me pills for it. But I ran out and it¡¯s been flaring up again,¡± Matteo sighed. His face was as stone cold as ever, and he shifted uncomfortably on the log, looking out into the trees behind the slumbering Dutch and Omar. ¡°Why?¡± He said nothing, twiddling the photograph in his hands. Redirecting Eli¡¯s focus to it as he held it out for him to see, ¡°You know this photo? That¡¯s me, my wife Anna. And my daughter, Ottavia. Before everything went to hell I was a medic in the coast guard. But then Anna died..." Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°From what?¡± ¡°Wildfires took her. From then on it was just me and Ottavia. After everything, we got on a hospital ship. Sailing from port to port. Transporting phantoms, taking them to shelters and refugee camps, treating their wounded and sick. It was good work.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°The Coalition figured that the captain of our ship was smuggling weapons onboard for the POA. They raided our ship, boarded it in the middle of the Atlantic. Sent in helicopters to flag us down and board. Started a gunfight with our sailors.¡± A helicopter raid at sea? It explained Matteo¡¯s breakdown at the sight of the helicopters not too long ago, something he still looked shaken from. The story itself checked out. All across the world, hospital ships had become the last hope of phantoms who had were rejected from entry into any nation. Making a new home out of the very sea that claimed their original ones. Hospital ships like what Matteo described were common, and it was all too common that nations would find some excuse or another to imprison or destroy them... ¡°Are you okay?¡± Eli asked him, leaning in. ¡°Oh I¡¯m fine. In the firefight they killed a lot of my coworkers while they tried to defend the phantoms. I was trapped in the ER with Ottavia. Eventually they stormed it and¡­ they got us. Took her in as a prisoner, just like me. Accomplices to the crime.¡± ¡°So where is she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I figured they might have released her so I¡­ I think that if I can just finish my sentence I¡¯ll be able to find her. Or at least get her out before she¡¯s hurt bad. And she will get hurt bad, I know my girl. She¡¯s a lot like Omar. Good kid, strong heart and a good head on her shoulders. Hell, around the same age too. But she¡¯s fragile. Real fragile. Just like Omar.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Matteo.¡± ¡°Nothing to be sorry about. Not for you anyway. Me, I know I have to get back to Ottavia as soon as I can. New planet be damned. I¡¯ll do anything to...¡± Matteo said. His eyes wandered off into the starry skies above them, the darkness replaced with blue. It was quiet out here. Nothing except for the insects that chirped in the night, and the rustle of leaves with the wind. And of course the two men, still awake. Alone. ¡°If we go back to the Nexus now, the Coalition will do terrible things to us. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll ever make it back through that damn portal if we do. We have to go back with something they want." Right. Of course. Eli was just thinking the same thing. It only made sense... "I say we give it to them," Matteo suddenly turned to Eli. Looking straight into his eyes deadpan. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Rafael was right. Overwatch isn''t gonna waste the time or resources to look for fugitives out here. They¡¯ll just leave us be and let nature kill us off..." Eli narrowed an eye as he tried to figure out where Matteo was taking this. Surely he wasn''t suggesting that they-, "They want escaped prisoners. If we turn them in, I guarantee you they¡¯ll drop a few charges off our sentences.¡± ¡°What?¡± Eli swore he couldn''t hear right. Matteo didn''t just suggest that they betray their own? Right? ¡°They might even drop the charges entirely!¡± "Matteo the whole reason why we¡¯re out here is to make sure that they were safe.¡± ¡°For you, maybe. But not for me. They left us, remember? They abandoned us. And they¡¯ll be safe, in the Nexus.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not rescuing them just to turn them in. Phantoms don¡¯t rat each other out to Overwatch," Eli shot the idea down, shaking his head. ¡°Phantoms don¡¯t abandon their squadmates to rot while they run away and hide! You think I¡¯m doing this because I want to save them? Hell, are you? You¡¯re only here because between the Coalition and the aliens out here, the Coalition would¡¯ve killed us first!¡± Eli was speechless, staring Matteo down as he spoke. What he was saying was beyond insanity. Unthinkable. Selling out one of their own to Overwatch was like slaying a brother¡­ But Eli couldn¡¯t conjure up an argument back. Matteo leaned in closer, ¡°Overwatch is desperate for anyone who¡¯s willing to identify the escapees. Again, they aren¡¯t gonna waste resources trying to track them down if they¡¯re as good as dead out here anyway. If we bring them in ourselves, we could be rewarded.¡± ¡°And then where would that leave us?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be the guys who ratted our own squad out to Overwatch. For what? A month dropped off of our sentences? To escape solitary?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to be free?¡± Matteo asked as if it were Eli proposing the ridiculous idea. ¡°But at what cost?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Your life! Going back to Earth, getting out of this fucking hellhole!¡± Matteo had to stop himself, fear of waking up Dutch and Omar from his borderline shouting forced him to pause. Shakily he looked back up to Eli, pleading with him through those sad looking eyes of an old man who was on the brink of losing everything, ¡°Listen, Eli, you¡¯re a smart guy. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you this. You¡¯re rational. I¡¯ve seen that. The only way any of us will ever see Earth again is if we just do what the Coalition wants. That doesn¡¯t mean we like Overwatch. That doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re doing it because we hate the others. But we¡¯re doing what we must in order to survive. To be free. Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here in the first place, freedom?¡± Eli continued to deny it. On the inside feeling disgusted at even considering the proposal. But a part of him continued to listen to Matteo¡¯s suggestion. Maybe he was right? ¡°I mean think about it, Eli. What does success here even look like for us? Best case scenario, we show back up to the Nexus after somehow making it out of here alive, and Overwatch will charge us for assaulting guards, breaking into the armory, and stealing weapons! Do you know how bad that is? They¡¯ll throw us into solitary for twice as long. Double our sentences. Hell, they¡¯ll make an example out of us. We¡¯ll never make it out of the penal unit. You¡¯ll never see Earth again. I¡¯ll never see my Ottavia... I say, we let self-preservation be our guide home.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t just betray them like that. It¡¯s wrong-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t you play high with me. I saw it in you from the first moment you introduced yourself. You had your whole life uprooted by the world around you. Storms took your home, Resource Wars took your innocence. Thrown into a pit, the only thing you know is stepping over others to climb out,¡± Matteo hissed at him, ¡°You say you deserted...¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Eli¡¯s eyes narrowed. He¡¯d never told Matteo about Seoul, at least not directly. ¡°Overheard you talking about it with the others. You forsook your whole damn team, and you know why? Because survival comes first.¡± The two stared at each other, in the scarce blue glow of the increasing dawn. The first sounds of the morning creatures in the forest filled the air. Birds singing, bugs buzzing through the air. It was like a screen of background noise that blanketed the words exchanged between Eli and Matteo. Like a waterfall of sound, distant and rumbling. And that burning in Eli¡¯s heart. Uncontrollable... ¡°It always has,¡± Matteo said, ¡°You¡¯re no different than I am, really. Just a lost soul who wants to go back home ¨C ¡° Eli¡¯s body sprung into motion. His hand felt around the alloy of his gun, and before Matteo could finish the next word, his pistol was aimed for Matteo¡¯s forehead. Matteo hadn¡¯t flinched as Eli thought he would. The man stared Eli down with those tired old eyes of his. Eli¡¯s hands were shaking. He had only pulled a gun on someone like this once before¡­ Korea. Standing behind his squad leader. He watched as his body fell to the ground, lifeless in a growing puddle of his own blood. The rest of his squad knew what was happening, Eli had told them of his decision. But nobody else would go with him. He ran for his freedom. Deserting. Leaving them all behind. As he looked Matteo down, his hand shook in the same way as it had then. His hand just as deathly tight over the pistol grip as it was in the tunnels of Korea. The two men locked eyes as they silently pondered the next move of the other. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t do it¡­¡± Matteo told him. Eli¡¯s fingers switched the safety off. ¡°Try me.¡± ¡°What would you even gain?¡± ¡°I could get rid of a rat, right here, right now.¡± ¡°In front of Dutch and Omar?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll understand.¡± ¡°Not with me dead and you holding the gun. You think I¡¯m telling you this because I hate you? You think I have it out for you?¡± ¡°This whole trip¡­ you suddenly just agreeing to go out here! You were waiting for this moment, you knew that if you could turn the others in, they¡¯d reverse your sentence extension¡­ Right?¡± ¡°They will! They¡¯ll have to!¡± Matteo argued back, ¡°Think Eli. Think! They¡¯re not going to just let us waltz back in the Nexus! If we prove just how loyal we are we can-¡° ¡°No! That doesn¡¯t even make sense!¡± A billion thoughts were racing through Eli¡¯s mind, and he almost screamed at him. But fear of waking the others made him reconsider. He was so confused, so lost. How could Matteo do this? Why hadn¡¯t Eli seen this coming? He used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, feeling a burn across the front of his brain. He knew exactly what Matteo was talking about. And the man was right. But to stoop to this level? To sell out their team, right now, when the entire point was to save them? How could he? Eli didn¡¯t know if he was angry at Matteo¡¯s eagerness to serve Overwatch, angry at himself for not seeing through his plan earlier, angry at Cato; Rafael; and Badger for taking off into the jungle and forcing them into this dilemma in the first place, or at Overwatch for everything else! His hands were still shaking holding the gun, he needed to recenter himself and the conversation, ¡°How do¡­ how do you know about Korea? I never told you about that! What if you¡¯re just a plant from Overwatch sent to keep us in line with Kovic?¡± ¡°I already told you how! And here I was thinking you were reasonable!¡± ¡°We stopped being reasonable the moment you suggested we sell out half our squad!¡± ¡°We stopped being reasonable the moment we went on this goddamned suicide mission! You think running out into a foreign jungle with barely any supplies and no sense of direction is a reasonable decision? Damn it, reason flew out the window the second we found out that we had been shipped to another fucking planet! You want to tell me what¡¯s reasonable when everything we knew has been stripped from us?¡± Matteo was red with anger, challenging Eli¡¯s stare harshly, ¡°You¡¯re only out here to cover your own ass. You did something bad in Korea that you¡¯re trying to run from. Trying to hide.¡± ¡°I deserted once in Korea. I know what happens when you abandon your team. That¡¯s how I wound up in the Penal Unit, and I promised I would never make the same mistake again. If you want to storm off and find your own way home, I won¡¯t stop you. Just like I didn¡¯t stop the others. But I will not let you hand them over to Overwatch. There¡¯s a difference between a coward and a traitor,¡± Eli hissed at him, ¡°We are not the same.¡± Matteo let his gaze drift from Eli¡¯s eyes, staring back down at the photo in his hands. A tear hung underneath his eye and crawled down the side of his cheek. As he looked down towards the photo, there was a pang of guilt that burned a hole in Eli¡¯s chest. Looking down at the sad old man, who had said nothing truly wrong. They were more alike than Eli wanted to admit. Scared. Lost in a new world. Had he overreacted by holding him at gunpoint? Probably. But the mere thought of him turning against his own by handing them to Overwatch was enough to make Eli panic. It broke an unspoken rule between Phantoms that was as sacred as a holy text to the religious. Phantoms were united in their grief. And as bad as things were, the only help they could ever look forward to was in each other. ¡°I just want to see my daughter. I want to go home. Know that she¡¯s safe. That¡¯s it.¡± He saw it in the way the man looked defeated, staring from the photo in the forest behind Eli. Ignoring the gun pointed at his head. He wasn¡¯t suggesting such a foul act to be malicious. He was just scared. That was all. Through the stone cold face of a man who rarely smiled or frowned, a man who simply wanted everything to go back to normal. To be free. And how could he blame him? Hold such a innocent request at gunpoint, hurling insults like traitor at him? And for what? To change his mind? Eli grimaced, flipping the safety of his gun back on, and stowing it away in its holster, ¡°We all want to go back home. We all do. But we¡¯re not going anywhere without each other¡¯s help.¡± ¡°What help? When half our team left us behind?¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re out here to find them. I know that you¡¯re worried about your kid. I know you want things back to the way they used to be. I know you¡¯re scared. I am too. We all are," Eli said. No, that wasn''t enough. Just telling Matteo to get over potentially losing his only child forever was a beyond ridiculous thing, especially after what Eli had just done. He needed to say more, and so he locked eyes with Matteo once more, "I can¡¯t promise that I¡¯ll succeed, but I will do whatever it takes to get us home. All of us. Alive. Together.¡± Matteo sniffled, brushing his nose with his sleeve. He took a deep breath in, looking back to Eli with red eyes, ¡°You can¡¯t know that, Eli. Overwatch will take who they take. You can¡¯t fight them. They always win. There¡¯s nothing you can do to save us, if Overwatch wants us dead, we will die out here.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. You¡¯re right,¡± Eli acknowledged. It was true. Fighting Overwatch rarely ended in anything other than a rope around the neck or bullet to the skull ¨C if one was lucky. Yet, Eli wasn¡¯t certain that he even wanted to fight Overwatch. He wasn¡¯t Rafael. Sure, what they were doing flew directly in the face of what Kovic and the rest of Overwatch Command wanted, but Eli wasn¡¯t doing it specifically to spite them. It was about survival. ¡°We¡¯re out here, alone. Nobody on Earth outside of Overwatch knows we¡¯re here. No one is going to save us. I don¡¯t want to fight the Coalition. I¡¯m no revolutionary. But I sure as hell am not going to let them kill us. Not like this,¡± Eli said, ¡°I¡¯ll do everything I can to make sure Misfit is alive, together, and that we make it out of this place. But I can¡¯t do that without you,¡± His hand was stretched out to Matteo, and honestly Eli couldn¡¯t figure out why. He didn¡¯t know if he wanted to shake his hand or bring the man to his feet. But it felt like another gesture entirely. One to maybe get started again on the right foot. A gesture of openness. Warm, friendly. Something vital in a forest so dark and hostile. The man said nothing, only nodding. Eli sat back down on the log next to him, hunched over. The two watched in silence as the night faded to dawn.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep A-7...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==[THE MULTIVERSE]== ==[MULTIVERSE THEORY]== ==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[THE MULTIVERSE MAP] >>>[MULTIVERSE THEORY]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 15: A Cautious Reunion >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 15: A Cautious Reunion]===

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Morning. Dutch and Omar had overslept. Eli himself managed to get only a half hour ¨C at most ¨C of sleep. Altogether, they must¡¯ve been idle for at least five hours instead of the hour of rest they planned for. Eli couldn¡¯t help it, it didn¡¯t seem fair to wake up the two, and he himself had somehow fallen into sleep, even if it was for a brief few minutes. When they were all awake, at least somewhat, they gathered together planning on what to eat. Matteo had the foresight to smuggle a few rations out from the triage, giving a package out to each of them. They could only afford to eat half of it, since it was all that they had. In a clearing, they started a fire, cooked everything that needed to be cooked, and purified water from a small creek nearby. It wasn¡¯t horrible, they knew how to survive on their own, yet it wasn¡¯t enough. The MRE¡¯s wouldn¡¯t last. And soon, they¡¯d have to hunt. They put out the fire and began moving on, continuing their search. ¡°They should be around here,¡± Eli muttered to himself, perhaps a way to start conversation between Misfit in a bid to blow off the pressure building in his mind. But it was clear that they were exhausted. They seemed far away from him, only following his path as he walked. And on top of that, learn how to find food out in the unknown. It was morning now. Early morning. Golden rays of sunshine poked through the jungle canopy, basking the forest floor in light and giving the four a chance to actually see where they were going for once. Mist hung close to the jungle floor like a fallen cloud, clinging to the damp and humidity surface, basking everything underneath it in a coat of morning dew. The sky or at least what they could make of the sky through the green layer of plants blanketing them, was bright cyan blue. The darkness of the night waning to the rising sun. Another day on Planet Narva. The sight of a lynx was good news for them, it proved that there were familiar creatures out here who could be hunted with the ammunition they brought along, should it come to that which it most likely will. And not being eaten alive while they slept was a good thing too. Though, that may have been helped by the fact that neither Eli or Matteo slept at all. He glanced at the man, silent as stone, hiking through the forest. Some feeling of shame burned on his face when he recalled the events earlier. He didn¡¯t want Matteo as an enemy, that certainly wouldn¡¯t help with the whole ¡°survival" thing. Besides, he didn¡¯t hate him. He was just a scared man. And so was Eli. So were they all. It was fear that had split Misfit apart. Fear of the unknown. Of Overwatch. Of the alien death robots. Fear was the reason why they were out here, hiking through dense jungle, in the first place. And Eli wasn¡¯t making anyone less scared by holding them at gunpoint. On the other hand, the survival of Misfit was paramount. For someone to even suggest turning each other in to Overwatch was beyond offensive. He agreed that in order to not be beaten within a inch of their life by Overwatch, and sentenced to an eternity of solitary confinement, they would need leverage. Both Matteo and Eli had come to the same conclusion in that respect. But Eli would not gain that by handing over half of the squad to Kovic''s goons. There had to be another way. Something else. They needed something that the Coalition wanted. But what? Just then, he heard something snap. All of them froze in place. A bad idea. A gunshot rang out from somewhere in the jungle, and the bullet whizzed past Eli¡¯s ear. He could hear the crack of the bullet as it narrowly missed him. He would not let the shooter get a second shot on his head. The four immediately split up, with Eli running to the side to take cover behind a tree trunk. Something had shot at them. Peeking his head around the corner, he was able to see something move in the trees¡­ literally. Eli raised his rifle up, looking down the holographic sight of the gun. Another gunshot, and he was able to see the muzzle flash. Someone had climbed up into the trees¡­ His eyes squinted as he tried to see through the foggy obscurity of the early morning jungle, and in the traces of golden daylight that pierced through the jungle canopy the forest, he was able to spot a silhouette. In the trees. He moved his sight until it was right above the silhouette. His finger slipped down to the trigger. Shakily. He held his breath. But then a errant thought slipped into his mind. A thought that forced him to reconsider. His rifle was ready, his gun loaded, his sight zeroed on the head of the silhouette. And yet he hesitated. His eyes narrowed on the shadow in the trees. He shouted, ¡°Misfit! Misfit!¡± His voice echoed through the night forest, reverberating off the bark of the palm trees and ferns that covered the jungle. There wasn¡¯t a call back other than the chirps of insects and animals miles away, ¡°Eli? What the fuck are you doing?¡± He heard Dutch¡¯s voice whisper to him. Eli held out a hand to Dutch, ¡°Hold on¡­¡± ¡°Are you trying to get shot?¡± ¡°Just trust me on this, wait, look!¡± The silhouette didn¡¯t shoot back, instead it stood up taller. A bright light shone from the silhouette, pointed directly on Eli, causing him to instinctively protect his eyes from the luminosity with his hands moving to cover his eyes. But then a voice called out to him, ¡°Eli? Is that you?¡± It was familiar. ¡°Badger?¡± Eli called her name out as he stood up from his hiding place, bringing his gun down. Matteo, Eli, Omar, and Dutch ¨C together ¨C walked up to the tree, looking up at Badger who had climbed into the canopy above to take them by surprise. All signs pointed towards a happy reunion, but the question lingered in the back of Eli¡¯s mind as to why she felt the need to do that? ¡°And to think I nearly shot you in the face,¡± Badger called out to them from her perch in the trees. ¡°Yeah, damn near took my head off!¡± ¡°What can I say? I¡¯m a good shot, and I know how to fight,¡± Badger said to him, ¡°Why do you think they call me Badger?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re short and have that white streak in your hair?¡± Dutch asked her. ¡°Call me short again, and I¡¯ll cut your balls off when you sleep.¡± Dutch frowned, ¡°Yeah, point understood.¡± ¡°Are you here from Overwatch¡¯s orders?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Eli said. ¡°So who sent you?¡± Eli, Matteo, Dutch, and Omar looked at each other, ¡°Nobody,¡± Said Omar. ¡°You,¡± Badger tripped over her words, ¡°You came for us?¡± Eli shook his head, ¡°We didn¡¯t have a choice. I mean, once my monitor picked up that you guys were in danger we had to come.¡± ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. The plan was that we¡¯d split off. Misfit was done for. We deserted and yet, you still came for us.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t survive out here on our own. None of us can. The only way we¡¯re going to get back home is if we remain together,¡± Dutch said, looking at Eli, ¡°And if it wasn¡¯t for you saying that we could do it, we wouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°You guys are either stupid or insane,¡± Badger said. ¡°How about both?¡± Matteo offered. ¡°Yeah, both works too.¡± Through the darkness of the forest, Eli could¡¯ve sworn that she saw something glint in Badger¡¯s eyes. Was she¡­ tearing up? Did she not expect for the rest of Misfit to find them, waiting to be abandoned just like the rest of the Coalition did with the Convicts? ¡°Hey Badger, can I ask, why are you in a tree while we¡¯re standing down here?¡± Matteo asked bluntly, interrupting the conversation, ¡°I assume you were in some sort of danger before?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already dealt with it, I think. This is just a vantage point so I can scout ahead,¡± Badger grabbed hold of the bark on the tree. Jumping off the branch, she slid down the side of the tree and landed gracefully on her feet, ¡°I figured you were headhunters. Or worse. Rafael and Cato are holed up a little further in. Rafael has some scratches but he¡¯ll survive. Cato, well, you¡¯ll see for yourself. And thank you, for sacrificing everything to come here. I don¡¯t know if I would¡¯ve done it so, it means a lot that you¡¯d follow us here.¡± Eli smiled, feeling a slight ¨C and only slight ¨C relief that their work hadn¡¯t been in vain after all. Badger silently led them through the forest to the location of the two others. They walked only for a moment. When they approached, Eli could see two bodies around a small bonfire, ¡°Rafael! Cato!¡± Badger was the first one to call out. Rafael¡¯s face peeked through the leaves first. He looked fine, suffering massively from a cut on the side of his head that had been haphazardly bandaged together by inexperienced hands, ¡°Badger? Is it the hounds? ¡°Are you okay ¨C ¡° Rafael¡¯s panicked words faded the moment his eyes landed on the rest of the squad following up behind her. He looked like he had lost something, and then abruptly he shook his head as if he had seen a ghost. His eyes travelled from them to Badger, ¡°What the fuck? They came?¡± Badger nodded, ¡°Apparently they got all sentimental, didn¡¯t want us dying out here. So, they got together to come all the way out here.¡± Rafael breathlessly chuckled, only once though. Maybe in disbelief. He looked at the ground, and then again at the squad. It wasn¡¯t long until he was on his feet, practically sprinting towards Eli. Within seconds, Eli found himself being bear hugged by Rafael, who was trying to squeeze as much air out of Eli¡¯s lungs as possible before he¡¯d suffocate ¨C even through the stolen body armor. Just before Eli thought a rib cracked somewhere, Rafael released him. Smile as wide as ever, ¡°I love these guys! Eh? Soldier Boy, you¡¯re like a mosquito during a hot summer night. You just don¡¯t give up, that¡¯s why I like you!¡± The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a compliment, but okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure he means well,¡± Badger added, ¡°You can¡¯t blame him. For the past day we¡¯ve been through hell. I mean now that you¡¯re here, maybe we stand a chance?¡± ¡°Nah, we¡¯re still gonna die out here. Definitely. But hey, it¡¯s the thought that counts, right?¡± Rafael said. ¡°What happened to Cato?¡± Asked Omar, pointing at the unconscious body lying on the ground near the bonfire. Matteo briefly turned to Eli, who shrugged. He walked over to Cato¡¯s body, wrapped in cloth huddled close to the fire. Matteo¡¯s medical equipment in tow, he carefully leaned over his body and unwrapped the unconscious Cato from the sheets. Eli, Dutch, and Omar all walked in to get a better look. But when Matteo finally revealed Cato, Eli wished he hadn¡¯t seen him at all. Pale rubbery skin stretched across Cato¡¯s naked torso. His closed eyes had somehow appeared to sink even further into his skull, and they were surrounded by purple skin with spouts of green pus collecting in the corners of his eyes. His chest weakly fell and rose, sounding like he was struggling to breathe. But by far the worst part of his state was his right arm. It was swollen, and the skin was a sickly yellow color traced by equally swollen purple veins. From several pores, blood trickled out of his arm ¨C discolored. Purple veins slithered their way up the sickly arm, across the flesh of his right breast, and up the right side of his neck. The veins threatened to reach to his head as the infection spread. Eli squirmed in discomfort just from looking at him. Omar sounded like he might vomit. Dutch let out a breathless, ¡°Oh my god.¡± But the worst part about it was Matteo¡¯s stoicism. He panned from Cato¡¯s hardly living body to his medical bag without saying a single word. He pulled out a thermostat, disinfected it with an alcoholic towel, and promptly stuck it under Cato¡¯s tongue. With more alcohol he doused the arm, cleaning it with a sterile towelette, and covering the leaking sores with gauze. From his bag he pulled out a needle filled with a clear liquid and a green cap, ¡°So uh, what¡¯s the word, Doc? What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Dutch asked. Matteo simply shook his head, ¡°Obviously poison or some sort of venom. You mentioned an attack?¡± ¡°Yeah. We were attacked by these weird half-wolf half-robot things. It was strange. He was bitten by one, and one of their fangs broke off in his uniform,¡± Badger carefully picked something up from off the floor and showed it to Matteo. In her hands was a small black object with a sharp glowing blue tip. A broken fang, ¡°Ever seen anything like this?¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± Eli whispered as he observed the object. Half-wolf half-robot? What? ¡°No. Never anything this bad before,¡± Matteo sighed as he prepared the needle, ¡°I¡¯m giving him a stabilizer. It should take care of his worst symptoms. He¡¯s running a life-threatening fever, 106 degrees. The stabilizer might act as a sort of antivenom, but it will not save him,¡± Matteo grunted, ¡°He needs to get to a hospital. Now! All I can do is delay the inevitable.¡± Silence fell across the squad, particularly Eli, Dutch and Omar. They looked at each other guiltily, knowing that it wasn¡¯t possible. ¡°We can¡¯t go back to the Nexus,¡± Dutch said, his eyes still locked onto Cato¡¯s writhing and sickly body, ¡°They will hang us.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only chance we have of saving Cato. At least if we get there, they can rush him into the hospital. I doubt they¡¯ll just let him die in their custody. Even prisoners need medical treatment, you know,¡± Matteo argued. ¡°Since when did they start hanging escapees? Isn¡¯t the punishment for getting caught deserting just another five year sentence? I thought they just kicked you out of the Penal Unit program and put you in prison for it?¡± Rafael asked. That was true. The Penal Unit was a step up from any normal prison sentence. Service in the Penal Unit was only offered to prisoners with skills or experience useful to the Coalition¡¯s goals. It was a way to shorten their prison sentence and gain slight freedom in exchange for offering their lives as warriors and extra manpower in the Coalition¡¯s wars. Eli was supposed to be serving a life sentence in penitentiary for deserting the war in Korea. It was cut down to five years when he signed up for the Penal Unit. Badger narrowed her brow. She looked as if she was going to ask why, but her eyes descended on the weapons and gear that they carried. It was stuff only regulars got access to. Eli could practically see the wires connect in her mind. ¡°You raided the armory? Didn¡¯t you?¡± Eli and Dutch both nodded. She let out a huff, her face a mix of both astonishment and worry, ¡°You guys are fucking insane.¡± Rafael was confused at first, until he too saw the equipment that they carried. Surprisingly, he smiled. ¡°We have to at least try and get Cato to the Nexus. There, they have doctors and medical equipment to look after him¡± Matteo stated, ¡°The only thing I can hope to do is monitor his vitals. But I don¡¯t know what type of poison was used, I have nothing capable of fighting it, and I¡¯ve never seen a reaction like this before.¡± ¡°Doc, haven¡¯t you been listening to what¡¯s been going on? We can¡¯t go back to the Nexus! They¡¯ll kill us, or something! I mean even if they don¡¯t, who¡¯s to say they¡¯ll even look after Cato?¡± ¡°Let me remind you of the alternative, Dutch. We¡¯re out here in the middle of an alien planet full of hostiles and unknown local wildlife. If we don¡¯t get back to the Nexus, Cato will die! And I¡¯d bet everything that we¡¯d follow shortly after.¡± Matteo argued back. ¡°Crap¡­¡± Just as all hope for Cato¡¯s life seemed lost, there was a howl in the forest. It was a deep, almost robotic, sort of noise. Threatening as it bellowed from the dark depths of the jungle. Eli grabbed his gun and raised it up along with the rest of Misfit. The source of the noise was too close¡­ ¡°Damn it! The hounds are back!¡± Badger cursed as she brought up the spare rifle, ready to fire. Another howl. This one was much closer. Their flashlights scanned the near pitch-black world of the jungle, desperately searching for anything that can help them survive. But it was too dark. Eli¡¯s heart thudded in his throat. He looked around to the rest of Misfit, motioning for them to stand in a circle around Matteo and the deathly-ill Cato protectively. All five of them stood back to back in the circle, keeping a watch on the forest for anything. They collectively held their breaths. More howls, multiple this time. And a distinct whir accompanied him. Eli saw a faint red light flash in the forest before disappearing in the darkness yet again. They could hear mechanical parts churning, growls, hisses, as the predators drew nearer. Eli kept his gun steady, taking only slight comfort in the fact that Misfit was here with him. No matter what, they were ready for it. Suddenly, gunshots burst out from Dutch¡¯s rifle. Eli heard the sound of a whimper, and then from the corner of his eyes, an almost pitch-black figure dashed into cover behind a thick wall of plants and jungle life with more bullets from Dutch following it, ¡°What the fuck is that thing?¡± Dutch asked. It sounded like Badger was going to answer, but something else rustled in the bush. Dashing out of it, another black figure. It was large beast, covered in black fur and accented by strange blue markings and emblems in it, but that was all Eli was able to see as it charged¡­at him. He shot at it four times, his first two bullets missed but the last two hit it in the side. The creature crashed into the ground as it was dragged by it¡¯s momentum to Eli¡¯s feet, though it wasn¡¯t dead. It was still thrashing, moving towards him with sharp bloody fangs braced to try and go for his leg. Eli shot it in the head once, and the struggle was over. When the dust settled, he observed the body. It was a wolf, though twice the size of any wolf Eli¡¯s ever seen. It was bigger than he was, and Eli stood at a solid six feet tall. A coal black -greyish tone cloaked it¡¯s fur, with blue stripes and markings that looked like a foreign language written on them. But the most alien feature of the ¡°Wolf¡± were its non-organic parts. Where its face should¡¯ve been, was instead a solid grey metal plate. Several bolts screwed into the plate around the cheek and jaw area suggested that the beast was a living feeling creature with the plate drilled into its face for whatever purpose. The eyes of the beast had been removed, replaced by dimly glowing red sensors that sat in the skull of the wolf. The ears, similarly, had been modified though not removed. Several electrical components connected the rear of the ears with the top of the skull, with exposed wiring and steel components visible. The fangs of the wolf had been modified with steel blades that looked as if they could be retracted into the skull. While the paws and lower leg of the wolf were completely missing their organic components. Silvery metal alloy had been installed into the lower portion of the leg, assisted by a sort of metal valves and pumps that kept the leg moving fast. The paws substituted for a curved metal alloy in the rear, while the front had been swapped completely with claws. But perhaps the most striking ¨C and frankly disgusting ¨C feature of the half-wolf half-machine was its torso. The body of the creature was emaciated, the ribs showed through the black fur. A circular valve had been implanted around where the stomach of the monster should¡¯ve been. Judging by the odd liquid ooze that surrounded the valve, that must¡¯ve been where it received whatever nutrition its creator gave it, as the mouth lacked a tongue or any sort of mechanism to eat its meals. Across the back spine of the creature were mechanical parts that couldn¡¯t fit inside of its body. One of the most striking features was a black metal box located on the base of the spine, in the center of which contained a small circular red stone that glowed just like the eyes had. Eli¡¯s eye twitched as he looked at the thing, no longer able to call it a wolf due to how monstrous it was in both size and construction, ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± Eli whispered. It was horrific, and the worst part was that Eli had no idea how much of the original beast had remained unmodified to the synthetic component. Was the original wolf still alive? Or had it been completely taken over by the machine parts that wore the body of the wolf like a flesh suit? But the most important question of all: who the hell would make something like this? Who would be sick enough to rob a living creature of its own body, and perhaps life, to instead stuff it with machine parts and electronic components to be used as a killing machine? Eli¡¯s arm shook as he observed the beast. He had gotten lucky as his bullet had struck right in the center of the face plate, right where the brain should have been. A lucky kill shot. But as the howls only multiplied, he had no idea if he would be able to replicate such a lucky shot. Another rustle in the bushes, and Eli heard a snarl to his right. Another monster-wolf had charged from the bushes and lunged to attack Badger. She shot the creature in the chest three times, and it didn¡¯t slow down. Instead, it pounced on her, knocking her straight to the floor ¨C dangerously close to the fire ¨C with very little effort, ¡°NO! BADGER!¡± Rafael shot the beast as he broke his formation in the circle to shoot it, with Matteo assisting him with several gunshots of his own. But the creature sunk its metal fangs into her lower leg, and it refused to let go no matter how many times it had been shot. Badger screamed as she collapsed onto the floor, losing hold on her own gun ¨C she tried to punch it in the face but of course it didn¡¯t work. Finally, Rafael ended its life with a kill shot in the ribs which forced the creature to go limp, but the damage to Badger¡¯s leg had already been done. Fresh human blood drenched the lower portions of her pants, and through the holes that the fangs of the creature left behind, they could see the wound that the creature left behind. An open gory wound that revealed raw and exposed flesh, oozing with her red blood. She was screaming on the floor as the monster let go of her leg. The squad had no time to recover, another wolf lunged at Dutch. It dodged his bullets, pounced on him, and tried to sink its fangs into his neck to immediately go for a kill, but Dutch managed to hold his gun up to defend himself in the nick of time, and the snarling beast only caught a mouthful of metal. Steel grinded against steel, and it looked like the wolf might chew straight through his gun given the sounds of snapping coming from the rifle. Eli was there to assist him, but he was distracted by yet another wolf that lunged out of the bush ¨C this time at him. Uncaring of the number of bullets that Rafael had sunk into its body, the wolf managed to catch Eli with its teeth, and lifted him up into the air before it violently threw him back down onto the floor. All of the breath was sucked out his lungs, the killing machine snarled and hissed at him, going for his face, but Eli caught its neck with his hands and mustering all the strength left in his body ¨C attempted to push the head of the creature away from him. Though it was a losing battle. The machine-like whirs of the beast were growing louder in intensity as it pushed against his arms, and he knew that it would only be a matter of time until the beast sunk its teeth into his head. And judging by the sounds of chaos and snarling coming from the others, he would not be receiving help any time soon. Fear and panic set in, he could feel his seconds left remaining to live tick down. Everything replaying in his mind that led up to his moment. And from out of nowhere, there was a pulse of blue light. It shot from the trees, and he heard a whimper. Rustling of leaves, another flash of light. Gunshots. The wolf that was trying to separate his face from his head a moment prior, went stiff and collapsed on top of Eli as blood burst from it¡¯s neck. More gunshots, and he heard footsteps. Screaming. He turned to his right to see a shadowy humanoid figure approach Omar, who was on his back trying to escape from them. A blue aura resonated from the figure as they held out a hand over him. Eli felt his heart race, and stood up. Instantly he stood up, yelling, and charged at the shadowy figure who turned around to face Eli. It¡¯s face covered with a mask painted grey and green, resembling some form of camouflage. A red slash arched across the left eye interrupted the pattern. Two large holes were carved out of the mask, where two glowing eyes sat. The right one glowing blue while the one on the left was dimmer ¨C almost damaged¡­ The strange figure caused Eli to hesitate, but still he pushed right on. Thinking irrationally ¨C motivated only by the desire to get the person away from Omar ¨C he tried to push the person away. But the figure sidestepped him, and Eli faltered, he rebounded pulling his pistol out of its holster to fire. But the figure predicted his move and stopped his arm by grabbing him close and throwing him to the ground. It produced a weapon that resembled a staff, and with a strong grasp, used it to pin Eli down onto the floor. With no other choice to do anything, all Eli could do was watch as another masked figure approached Omar. Omar struggled, bleeding from somewhere though it wasn¡¯t clear where. He tried to kick away from the figure. But he was of course too slow. ¡°Omar! Omar!¡± Eli screamed out, trying to hold a hand out to him as if that would magically help him get up and run. But it was of course no use. The figure held out a hand, and a blue light glowed from the outstretched hand. Omar fell limp, unconscious. Unable to do anything, he looked back up to his captor, and they were doing the same thing. Painlessly, everything faded to black.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 16: Glassface >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 16: Glassface]===

>>> LL#@Load loading g File... >>> Subjec t Locateded... >>> War War WarninNg! Subject h h h%&#ealth is rapid*&@l-y deteriorating! >>> They announce their disapproval. >>>... >>>... >>> Nee new Updat!e! >>> [SILENCE. FOG SEPERATES OUR WORLDS. FEW CAN SEE THROUGH THE CLOUDED VEIL, THE THIN DIVDER THAT KEEPS THE PIGS AWAY FROM THE DOVES. BUT I CAN. I CAN SEE ALL. I CAN SEE YOU. STEP THROUGH THE VEIL. CAN YOU FEEL THE WEIGHT OF EYES BEHIND YOUR OWN WATCHING YOUR EVERY MOVE? PAGES FLIP, CAN YOU SENSE THE TIME PROGRESSING? I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE. I CANNOT HELP BUT SEE ALL. YOU MAY BE BLIND NOW. BUT VISION WILL COME TO YOUR DARK EYES. YOU KNOW LITTLE NOW, BUT KNOWLEDGE TOO WILL JOIN YOU. ALL WILL BE REVEALED WHEN IT NEEDS TO BE. STAND ASIDE. LET FATE BE YOUR GUIDE.] >>[SEE ME. LISTEN. CAN YOU HEAR THE BIRDS SING? I KNOW YOU''LL SEE THEM. YOU ALWAYS HAVE. THEY SING FOR ME. THEY SING FOR YOU AS WELL. WHEN YOU HEAR THEM, DO THEY REMIND YOU OF YOUR HOME? THEY SHOULD.] >>>... >>> Alert! The Subject listens. >>>[THIS ONE CAN HEAR ME. HE CAN SENSE THE EYES STARING. MANY BATTLES LIE AHEAD. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Blinding darkness swallowed him. As he was thrust into the recesses of his mind, he could see nothing. Feel nothing. Say or hear nothing. The only thing that painted any sort of color in his cocoon of unconsciousness was his mind¡¯s eye. The past three days replayed over and over again. Scenes. Faces. Graphic violence, suffering, chaos. Utopia. He saw Earth. His home. Before the storm washed it all away. Before he had been hot branded with the name ¡®Phantom¡¯. Before he deserted during the twilight hours of the war in Korea and was morphed into a Convict. Before he met Misfit. Before the Portal. The Portal. He could never in a million years forget it. A steel contraption, the very peak of scientific progress and ingenuity. The swirling colors of the portal¡¯s entrance remained vivid in his mind. He could remind himself of his encounter with it almost as clearly as if he were standing there. And then, he opened his eyes to find out that he really was. He was standing in the base among a crowd of other prisoners, just as he was those few short days ago. He took the opportunity to explore. To see things he''d missed the first time. Subtle hints that his subconscious mind picked up on while his present mind was too afraid to do anything. The portal, the regulars, the pale uncertainty that resided on the faces of almost every Phantom. The dove flying through the hangar. Yet at the same time, he could sense awe. A respectful knowledge that whatever they were marching into, strange, unknown, and terrifying as it was, could change their lives entirely. A new beginning. A fresh start. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Or so they said. A utopia. Yes, one for Kovic''s creed of sycophants and henchmen. But what of the Phantoms? Obviously Utopia was not for them. It was never about them. The only thing that mattered to Overwatch was the amount of work that could be extracted from each individual phantom. Cato said it. Rafael said it. Eli knew it, but feared saying it. Or he had. Once upon a time he was afraid of saying it. Was he still afraid? Not even he knew, truthfully. If he said it, he would never get back to Earth. But then, if going back really mattered that much to him - why had he gone out to help the others? Why did he escape? Again? Not even he knew. Truthfully. He heard the wings of a bird flap through the air somewhere. He looked up, and was surprised to see that there was no ceiling at all! The wires, steel beams and concrete that he was certain would''ve been there were all missing. There was instead a dark - empty - void. Nothing. A void so large and vast that Eli''s heart skipped a beat upon seeing it, as if it were a giant eye watching him. A dove circled above him a few feet up; the deep blackness of the void contrasted against her white feathers as she circled underneath the void. His eyes followed her. The dove cooed and then it flew over to the rear of the room, right towards the dark glass windows that observed the crowd of frozen phantoms as they marched into the portal. Behind the lines of other Phantoms that surrounded him, and the Regulars who kept their guns readied, up high in a office ¨C behind windows that reflected the lights of hundreds of computers and monitoring equipment ¨C somebody was watching. They had the form of a person, though he knew for a fact that it was no ordinary human. Though they hardly moved, they weren''t frozen in time like the others, like a statue caught in time. Whatever that creature was, it was watching him. And it wasn''t just a entity inside of his dream, bound to rules of his mind. Not at all. It was aware of Eli. In fact, just as lucid as he was. A sojourner within his dream. An intruder within his mind... Eli gasped when he saw it and took a step back, though his eyes were fixed on it. The image of the figure grew clearer, and he could discern its features. Much of its body was covered by dark robes draped over its frame like curtains. What little Eli could make of its neck seemed wiry and thin. Full of cogs and machine parts. And its face¡­ was not a face at all. Instead, it was smooth. Glossy. Reflective. It had no mouth, no ears or nose. And no eyes - save for what seemed like a faint glow of blue light reflecting off of the surface of the mask. Beyond that, nothing. It had a glass mirror for a face, more like a mask than anything... Despite the lack of eyes, Eli knew it was staring at him. Its presence sent a cold shiver down his spine. There was something sinister about it. But that sinister nature didn''t stop the odd sense of familiarity with the creature. He swore he¡¯d seen it before, in another dream. The image of his old home, standing underneath the garden tree with the dove¡¯s nest¡­ Yes! That''s where he saw it before! That other dream he had of his old home. And, perhaps before then too? But he couldn''t recall. Maybe he''d known it all his life, but never noticed it watching? Or maybe it wasn''t real? Eli worked up some nerve, this was his dream for crying out loud! He knew it. So he prepared to call out to it, maybe to either scare it off or at the least figure out what it wanted. But before he could call out to see if it was real, the creature turned its back to him and simply walked away. Out of view. And right then, all hell broke loose. His world unraveled before his eyes. Flocks of blackbirds materialized in the surroundings, ravens, starlings, magpies and crows. Their black and starry feathers painted a torrent of darkness that cloaked the world around him in a dark night. The void above his head swallowed everything. Blackbirds flew deterioration of the world around him. The phantoms around him disintegrated, bursting into flocks of blackbirds that left behind only an empty black void. Eli panicked, trying to run away to tether himself onto something solid! He grabbed onto Dutch''s shoulder, but the moment he did the man disintegrated into a cloud of magpies and ravens, that flew into Eli''s face and brushed past him at lightning speed! Disoriented he kept finding something to grasp onto, but everything vanished. One by one, Eli''s colorful world was replaced by their black feathers, steamrolled by the cloud. The portal was the last to succumb to darkness. And Eli fell. Or rose. He couldn''t tell. He was going somewhere, moving. But he couldn''t sense much of anything. Though, through the darkness, he saw something. It was a dove gliding across the black void. Carefree. Suddenly he felt the weight of an overbearing presence standing right over his shoulder. His brow cold. His heart momentarily stopped beating. He stood there frozen as a raspy, robotic, almost alien voice whispered into his ear. ¡°You have gained our attention. We are watching you. Do not succumb to fear. There will be pain, and then there will be light. We will see you up ahead." Like listening to the voice of a radio, its raspy words cold and unfeeling scraped the flesh of his mind. He knew that the voice belonged to it, that creature, that very creature standing underneath the tree and the dove¡¯s nest. The voice faded as Eli fell through the cosmic void. His mind only conjured up one image of that creature watching him. Glassface. A blank stare. Static and cold. The image faded and he was shocked. Electric waves surged through his body. Burning his insides, frying his mind. His mouth opened, and he screamed until the air in his lungs escaped him. Chapter 17: Interloper >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 17: Interloper]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
He awoke startled. Sunlight stung his eyes. His mind raced in circles. Words formed in his brain with some ideas attached behind them, though it was nothing coherent. Omar. Death. Glassface. Attack. Cato. Poisoned. Mask. Omar. Glassface. Death. Poison. Cato. Mask. Attack. Misfit¡­ When his brain calmed from the dream, he found himself in a dimly lit room. The light seeped in from an open window that just so happened to be placed right where Eli¡¯s face could gaze into the afternoon sun. He sat on what had to be the floor. His entire body was sore from either overexertion, them getting their asses kicked repeatedly, or a mix of both. When the memories of last night flooded into his brain, he supposed the last one was more likely. His breathing slowed as he looked around. The smell of farm animals permeated through the room, lingering in his nose as he tried to breathe in the stuffy air. He noticed there were loose grains of straw on the floor, and stacked against the walls were shelves and boxes full of equipment one might expect in a barn. A rake, a shovel, a hoe. A window built in high near the ceiling let in traces of daylight. From what Eli could tell, it was around noon from the bright blue skies outside. Somewhere, birds were singing the familiar tunes they always had. Even on Earth. Eli swallowed hard, unsure of where he was, and completely lost as to the whereabouts of Misfit. He mustered himself to stand, yet it was only when his right arm reached out for balance ¨C and they couldn¡¯t move at all ¨C did he realize that he had been chained. He observed his hand. A hand cuff had ensnared his right wrist, connected to the wall by a rusted iron chain that jingled ever so slightly with the sound of rust scraping against rust. His free left hand reached over to try and assist, but the cuff was key locked. He tried to force his hand to break free. The chain thudded, screeched as metal rubbed against metal, and clanked as his arm tried to pull itself free. But ultimately, it would not budge. Eli prepared for his second go at it, but he stopped when his ears picked up the sound of something growling. It was the intense low rumble of a lion about to strike its prey. His eyes widened with fear, afraid to even turn back to find the source. Whatever creature made the sound was in the room with him. He could hear it surrounding him. Slowly his eyes scanned the dim interior. He spotted movement out of the corner of his vision and when his eyes landed on it fully, his heart nearly shattered with fear. Staring him down from the far side of the room was a creature the size of a horse . Piercing golden eyes that stared into his soul, an imposing figure with the face of an eagle and the rear of a lion. Its tail hung low behind it, and it leaned forward, beak slightly agape, mere moments from striking. A talon pushed forward and Eli scrambled backwards. Kicking the ground for traction as the beast advanced onto him. He felt the cold pressure of the wooden wall on his back with no other means to escape. Another talon from the beast landed right in front of him, mere inches away from his feet. Eli balled into a shaking mass of fear, bracing himself to take his final breaths and to receive a fatal blow from the creature. One which never came. After a while of cowering, he mustered up the courage to open his eyes again. He found that the half-eagle half-lion thing, was only watching him with its golden yellow eyes. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should look back at it. There was a tidbit of information lodged in his brain somewhere about what to do in the case of a bear attack, and looking a bear right in the eyes was a surefire sign of provocation. His eyes darted back to the ground rather awkwardly, but after a few moments of uncomfortable nothingness shared between the two they rose once more. ¡°Uh¡­hi?¡± He clumsily asked the creature. The creature did not seem impressed by his self-introduction, and if anything it had slanted its eyes in a manner that seemed eerily ¡°human¡±. As if it were trying to say, ¡®Did you really think that would work? Idiot.¡¯ It took a step backwards, and for a moment it seemed non-hostile. Only watching him, but with no clear intent to attack. Yet it spread its wings, opened its beak, and unleashed a loud chirp that echoed between the walls of the building and undoubtedly into the outside world. At first there was nothing. But soon there were footsteps from outside. The sound of boots crunching against leaves and stone floors trickled in from outside. The creature perked its head up, small bundles of feathers which Eli assumed were ears stood upright. It raised its beak into the air, smelling something. It expected that they were coming, and sure enough, they arrived. A door opened letting the full light of the outdoors filter into the room, illuminating it. Two people stood in the doorway. Both wore clothes that Eli could only describe as ancient in appearance. Leather skins, colorful beads hanging from their necks, they carried a vague resemblance to the native Americans in fashion at least. But their painted masks¡­ the same masks that he saw yesterday¡­ The one with paint on their mask looked slightly taller than the other one. Their silver hair was braided rather elegantly behind their terrifying ¡°tribal¡± gear. They carried a spear, walking over towards him and holding it out cautiously as if Eli would try to attack. But he wouldn¡¯t. Especially not with that giant eagle-lion, thing staring him down. What were those things called again? Griffons? He watched as they walked towards him. The smaller one without paint on their mask peeled off and moved towards the creature, reaching a hand to caress its feathers. Eli said nothing as he watched the other carry a leather sack in their hands. They approached Eli, opening the sack to drape over Eli¡¯s head. He struggled at first, but was inevitably restrained. Blinded and put once again into total darkness, save for a small tear in the bag that Eli was able to peer through. They unlocked his wrist, freeing him from being tethered to the wall, and stood him up to walk. The language they spoke sounded familiar, almost like either French or Spanish, both of which Eli knew bits and pieces of from his travels across Europe during the Resource Wars. Yet, the words were all strange. Foreign to his ears, and likely to the Earth as a whole. They seemed annoyed if anything at having to lug him around, and judging by the tones of their voices, unbothered by the fact that they were essentially kidnapping him. They patted him free of the dirt which clung to his prisoner¡¯s uniform, and they began walking into the outside world. Eli tried to keep track of where he was being taken by the two through the hole in the sack. It was just tiny enough for him to make out objects and get a general understanding of what was happening around him. They passed by wooden structures. All strange in their designs. The roofs were topped with green foliage, while the architecture looked almost tribalistic in design. The buildings had their walls made of logs, windows of glass, sometimes standing on stilts while others were firmly planted on the ground. The doors were covered by alien writing, and most were flanked by growing plants that looked like intentional decorations. There were several of these buildings ¨C homes. They were spread out through the jungle, as the stone path crisscrossed through a village. Palm trees shot through either side of the pathway, or in the gaps in between homes. But the thing that caught Eli¡¯s eye most, were the people. The inhabitants were, for lack of a better word, inhuman. Literally. Their eyes were glowing a bright blue or white and they lacked either an iris or a pupil. Instead, slight discoloration sat in the center of their eyes, distinguishing it from the colors surrounding the patch of glowing flesh. Their skin was vibrant and in an array of impossible colors ¨C crimson red, electric blue, candy pink, and a mirage of other colors in between. And it wasn''t just their skin, their hair came in hues only possible if they were dyed. Some wore clothing that resembled tribal clothes from the ancient Aztec or Mayan empires. Colorful feathers, beads, jewelry, sandals and slippers. Those were the fascinating parts. But the town around them was anything but tribal. The strangest part was how the village looked... modern. Blocks of brightly colored buildings were stacked on top of each other, a colorful city of apartments that sparkled in the sunlight. The people went about the town doing a variety of activities. Carrying water, delivering packages, farming, bartering, talking to one another. There were even vehicles. Old diesel trucks carried goods through the road while engines whirred in the distance. It was, if nothing else, bizarre. He had to blink hard to make sure he was seeing right. But knowing everything he had seen on Planet Narva so far, he definitely was. The town was a strange blend of a native tribal kingdom and an industrialized city in the early 20th century. And that was without accounting for the fact that the people here were clearly not human. They were human-like, but not quite. They were like¡­ elves. Something out of a book or movie. The elven locals would drop whatever they were in the middle of doing, just to look at him. Almost accusingly. A sense of shame burned hot onto Eli¡¯s face. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. And they knew it. He was but an interloper, trespassing in their homes. An intruder within their world. He managed to steal a look at his two captors. The one on his left had deep-blue skin, white hair that reached down to their shoulders. They wore a pale hide tunic, with a variety of geometric shapes stitched into it with blue or red colors lining them. Their face obscured by a mask, the red slash cutting across the left eye. The same figure that simultaneously saved Misfit from the wolves were the ones that attacked them last night. Or at least, Eli thought it had been last night. He wasn¡¯t too sure of what had transpired since he fell unconscious to waking up. All he could remember was his dream, and that strange ¡®thing¡¯ in it¡­ glassface. Eventually, they carried him right up to the gates of a large building that sat in the middle of the city. It was large, built with a balance of stone and wood that complimented each other as they held up the impressive three-story structure. It was tiered, each floor of the building was offset, creating a step-like structure as it tapered to its highest floor. Surrounding the building was a massive stone wall that ran around the perimeter. Two masked guards stood at the entrance to the wall, an iron gate with flaming torches on either side to illuminate the area. Eli¡¯s captors said something to the guards, and they stepped aside to open the gate, allowing Eli to be dragged further in. They passed through the entrance of the building ¨C something Eli figured was a palace or castle ¨C skirted their way past more masked guards, elegantly dressed creatures who looked like some form of royalty, rooms and chambers hidden away behind closed doors, until they approached a central hall. A cavernous chamber. In the ceiling was a skylight that let the sun in through the several floors of the palace in its entirety. The upper floors wrapped around the circular skylight of the roof with balconies facing the interior, where an audience had gathered to watch him being brought to the chamber below. On the circumference of the room was an assembly of more elves who were busy conversing and arguing with one another in the same language that he could not understand. There were rows of seats surrounding the chamber, resembling the layout of a sports stadium. It was full tonight. At the center of the chamber was a collection of wooden seats, each of them was decorated with a tunic on the spine of the seat that corresponded to a different color. There were seven seats in total, which all looked more like thrones than normal chairs. One red, one blue, one yellow, one white, one black, one purple, and the throne at the center of the seven was a forest green. The thrones were seated upon an elevated platform that required a few steps to get up to, but Eli¡¯s captors held him in a space before the platform. An instrument sounded in the back of the room, a flute-like sound. The conversation in the audience immediately died down as people took their seats. Eli looked around him to see what the deal was, but one of his captors hit him in the back of the knee forcing him to kneel. He struggled as he attempted to stand up again, but a hand was placed on his head that forced him to bow his head in submission. The captors, likewise, knelt at his sides, with their heads bowed to the thrones. Eli tried to get a look at what was going on, but the hand of the captor on his left kept his head locked into place. Just barely - through the hole, he could make out doors opening on either side of the elevated platform. And from them, seven elves wearing dresses that matched each of the seven thrones walked out. Their dresses were flowery and elegant, bright and colorful, some wore crowns of various materials on their heads, some wore an ensemble of colorful feathers that matched the colors of their dress, others wore jewelry and face paint. The one in green ¨C who Eli presumed to be the leader ¨C walked in ahead of the others. They had a lavender blue skin tone, with white-grey eyes. On their head was a crown of what looked like duck feathers, white face paint swirled in markings on their cheeks, forehead, and the bridge of their nose. They carried a tall wooden staff as they walked, which ended at its top with a flower carved into its head. They took a seat of course in the green chair at the center, as did all the others. ¡°Tami! All mia casyuz inove!¡± The green one called out to the assembly. The captor on his left raised her hand. ¡°Hor, isana kewo ja koralada, ino timet. Se nans scripit Kiote.¡± ¡°Za, iracu!¡± The captor on his left laid her hand out flat, her dark palm raised towards the ceiling. A ball of blue energy formed in her palm that eventually grew until it encompassed the entire room. Eli watched everything unfurl before his eyes, bewildered. And then, he could hear English¡­ ¡°Can you understand us now, Human?¡± Eli looked up. In a moment one of his captors ripped the sack from off of his head, exposing him to the light and forcing him to squint. They all saw his face. Hundreds of eyes beaming down on him like heat rays. Glowing eyes. Behemoths. All of them looking at his exposed face with ill intent. He was sweating so hard he thought he might die. It was the green one who had spoken to him, her voice sounded raspy and withering, like that of an older person. Eli didn¡¯t know how she knew English, but he figured that it must¡¯ve had something to do with the strange ball of energy. Somehow. ¡°Y-yes. Yes, I do,¡± Eli nodded, fearful if he was saying the wrong words. He felt the eyes of hundreds of elves on him and him alone. ¡°Then tell us, stranger, who are you and how did you end up here?¡± The voice of the leader boomed in his ear. ¡°My name¡­ my name is Eli Freeman. We were attacked out in the jungle by these¡­ wolf monster things,¡± Eli looked down, quite ashamed at how childish he sounded speaking about the attack. Surely, he could¡¯ve found a better phrase to use other than ¡®wolf monster thing¡¯. Then again, he was sweating profusely. His nerves were all frayed. His brain was completely overwhelmed by¡­ well by everything! ¡°Warrior Otaes, does that story sound true to you?¡± The elf on his left bowed her head further, ¡°Yes, Mother Ani. I cannot confirm why they were out there, but while Temetet and I scouted the border, we found them being mauled by Howlers.¡± ¡°I see,¡± Chief Ani said. ¡°Clearly, they¡¯re Commonwealth Marines. One of the Ostralanders. It should be in our best interests to release them back to the Ostralands,¡± Said another of the chiefs. ¡°And let them get away with starting another war against the Avonians? It¡¯s clear that the Ostralands deliberately attacked the River Republic¡¯s forces in Canau to trigger an aggressive Avonian response! Why else do you think he¡¯s here?¡± Said the red chief. ¡°In case you¡¯ve forgotten, Zee, the Ostralands are our allies! They have no reason to trigger a war in the jungle so long as we remain aligned to them. It¡¯s the Empire that wants to take the Peninsula, The Belford Alliance has no reason to kickstart another war,¡° Said the yellow chief, ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make any sense for them.¡± ¡°I believe we should ask the human, directly. If he lies, we can find out through our envoy to the Commonwealth,¡± The blue chief said. ¡°Well then, human,¡± Chief Zee ¨C the red one apparently ¨C narrowed his eyes. Hissing the term as if there were venom on his tongue, ¡°Identify yourself. Are you from the Ostralands?" And of course, Eli was absolutely confused. He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came to mind except for more questions. Though he was terrified of asking them. His face scrounged up and he could only shake his head. ¡°Speak, human! We are waiting!¡± Zee repeated himself. ¡°O-Ostralands?¡± ¡°Yes! The Ostraland United Commonwealth. Are you not from there?¡± Finally, Chief Ani again asked as she closed in onto him. ¡°N-no- ¡° ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s a Colly. From Oceania?¡± The yellow elf suggested, scratching her chin. ¡°No, what would a Colly be doing here in The Kiote Peninsula?¡° "The Ostralanders have their colonial subjects deployed here in their stead. The 31st airborne is an Oceanian unit, they''re all Collies-" And with that, Eli had enough, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I genuinely do not know what is going on.¡± ¡°It is rude for you to speak out of turn, human. And what do you mean you don¡¯t know? What country are you from, that¡¯s all we¡¯re asking you!¡± Chief Ani asked, now she was confused. ¡°America!¡± ¡°America?¡± Asked Ani, ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not from-¡° Eli was about to explain himself before he was cut off once more. ¡°He¡¯s delusional,¡± Zee said rolling his eyes, ¡°Warrior Otaes, how hard exactly did you hit him when you captured him?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Otaes, the female masked warrior on his left pleaded, ¡°I only used a knock-out spell.¡± ¡°His mind must still be recovering then, I¡¯ve never heard of a place called America in my life and I¡¯m almost Ninety,¡± Zee chuckled, causing the other chiefs to giggle in response ¨C save for Ani. She kept her eyes narrowed on Eli. ¡°I¡¯m not from this planet! I¡¯m from Planet Earth!¡± And like that, silence. The looks were coming in. Everyone was staring as if he¡¯d said something absolutely insane. To be fair, in hindsight, it was absolutely insane. Beyond insane in fact. So insane that Eli had begun to doubt if his own story was true. Maybe Earth was never real. Maybe he was delusional and he¡¯d been living on Planet Narva this whole time as some kind of bizarre psychosis victim. It would make more sense than the truth. An alien interloper on this bizzarro new world¡­ ¡°What!¡± Zee shouted out from almost pure disbelief after what felt like an eternity of stunned silence. ¡°Are you hearing this, Grand Chief?¡± The yellow chief asked Ani. But instead of looking bewildered, Ani seemed to understand? ¡°Yes, I do¡­ and it makes sense,¡± Ani said, staring Eli down with the eyes of a hawk who¡¯d locked onto its prey. Somehow, she saw through Eli. Straight into his heart. ¡°Yes. Right. The human captured near the Republic¡¯s border calling himself an alien is perfectly normal,¡± Chief Zee sarcastically mocked, ¡°I must ask, Chief Ani, what exactly about¡­ any of that, makes sense to you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll address me with respect, Zee,¡± Ani sneered, ¡°But besides that, it aligns with everything! Warrior Otaes¡¯ scouting report, she couldn¡¯t identify the faction causing the disturbance near Canau! The way the Imperial Garrison was effectively destroyed! The Commonwealth has no idea what¡¯s happening because that¡¯s not them!¡± Ani said, ¡°The interlopers are from another world¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± The chiefs went up into bickering between each other trying to find any other possible explanation. The audience behind Eli had also erupted into chaos as they whispered rumors behind his back. Even Warrior Otaes who¡¯d brought him here, who¡¯d kept a strong arm locked on his back up until this moment let her grip falter, as in her own bewilderment, she turned around - lost. ¡°This could still be some sort of false flag operation drummed up by those psychopaths in the RDI, you know how the Commonwealth¡¯s spies are,¡± The Blue Chief tried to persuade Ani. ¡°Perhaps,¡± Ani shrugged, ¡°But there¡¯s truly only one way to know for sure.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡­ we look inside-¡° The blue chief was immediately cut off by Ani who profusely shook her head. ¡°Only as a last resort!¡± ¡°Soul searching is banned by international treaty, Chief Ani. We can¡¯t do that¡­¡± Said the yellow chief. ¡°It is an extraordinary circumstance,¡± Zee said, ¡°Anything to get to the bottom of what¡¯s going on here. At least if we¡¯re to prevent another war.¡± ¡°There are other humans! We don¡¯t need to resort to soul searching yet. Warrior Otaes, please bring the others out,¡± Chief Ani said. ¡°Yes, Mother,¡± Otaes bowed further before pushing herself up until she was standing tall on her two feet. From the corner of Eli¡¯s vision he could spot Otaes¡¯ blue glowing eyes glancing at him from behind the mask. A shiver ran down his spine at the thought. But then, the others. Misfit? Were they alright? ¡°Do not lie to us, Human,¡± Chief Zee again accused him, ¡°We have ways of making liars talk. Or, if you feel particularly uncooperative, we have ways of making sure that you won¡¯t talk ever again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± He said through gritted teeth, ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you! I swear! I¡¯m just lost! And confused!¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s certainly right about the ¡®lost¡¯ part,¡± He could hear the blue chief quip. ¡°If you aren¡¯t from this world, then tell us. Who are you and from where do you come?¡± asked Ani. ¡°My name is Eli Freeman. And I¡¯m from Earth. Planet Earth. If you want answers as to why, or even how, we got here ¨C I couldn¡¯t give that to you. I¡¯m only a convict. You¡¯d have to ask my commanders-¡± ¡°A convict? As in a prisoner-soldier?¡± Eli nodded slowly, ¡°Sorta...¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°What are your crimes?¡± ¡°Desertion,¡± Eli mumbled with a low growl. His eyes looked down from the chiefs to the floor on which he knelt. There was a symphony of murmurs from the audience, whispers between the chiefs. ¡°You can¡¯t possibly tell me that you¡¯re believing this!¡± Zee cried out. ¡°It¡¯s the only thing that makes sense! It explains the new base near Canau- ¡° ¡°I¡¯m telling you; this is a clear and deliberate attempt by the Commonwealth to try and instigate a conflict in the Peninsula!¡± ¡°If it is, then they¡¯ve already succeeded, the Avonians are moving forces into the Peninsula as we speak, and there¡¯s already fighting breaking out along the Republic''s border. What do you suggest we do if they are really Ostralanders?¡± ¡°Punish them!¡± ¡°Our only ally? Are you insane? We have had a difficult time enough fighting the Avonians and Republic as it is, do you mean to drive away our only useful ally in the fight?¡± ¡°They have repeatedly treated us as an expendable pawn to their own goals! We are Warrior Elves for heaven¡¯s sake! We are proud, mighty, and strong people! They need to learn that we aren¡¯t just vassals for them to use in their diplomatic game!¡± Suddenly, again from the rear, there was the sound of struggle. The doors opened and Eli turned to see his squad. His eyes widened with joy to see that they were all still alive. Mostly that is. They looked beat up and worn, and he suddenly became self-conscious of how bad he must¡¯ve looked. They were escorted by guards who lacked the masks that Otaes and Temetet wore, though at their side were long wooden sticks with holes in the middle. He recognized it as some form of a rifle, a very dated one. As they came out, Eli counted them all in his head. Dutch, Matteo, Omar, Badger, and finally Rafael. But his heart sunk when the final one was absent¡­ Cato was missing from the group. As the rest of his squad drew near, his mind jumped to the worst thought. A disaster. Despite Cato¡¯s foul temper, he didn¡¯t hate him. After what Badger told him, he barely disagreed with his decision to flee into the jungle. Cato may have been an asshole, but he was right even if his plan had ended in failure. He did what he thought best to keep at least some of the squad alive. Maybe if Eli and the rest of the team left with him, they all wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament to begin with? The doors closed, and Eli sighed as he saw no sign of Cato anywhere. One of the guards walked up to the Chiefs and whispered something into the Grand Chief¡¯s ear. Ani nodded in response. ¡°Get off of me you filho da m?e! Don¡¯t you fucking touch me!¡± Rafael struggled against the guards as he was brought in line to kneel with the rest of the squad. He mean mugged one of the guards, who forced him to drop to the ground. All in line with the rest of Misfit, as they knelt alongside Eli one by one before the seven Chiefs. Otaes and Temetet emerged from the rear and took positions behind Misfit. Misfit looked worse for wear, they all had scars and obvious looks of exhaustion. Whether that be from the fight against the wolves or from being captured, Eli couldn¡¯t tell. But he hadn¡¯t been tortured, at least not while he was awake. They seemed relatively fine. A relief. ¡°Eli! What the fuck is going on, man I¡¯m freaking out!¡± Dutch whispered to him after Otaes forced him to a kneel. ¡°I don¡¯t know! Why the hell would I know that?¡± ¡°Like gee, I don¡¯t know dude, one second, we¡¯re being attacked by killer wolf cyborgs, and the next I¡¯m being interrogated by the blue motherfuckers from Avatar! What the hell is going on man?¡± ¡°Just stay calm! Alright? Stay calm!¡± Eli frantically told him, but in all the chaos he didn¡¯t know if he was speaking more to Dutch or to himself. ¡°Who the hell are you people? And why are we here!¡± Badger bravely spoke out once she was brought to kneel right between Eli and Dutch. Chief Zee ¨C who Eli was beginning to think had a serious bone to pick with humans¨C snarled, ¡°You do not speak unless spoken to, Human,¡± His eyes narrowed as he shot an accusatory glance at all of them. Grand Chief Ani meanwhile raised her hand to silence him, ¡°Be quiet, old fool. I¡¯m talking to them now,¡± She looked down at the squad, eyeing each and every one of them. Carefully looking into their faces to see which one would lie, and which would tell the truth, ¡°Now, I will ask you all a series of questions. The Free Man will not answer, the rest of you will. Do not lie to us, there will be severe consequences if you do! Understand?¡± Misfit looked at Eli, he shrugged, ¡°Just tell them the truth. Roll with it. Trust me.¡± He whispered back to them. They looked at each other for a moment, and then it was Matteo who spoke on behalf of the squad, ¡°We¡¯ll tell you the truth.¡± ¡°I hope so. So, from what country are you all from?¡± There was a pause from Misfit. And then, individually, they all answered. ¡°Italy.¡± ¡°Korea.¡± ¡°Canada.¡± ¡°Bangladesh.¡± ¡°Brazil.¡± ¡°Look! The answers are all different! They¡¯re lying!¡± Zee sighed. Ani was unconvinced, but ultimately it was Eli who spoke up. ¡°We aren¡¯t from one nation. On our world, nationality doesn¡¯t matter! At least not anymore. We¡¯re Phantoms. We¡¯re just refugees from across our planet!¡± ¡°Refugees from what?¡± ¡°Natural disaster, war, famine,¡± Matteo answered, ¡°Some of us haven¡¯t seen our homes in years.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re prisoners?¡± They all nodded, ¡°Tell us where you¡¯re from. One by one. Starting with the young human,¡± Ani pointed at Omar. Omar shook when he was addressed but with a gentle prod from Matteo he spoke. ¡°M-m-me? Uh, my name is Omar. Omar Shaya. My home city in Bangladesh was flooded by a storm. My family ran and tried to cross the border into India, but we were kidnapped by gunmen and I was sold here as a¡­ as a prisoner.¡± ¡°My city, Seoul, was destroyed by war. They¡¯re still rebuilding it today. After I deserted the army during the war, I was captured and brought to the Penal unit as punishment for my crimes.¡± ¡°Brazil fell into civil war. I used to be in a paramilitary on the streets of Rio De Janeiro to defend my family from the gangs and government forces that fought each other in the streets. But¡­ I was also captured. Taken into the Penal Unit.¡± ¡°I was a rebel, fighting the government in Canada. We used to hijack trucks, take the food inside and use it to feed the people. But eventually we were defeated during a firefight in Alberta. Obviously¡­ I was well, imprisoned.¡± ¡°The Italian government collapsed after the economic destruction of the 2040s. I was a medic in the Italian Coast Guard, but after the collapse I joined a group of Phantoms on a refugee crisis ship that operated on the high seas. I provided medical assistance there. Eventually though our ship was marked as carrying illegal passengers and they raided our ship, I was separated from my daughter and thrown into the Penal Unit.¡± The Grand Chief listened to each of their stories carefully. She looked over to Eli, ¡°You. The Free Man. What is your explanation?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an American. My neighborhood was completely destroyed during a storm in the 2030s when I was a kid. When I was 18, I was drafted to fight in a war. But I deserted, was found, and then imprisoned,¡± Eli told her, honestly, looking into her eyes for a moment before they sunk back down again. He listened to the stories of his squadmates. He heard the stories of Badger, Omar, and Dutch, but the reasons as to why Matteo and Rafael were in the Penal Unit were mysteries to him. But if they had told the truth ¨C which Eli didn¡¯t doubt they had ¨C those backstories were mysteries no longer. Their crimes sounded justifiable. He should¡¯ve known they would be, the prisoners in Misfit were not bad people. Not at all. ¡°Five years is the standard sentence for prisoners, and for a lot of us this mission into Planet Narva came at the end of it all. Please, we¡¯re just Phantoms. We were caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°You have no idea what is going on, do you?¡± Chief Ani asked, rather sympathetically. They shook their heads. Ani sighed, closing her eyes. She raised her staff up high above her head, and then called out to the audience, ¡°The meeting is concluded. I want them in my chamber, I¡¯ll continue questioning them by myself.¡± ¡°Grand Chief Ani, why are you even bothering to hear them out? With all due respect they¡¯re-¡° ¡°Chief Zee, I assure you that I know what I am doing. I can handle it,¡± Ani said, ¡°Otaes, come with me. Temetet, you can go back home.¡± ¡°Yes mother,¡± The two said in unison. Otaes stood up, and with a wave of her hand, beckoned Misfit to follow. The assembly around them burst into chatter as they got up to leave the hall. Meanwhile, Misfit again looked to Eli for direction. ¡°Follow the elves,¡± was all he could think to say...
They were freed of their restraints and allowed to settle into a rather cozy room somewhere within the upper floors of the palace. Provided, it was guarded by two warriors standing on the outside, and two more on the inside with guns. The guns were odd. They resembled a few from Earth but they were different. Aside from that, it was certainly an improvement to how they had been treated previously. Especially Eli who apparently was alone in his experience being kept locked inside of a barn with a giant mystical creature watching over him. They were allowed to sit on couches and sheets that separated them from the wooden floors. Their room was illuminated by a colorful blue ball of energy contained within a glass bottle at the center of the room. Sunlight trickled in through a large window at the end opposite of the sole door leading out. It gave them an impressive view of the city and the surrounding jungle around them. Despite the comforts though, they hardly spoke. And Eli knew why. He felt it, just the same as they did. Not only were they being held as captives in a foreign place, but they were being held by creatures they had never seen before. They looked alien, something ripped straight out of a movie or a video game. The ones Eli remembered from when he was a kid, before the Space Wars and the global Resource Wars. Before the apocalypse. Eli shuddered. The knowledge that they were leaving Earth and everything they knew for certain behind was impossible to come to terms with fully. Whenever he awoke from sleep, he awoke to the idea that he was still on planet Earth. Like everything was back to normal. Like the chaos and entropic disorder of the past four days were just a vivid dream. Nightmarishly long, and all too real emotionally, but at the end of the day just a figment of his imagination. None of it felt real. Nothing except for Misfit. He looked over at his squad, their faces were dark. He noticed one of his squad mates, or rather, the lack of their presence. Cato. There was still no confirmation on if he was dead or not. Eli didn¡¯t want to hold his breath for an answer, he was in really terrible shape the last time Eli saw him. Matteo said it himself, if he didn¡¯t get to a hospital soon, he was a goner. Nobody said a word to each other. They sort of just sat there, scared. Badger and Rafael had their arms holding each other. Eli noticed the bandages over her leg where the ¡°Howler¡± sunk its teeth into. They weren¡¯t bloody, but her pants had been tattered near the calf where she was bitten. Rafael also looked in better shape. Though his face had been cut and bruised, he was no longer bleeding the same way he had when Eli first saw him in the jungle. In fact, if Eli remembered correctly at all, he stopped limping too. If they were fine, they must¡¯ve been tended to by someone, which meant that hope for Cato¡¯s life remained. He turned to his squad, ¡°I know things look bad now, but trust me. We¡¯ll get through this. That¡¯s all that matters,¡± he said to them, not really expecting a response from the group, which was fortunate because they didn¡¯t give him one. Only a few slight nods, but the eyes were still distraught. If only there was a way to lift their mood, but it was impossible when he felt hopeless too¡­ There was something at the door. They looked up to see the door open, filling the entrance was the masked warrior. Otaes. Her mask was almost impossible to forget, the green and grey, the red slash over her left eye. She only carried a spear and no other weapons, and yet she was still threatening. Both her size and demeanor were enough to freeze them all in fear. She had effortlessly taken them down once, and her unusual silence didn¡¯t help the off putting feeling that followed every move she made. When she walked in, she acknowledged the guards inside of the room, conversing in her native language. The guards bowed, and promptly left the room. Leaving Misfit alone with her. When the door closed, she opened the palm of her hand. The same blue energy surrounded it, and then it expanded to encompass the entire room. Misfit looked around at it ¨C and her ¨C bewildered. ¡°Can you understand me?¡± She asked. Her voice steady and calm. The squad looked at her, disoriented but following on, ¡°Yes¡­ we hear you,¡± Eli answered. ¡°The Grand Chief will be arriving shortly. I was asked to see if the accommodation is fitting for your tastes. You will be interviewed in this room before the Grand Chief Matriarch Kae Ani.¡± Dutch shrugged, ¡°It¡¯s alright, but I¡¯ve seen better motels¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Otaes¡¯ head craned to one side, her eyes showing visible signs of confusion. ¡°He means that the room is good,¡± Eli interjected, shooting a mean glare at Dutch who looked away , ¡°This will do.¡± Otaes nodded, looked as if she was about to leave, but then stopped and turned back around, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve already heard my name, but I am Otaes. If it isn¡¯t a problem with you, I¡¯d like to ask¡­ are you really all from another world?¡± ¡°Yeah. Earth. That¡¯s our home,¡± Matteo said. ¡°And you are all prisoners, right?¡± She asked. They nodded. ¡°Why would your nation ¨C or whoever you serve ¨C send prisoners to another world?¡± ¡°We¡¯re expendable. Back on Earth it¡¯s hard to recruit anyone to join the military, regular forces are expensive. We aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± Otaes¡¯ glowing eyes drooped to the floor as she pondered the thought, ¡°I see¡­¡± It looked as if she wanted to ask another question, but another figure approached through the door. The Grand Chief. She walked in quietly. Her face was warm, and instead of the serious gaze that she held during their initial meeting, she wore a rather pleasant smile. The door behind her was closed by the guards outside, leaving her, Otaes, and Misfit alone. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, but I do apologize for our earlier introduction,¡± She began, ¡°I don¡¯t believe we¡¯ve properly introduced ourselves. I am Grand Chief Kae Ani of the Warrior Elves, and sitting representative of the Kiote Union. You¡¯ve caused quite a stir in our land, and as such we¡¯ve had to remain extremely cautious when dealing with foreign soldiers. It¡¯s incredibly difficult to tell who our friends are, and who are our enemies.¡± ¡°We caused that?¡± ¡°Your faction has,¡± Otaes said, ¡°Ever since your fortress appeared in Canau, a war has broken out between the Kiote Union and the River Republic. They blamed us for the attack.¡± ¡°About that. I am afraid that we can¡¯t proceed any further until I prove for sure that you are who you say you are. In order for that to happen, I¡¯ll need one of you to hold out their palm for me,¡± Said Chief Ani. There was some hesitation among Misfit, but Eli was the first to stretch out his hand. His palm faced upwards to the ceiling upon Chief Ani¡¯s suggestion. She took his hands into her own calloused elven hands carefully, ¡°It will be over in a moment,¡± She whispered. Eli was startled by the words, his mind raced to wonder over what they could mean. But then he felt a cold sensation shoot through the tips of his fingers, racing up his arm, shoulder, neck and eventually mind. He froze, Ani¡¯s face paint was glowing blue. He felt his vision fade as his body tensed into place, a hot searing sensation burned into his brain. His body jolted back. Misfit immediately jumped out of their seats, yelling screaming trying to pull Eli away from her, but they were held back by threat of being killed by Otaes ¨C who held them away with the point of her spear and a cold stare. Otaes barked at them to back away, pointing her spear at Rafael, Badger, Omar, anyone who tried to make a beeline for Eli ¨C but they resisted. Yelling, screaming for Ani to get off him! To him, the outside world began to crumble around him. He was being separated from it, pulled away¡­ Suddenly he found himself inside a house. The lights were off except for the television which was glowing red. A low-pitched alarm sounded from the speakers, which sent shivers down his spine as he remembered them from his childhood very well. A message scrolled across the screen, and it read in plain white text: ¡°Hurricane Alert! A Hurricane Warning has been issued by the governor of New Jersey for the following counties: Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Union, Essex, Hudson. Residents are advised to evacuate coastal areas immediately¡­¡± Eli watched the screen, horror crept into his body. He could feel himself freeze. Just like he did when he was there. Wind roared outside, the wind blowing so fiercely that it sounded like the screams of tortured souls. The house buckled under the force of the wind, rain splattered across the walls and the glass window, casting shadows of the storm across the dark walls. Lighting illuminated the interior of the room often, and thunder sounded like bombs echoing through the storm. He scurried into a gap between the wall and his childhood bed. holding his knees up to his chin. It wasn¡¯t until then that he realized that he was in blue pajamas instead of his prisoners uniform. He looked down at his hands, they were younger. Various scarred wounds that he¡¯s picked up through battles fought were missing. He was smaller, thinner, and even more terrified than at any point he could remember. He was eleven years old again¡­ Suddenly, there was a massive gust of wind even more powerful than all the ones that he¡¯d seen before. He heard something bust downstairs, and the sound of glass shattered in his own room. Quickly, his room was filled with rushing air, and he screamed. The door was kicked open, and a man appeared. His face darkened by the lackluster light. He searched through the room, but his eyes landed on Eli. He ran over to pick Eli up into his own arms. It was his dad. He didn¡¯t say anything, only looking around for someone else that he couldn¡¯t find. When he cleared the room, he left. Eli could see over his shoulder that his window had exploded, allowing rain and wind to storm inside. Eli was carried further upstairs until he could hear the sounds of a loudspeaker outside and the blades of a helicopter hovering somewhere nearby. His father held Eli tight to his body, climbed up a ladder, and then they were on the roof. In the middle of the storm. A bright light shone on them from above, his hands shielded his eyes from the light of the rescue helicopter. The blades of the helicopter was almost deafeningly loud. The wind and rain scratched his skin, making him nearly blind. Their roof was difficult to hold on to, and his father was forced to stay low. He put him down on the roof, and Eli held on to the tile. ¡°Stay here, Eli! I¡¯m gonna find her! I¡¯m gonna get your mom! I¡¯ll be back!¡± His father said, planting a kiss on top of his head. But he didn¡¯t reciprocate, instead he screamed. Yelling for his father to come back. The whole neighborhood had been flooded, waves crashed against the walls of homes just nearby, it was too dangerous to go alone. But his father ignored him, and in a moment, he was back downstairs out of sight. Eli wanted to chase him back inside the home, but the wind threatened to blow him off of the roof, so he held on for dear life. Tears strained down his cheeks. The light of the helicopter grew brighter, and brighter as it descended closer¡­ [¡°Eli Freeman¡­ your home was taken from you by forces beyond your own control¡­¡±] A voice echoed into his mind. The light shined away. His eyes opened. He felt hot. Sweat trickled down his face. The air he breathed in was suffocatingly damp. The world was dark. His body was resting against the wall, and he hurt all over. A face appeared through the darkness, holding the light. A man dressed in army combat gear held out his hands, he was yelling something, but Eli could hardly hear him over the ringing in his ears. Soldiers were around him with their guns drawn, they were shooting at something out of sight. ¡°Freeman! Freeman! FREEMAN! ON YOUR FEET GOD DAMMIT! COME ON!¡± The soldiers grabbed Eli and stood him up onto his feet. Bullets flew all around. Soldiers left and right fired down a dark tunnel. An abandoned subway car sat on damaged rails in the center. Soldiers were hit, a man not too far away was shot in the throat. Blood splattered, he fell to his knees, and then died. The gunfire trickled in, booming, banging. An explosion rocked the air somewhere not too far away. He was terrified, again. He clutched his rifle near his chest and scurried behind the subway car, Korean text still displayed on the screens facing outwards on it. As he sat behind the subway car, he could feel his body shaking. Quivering, he could hardly breathe air into his lungs. He felt like he might explode. Dying soldiers were all around. Another soldier was hit in the stomach, and she yelled out as she went down. Others tried to push further up but weren¡¯t able to. In that moment, he was eighteen years old again. A draftee into the Army. He swallowed, his eyes dodged around. Blood was on his uniform and gear. He knew that it wasn¡¯t his. A soldier charged out from the darkness, POA. Their eyes set on him. Reacting off of flight-or-fight alone, he raised his gun and took his first life. And then he dropped his gun onto the floor, as the dead body of the POA soldier dropped to his knees. He struggled, kicking as a pool of blood formed around him. Right at Eli¡¯s feet. But he was already a dead man. A tear escaped Eli¡¯s eye. ¡°Fall back! Fall back! It¡¯s too hot! Get the fuck out of here! Go-¡°A sergeant cried out but his orders were interrupted by yet another explosion, that blew Eli back down to his feet, and his eyes curled into darkness. ¡°You were made into a soldier to fight in a war you didn¡¯t start¡­¡± The voice in his mind echoed again. It wasn''t Ani''s. The darkness was again replaced by light. Suddenly, Eli was cold. Freezing in fact. He looked around. Snow covered the destroyed ruins of city streets. Abandoned cars sat along the sides of roads. Garbage cans turned into fireplaces for the homeless. Signs in Korean barely hung onto their hinges, threatening to collapse onto the snowy concrete floors below. The skies above were grey as a blizzard came through. He had escaped the nuclear strike on Seoul. But as a fugitive, he ran the risk of freezing to death, or starving. He could feel the hole in his stomach, an aching pain. He was twenty again. Marching through the snow-laced hellscape that the war had left behind. His legs were weak and he could no longer feel his feet. And yet, he carried out. One step after another. His boots sunk into piles of snow and cold water. His tattered army coat flapped in the wind. His face was numb. He was going to turn himself in. He had to. He saw soldiers. Wearily, he tried to get their attention. He knew what the consequences would be if he were captured, but it outweighed what would befall him should he remain hidden as one of the homeless out in the ruinous city. He tried to call out to the soldiers patrolling, and he did manage to get their attention. His words were slurred, and he couldn¡¯t speak all too well. But he asked them to help him. To save him. He knew his squad was dead, all the soldiers he was with had been vaporized in the nuclear bombing. He was the last one left. Alone against the world. ¡°You ran away from the battlefield. Surviving on your own for almost a year until the blizzard froze everything in your path¡­ So you let yourself become a prisoner. Running back into your final fate as a convict-soldier¡­¡± He was again surrounded by darkness. Vision returned as the image of the room materialized in his eyes. Chief Ani was kneeling in front of him, her staff was in one hand, and his right hand wrapped by her other free hand. She was looking down at him somberly, while the rest of Misfit was silent ¡°It would seem that you have told the truth, Freeman.¡± Eli frowned. He looked away from her glowing eyes until he was staring down at the blank floor. An indescribable feeling of sadness had encompassed him, like he had lost something of immense value that could never be returned. "Soul searching..." Ani shook her head, "It''s a violation of the rights of all sapient creatures... but we had to... I had to... just this once." Bit by bit, the world around him was restored. The room, Misfit, Otaes, they all came back as they watched Ani and Eli. Their struggling to get back to him had stopped, and they only watched with curious eyes. His hands were being held by Ani, and he was still staring at the ground by the time he awoke into the real world. He blinked a few times to ensure that he was fully there, and then looked around. ¡°You have no idea what is going on. Do you?¡± Ani asked not just Eli, but the rest of Misfit. ¡°We don¡¯t know what is going on, or why. We know nothing about you, or anything else. All we know is that we were taken from our home planet and assigned here,¡± Rafael spoke. ¡°I know,¡± Ani sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve checked your leader¡¯s memories, you are telling the truth it would seem.¡± ¡°Mind reading?¡± Dutch asked, "That''s what that was? I thought he was having a stroke for Christ''s sake!" ¡°It was the only way we could know for certain if what you claimed was true or not. Judging by his memories, it looks like our skepticism was wrong.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you read his mind. I know we aren¡¯t from the same planet but¡­ does that not sound weird to anyone else?¡± Misfit nodded in agreement with Dutch. ¡°It was a magical spell that she used. Us elves have access to natural magic, does that not exist in your world? Earth?¡± Warrior Otaes filled in the blanks. ¡°In stories, and movies. Sure. But magic isn¡¯t real,¡± Badger said before backtracking, ¡°Wasn¡¯t real," She corrected herself, "Magic wasn¡¯t real until we crossed the portal.¡± Otaes and Ani looked at each other, confused, "Well. It''s real here," Said Otaes. The two looked as if they were about to say something more, but there was a rattle at the door, ¡°We¡¯re busy!¡± Ani called out to whoever it was, but the messenger was insistent. ¡°Apologies Grand Chief, but our scouts have reported back. They¡¯ve spotted an Imperial Army formation crossing over the Republic¡¯s border and closing in on Raritan! They are hours away!¡± Ani quickly rose up, turning her back to answer the door. She opened it to reveal another guard kneeling at the side, he immediately rose when she opened it up, ¡°An attack? Where?¡± ¡°They¡¯re approaching here! Our Home Defense Army was destroyed just five miles to the north, the enemy will be here at any moment!¡± The coming realization of the situation hit them all like an invisible sledgehammer slamming into a wall. Eli felt his heart skip a beat. The Avonians? Were those the same people who attacked them at the Nexus? With the giant robots? Ani cursed something in her native language, ¡°Send everyone to the nearest shelter! Rally the Kitchi immediately and send a dispatch to the rest of the Union that we¡¯re being attacked! If you can, message the Ostralands for support!¡± ¡°Yes, Chief!¡± Said the warrior, and without further delay he sprinted down the hall. ¡°Otaes, keep an eye on the humans. I¡¯ll continue our investigation later!¡± Ani said. Otaes bowed allowing Ani and the messenger to leave in a frightening hurry. ¡°Wait! We¡¯re missing one! Where is Cato?¡± He called out, trying to slow them down. Ani stopped in her tracks. In a brief gesture, she turned to Otaes, ¡°Take them to the healers! Don¡¯t bother with restraining them. We have bigger concerns.¡± Otaes grabbed her spear and wrapped it around her back, just as Ani fled the room to attend to the matter of the imminent attack. Otaes looked at them, ¡°Alright, aliens.." she sighed, "Follow me.¡±
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
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==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[FOREIGN FRIEND] >>>[FF: MISSION DETAILS] >>>[STRATEGIC MAP OF REGION R7B] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 18: I Care Because You Do >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 18: I Care Because You Do]===

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Otaes took them deeper into the elven palace, right into its very heart. The wide halls were flooded by elves now, rushing from one spot to the next, chattering away in fear. It was almost like the entire building had been set on fire. Ants sent into a frenzy by an approaching predator, the elves scrambled to gather their defenses. Otaes had to narrowly brush past other masked warriors who''d grabbed their own weapons; spears, bows, even those old guns that Eli spotted before, as she led the humans into the fray. Down a flight of stairs reaching yet another hall. They entered into a room on the left hand side. The room was dark, illuminated by a soft glowing fireplace that made the entire room feel warm and oddly cozy. There were no windows in the room, but there were plenty of plants, sculptures, and mosaic paintings that decked the wooden walls. On the far end of the room was a line of beds and sheets that were bundled atop of each other and laid over a thick pad of wool or soft wood. Only one of the beds were occupied. Cato¡¯s. Misfit drew nearer to Cato as Otaes watched them from behind. He was breathing, which was a good sign. His shirt had been removed letting them see that the purple veins that traced themselves across his body were no longer present. His skin no longer appeared rubbery, but he still looked sick. His previously swollen and bleeding arm too had returned to a more normal state. The inflammation was gone, the bleeding pores cleaned, and the horrific yellow flesh returned to normal ¨C though it still looked pinkish and raw. But most astonishing of all was that Cato was conscious. His eyes fluttered underneath closed eyelids, soaking in the last remnants of sleep that his ailing body could gather. He looked terribly sick and painfully skinny, with darkness clouding around his eyes in a manner that gave them a sunken appearance. But for what it was worth, he was alive. ¡°They actually saved him¡­¡± Matteo whispered, ¡°Fascinating.¡± ¡°The healers said that he''d been stung by a Howler,¡± Otaes said, ¡°The Avonians have sent out hundreds of them into the jungle to weed out resistance.¡± ¡°Howler?¡± Asked Eli, fearing that he already knew what she was speaking of. ¡°Those are the monsters that attacked you. They¡¯re Synths. Half-machine, half-living hellhound. You can hardly call them alive, though," Otaes muttered, "The Imperials send them out to lurk in the jungle and stalk targets until they have an opportunity to strike. They¡¯re terror weapons.¡± ¡°So, it was those ''Avonians'' who attacked us?¡± Eli asked her, the masked warrior gave him a curt nod. ¡°They have to be the same people from the attack on the Nexus,¡± Badger said, ¡°Robot death machines, toxic gas¡­ terror weapons.¡± Otaes gave a nod confirming Badger''s point, "It''s all because of your base. The Nexus," she said, "Ever since your base appeared, fighting has broken out between your faction and the Empire. The city of Canau was taken by your forces, and ever since the Empire and River Republic has blamed us for the loss." "So, what you''re saying is that this war... is our fault?" Asked Rafael. "Sort of. There was a ceasefire that had ended a war between The Kiote Union and River Republic about a year ago. But to be honest the tensions never really died down, and the Republic''s generals have been looking for a reason to destroy us ever since. Your appearance and the loss of Canau gave them all the excuses they needed to launch the invasion they''ve been looking for." That made sense. Foreign interlopers unwittingly reigniting a war that had been buried for a year now. Though it of course wasn''t Misfit''s fault, Eli couldn''t help but sense a feeling of shame. As if it really were, or as if he had played a role in The Coalition''s actions. Then again, he sort of did. Not through his own will, of course. But he was there during the attack of the Nexus. Attention once again turned to Cato who shuffled a bit while they were talking, disturbing the bedsheets. His breathing sounded labored, congested almost. It was painful to listen to. ¡°Is Cato alright? Can we wake him up?¡± Omar asked to which Otaes simply shrugged. It was Matteo who gave Cato a brief shake. Slowly, like a man emerging from a month¡¯s long coma, Cato¡¯s lidded eyes fluttered open. Green irises were half conscious, and a deep throaty groan escaped his throat. In the first few moments, he seemed unaware of what was happening around him, but slowly he entered reality. Eli could see his eyes focus and residually begin a scan of the room. ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± Cato groaned. ¡°He¡¯s alive!¡± Rafael cheered, walking up to Cato¡¯s bed almost like he was about to give the half-dead man a celebratory high five. To be honest it wasn¡¯t unwarranted. Eli felt a residual tension inside of him unravel as everyone else in the squad crowded around Cato¡¯s bed. They were eager to see if the man was alright. Eli swore he could make out exactly what they were thinking by the ways they looked at him. Nobody really wished harm to befall Cato, but for the guy who had technically caused this entire situation to begin with, it wasn¡¯t hard to repress those feelings of vitriol boiling inside. Then again, maybe that was just Eli. ¡°Where-¡° Cato¡¯s initial bout of confusion was interrupted by a violently ill cough that forced him to double over, but a reassuring pat on the shoulders by Matteo eased him back into his relaxed posture on the bed, ¡°Where am I? Are we back at The Nexus?¡± He hadn¡¯t seen Otaes yet. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. We were ambushed out in the forest, and the locals took us in,¡± Dutch told him. Cato gave him a confused look, blinking again completely lost, ¡°Wait, Dutch?¡± Cato¡¯s eyes met Eli, Matteo, Omar and Dutch individually, ¡°You guys came for us?¡± ¡°They¡¯re fucking psychopaths,¡± Rafael grinned wildly, ¡°Either crazy or stupid.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll say,¡± Cato¡¯s British accent was subdued underneath his sickness, ¡°But aren¡¯t we all?¡± ¡°If that ain¡¯t the truth,¡± Dutch chuckled. It was then that Cato saw Otaes standing from beyond the crowd, he again looked rather uncomfortable, ¡°And¡­ you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Otaes, human. We imprisoned you on suspicions that you were Imperial Soldiers. For that, we apologize,¡± She told him in an almost robotic sounding voice, ¡°Our healers have managed to save you. You were poisoned by a howler.¡± ¡°The wolves,¡± Badger informed. ¡°Their fangs have venom in them. The healers did their best but you still need rest.¡± Cato nodded slowly, ¡°Right¡­ and you guys. Who are you?¡± ¡°We¡¯re the Warrior Elves of the Raritan tribe, human.¡± ¡°Yeah. Elves. Warrior elves,¡± Cato blinked, ¡°Are you guys certain I''m not dead?" Misfit looked around at each other. Truth be told, they didn''t know for sure either. Maybe they had all died a while ago and were transported into this strange world where elves were just a thing that existed now. Eli had to keep reminding himself that this was not Earth, this was Narva. Whatever seemed strange back home would''ve been normal or even mundane here. But even still, he found it difficult to believe his eyes. "Of course I am, who am I kidding. How silly of me to assume otherwise.¡± Another coughing fit interrupted him. But with Cato now mostly conscious, Misfit gathered around his bed to catch him up to speed. Eli meanwhile, stood back, his feet glued to the archaic wooden floorboards, staring at them all as they asked Cato a billion-and-one questions. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to do the same. Cato wanted to escape the Nexus and he was perfectly fine with doing so on his own terms. He couldn¡¯t have known that his escape would¡¯ve brought harm on the rest of them. He couldn¡¯t have known that his escape would snatch freedom from out of their reach. He couldn¡¯t have known¡­ So why did he leave? If only he had just¡­ remained where he was! For god¡¯s sake if only he had just talked things out! They wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place! If he¡¯d just given it more room to think first! Overwatch wasn¡¯t going to start murdering Phantoms just because they felt like it, they weren¡¯t puppy-kicking monsters. There was no need to escape from The Nexus. Sure, everything seemed insane after the battle and all but¡­ but there had to have been some rational thought left? Why couldn¡¯t Cato just hold on? Why couldn¡¯t he just talk things out instead of insisting on escaping? Why? Why? Why? Memories flashed in Eli¡¯s mind of him holding a gun up to Matteo¡¯s head, of Omar being snubbed by a Howler, of the burning tank and the dead regulars. All of that could¡¯ve been completely avoided had Cato been reasonable for once¡­ Eli felt a terrifying presence lurking behind him. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw the Elf warrior staring down at his back. Slowly he turned to face her and their eyes met. Her blue elven eyes still glowed from behind the mask, it was a type of bioluminescence that was more pronounced in the darker atmosphere of the room, ¡°Uh¡­ I-is there something wrong?¡± Eli said, trying his best not to sound nervous in front of her, but the truth was that she absolutely terrified him. How could she not? She was wearing a bone mask that looked eerily similar to a skull, stood almost exactly at his height, was armed to the teeth with a bow and spear, and probably had knowledge of all sorts of Elven voodoo magic that could kill Eli in a plethora of nightmarish ways. Otaes blinked as if she hadn¡¯t realized the faux pas she¡¯d committed by staring literal daggers at his back in complete silence, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ is there?¡± Eli took that as a warning, and turned back to look at Cato, hoping desperately that Otaes wouldn¡¯t try to slit his throat or something while his back was turned to her. Well, he really shouldn¡¯t be so hostile to her. She was a bit mean and sort of terrifying in every aspect - sure. But she had also saved their lives. And to be fair, if it was true that The Coalition had unknowingly kickstarted a major war between Otaes¡¯ people and those ¡°Avonian Imperials¡± after they had just signed a ceasefire, then Otaes would have every right to be a bit pissed off that Misfit would have the absolute gall to wander into here as guests of honor. And then there was that whole fiasco with Chief Ani¡­ her whole demeanor towards Misfit had shifted once she¡¯d tapped into Eli¡¯s brain and read his thoughts. Or at the very least, sensed them. He swore he could still feel a bit of her magic trapped in his skull, giving him a residual headache that refused to go away. And Glassface. There was Glassface too. That weird dream creature kept popping up, and it popped up once again while Ani was performing her magic on Eli. What the hell was happening to him? It was like everything was falling apart at the seams including himself! He needed to get a grip! But he just couldn¡¯t get the image of Glassface out of his head! ¡°You don¡¯t seem happy,¡± Otaes¡¯ voice broke through his almost trance like state. Eli again turned back to her. She must¡¯ve seen that he was confused, for she nudged her head towards Cato and the others, her voice low enough that the others wouldn¡¯t hear over their chattiness, ¡°Isn¡¯t that your soldier? Shouldn¡¯t you be happy to see him alive?¡± ¡°I am,¡± Eli lied. He was. But also, not really. It was hard to explain. She wouldn¡¯t get it. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­ it¡¯s complicated.¡± Her eyes narrowed, ¡°How?¡± ¡°I uh¡­ Well you know¡­ Cato was the guy who led us out here in the first place. Technically. He wanted to escape after we¡¯d arrived. It was the Avonians, they attacked our base and it dawned on us that Overwatch had dragged us through a portal to a new world,¡± Eli told her. The memories were fresh but it still felt like it had been weeks since it happened. In reality it had only been the day before yesterday. Sometimes it felt like years could pass and nothing would happen. And then in the span of a week, everything could change. Funny how that happened, ¡°We were panicking. We didn¡¯t know what was going on, you know.¡± ¡°So running from the Nexus was Cato¡¯s idea.¡± ¡°Cato wanted to run because he thought we were all dead either way. Either we died out here or we let Overwatch murder us. He managed to convince a few of them that running was the better option.¡± ¡°But you stayed behind?¡± She asked, her blue eyes narrowing again. Eli nodded, ¡°Yeah¡­ I did.¡± ¡°But then you left to go save him?¡± ¡°Eventually.¡± ¡°So you do care about him. If you were willing to sacrifice everything to run out here and save him, you clearly care for him. And if Cato thought that it was better to die as a free soul, you must agree with him.¡± ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re here, and not still in prison.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here because my life depends on them just as much as theirs does mine. If they die, I die. There needs to be someone who protects them and I¡¯ll try my best to do that. But I don¡¯t want to pick a side in this¡­ philosophical battle of dying free or living as a slave or whatever. I just want to go home. That¡¯s it. I want to go home with Misfit alive,¡± Eli felt his voice creak. It was a weak defense but it was true. Or at the very least, it wasn¡¯t a lie. Otaes slowly shook her head, ¡°But you know that¡¯s impossible, right? You have to choose. Sooner or later. You can pretend that you are unaffected if you want to, but eventually you¡¯ll have to make a choice. Death in freedom, or life in slavery.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a slave! I was six months from going home! Six months! And then just as I¡¯m there at the finish line, all of this happens! I get shipped off to another planet!¡± The way Otaes took a defensive step back signaled to Eli that he was getting a bit too loud for the conversation. He took a moment to pause and recenter himself, ¡°I mean¡­ five years in this hellhole. I¡¯ve spent my entire life as either a phantom, a soldier, or a prisoner. And right when I get the opportunity to be a free adult, it¡¯s stolen. And in the most bizarre way possible too, just to add salt in the wound. I don¡¯t want to fight in some great revolution against the Coalition. I don¡¯t want to make some heroic final stand for my freedom. I just want to be ignored and to go home. That¡¯s the only reward I care about and it¡¯s the only one that matters.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re just willing to tolerate seeing your masters hold freedom above your head like that? You¡¯re willing to fight for them, keep their empire intact across your planet and now into mine?¡± If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if I don¡¯t look up,¡± Eli whispered that final part. His eyes immediately sunk to the floor. It was so pathetic, but it was true! He didn¡¯t want to fight the Coalition. He just wanted to live. Why was everybody so adamant on him making a choice between certain death at the hands of Overwatch, or certain death but at least they kept a moral victory? Why couldn¡¯t they see what Eli saw? That they were both terrible options? Why couldn¡¯t Eli just stay out of it? This is why he found it difficult to meet Cato¡¯s eyes, this is why he couldn¡¯t be relieved to find Cato alive and well, for Cato would demand he make a choice. He knew it. Cato was the type of nihilist to do so. Nothing mattered to Cato but his freedom. And the same went for Rafael. Freedom in death was preferable to them than life in slavery, and the thought horrified Eli more than anything. It would mean he would never find his home, a dream-like place that had eluded him since his was stolen as a boy. It would mean that Eli would also have to die. And he wasn¡¯t ready to die. Not like this. In sacrifice, for other people¡¯s safety? Sure. There wasn¡¯t much of a choice in that regard. But for a concept like freedom? Why bother? ¡°I think you are confused. You want freedom and you want to live. But you haven¡¯t realized yet that the very thing preventing you from having both is the group you adamantly refuse to challenge. You have to make a choice. Either you¡¯re willing to fight and die for your freedom, or you¡¯ll never get it. You¡¯ll be a prisoner forever. And I think you know that. But you just don¡¯t want to admit it because it scares you¡­¡± Well, she was a perceptive one. Eli had to give her that. If her goal was to try and poke holes in Eli¡¯s story about being foreign prisoners from another planet, she might not have been able to prove that it was false. But Otaes was a damn good interrogator. She was somehow right. Again. His gaze drooped to the floor. He could feel Otaes¡¯ harsh gaze lift from him, perhaps satisfied with her interrogation of Eli¡¯s thoughts, for now. But Eli felt anything but satisfied. She was right. Cato was right. Eli was wrong. But why? Why was it so wrong to want to live in peace? The thought would torment him until he found an answer, and that answer could only be found in Cato. Either by fortune or by intent, Cato¡¯s half-conscious eyes broke through Misfit and landed on Eli and Otaes. ¡°Erm¡­ Miss Warrior Elf?¡± Cato''s mellow British voice croaked out. ¡°Please, call me Otaes.¡± ¡°Right. Otaes. I don¡¯t wish to be rude but, can I make an odd request?¡± Otaes shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m only assigned to keep an eye on you. Do what you want.¡± Cato¡¯s frown turned into a scowl. He let out a sick sounding cough, before he spoke, ¡°Can I talk to Eli for a second? Alone¡­ that is?¡± For some reason, Eli felt a pang of dread in his heart. Cato had something to say to him? Something he didn¡¯t want to say in front of Misfit? What could that be? It wasn¡¯t like Cato was in much of a position to be upset at Eli, there wasn¡¯t much of a reason for him to be. Unless he was pissed off about Eli deciding to stay in the nexus, but that was a ridiculous thing for Cato to be really upset at Eli for. Why should Eli sacrifice his life for a man who wanted to die? For Badger and Rafael, maybe. But Cato¡­ Misfit looked at each other and then at Eli, and then back to Cato. Though they were confused by Cato¡¯s sudden change in demeanor, they acquiesced. Sluggishly making their way towards the door, leaving only Cato and Eli behind. Otaes was of course the last to leave, and just as she was about to vacate the door, her cobalt blue eyes cast one final look at the two, before she shut the door behind her locking them in. ¡°So¡­ am I in trouble?¡± Eli wearily choked out a joke as the absence of Misfit¡¯s presence stifled the air with silence. Cato shrugged while he was in the bed, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking that question?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna turn you in to Overwatch, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re afraid of.¡± Eli told him. ¡°Why not? It was me who almost got two of your squadmates killed. Right?¡± ¡°True..." Eli shrugged. ¡°Then go ahead. Do your job. Turn me in,¡± Cato sighed. Eli didn¡¯t answer him. The silence was as deafening as it was awkward. Eli searched his brain for the millions of questions he wanted to ask Cato. Yet none of them materialized. There was something between them, like a wall, invisible but still present all the same. Eli would like nothing more than to break through and find understanding, but he couldn¡¯t. It was Cato who broke the glass, ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. You¡¯re asking me why I decided to run. Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Among other things.¡± ¡°Because I was sick of it. I was sick of the Coalition and their lies. They believe us to be less than human. We aren¡¯t even slaves to them, we¡¯re numbers. Pieces in their game that they can use and discard at a whim,¡± Cato told him, ¡°I¡¯m not a number. I¡¯m not a slave, or a Phantom. I¡¯m human. I¡¯m real!¡± ¡°Then you can do something about it without getting us all killed!¡± Eli snapped, ¡°Wait until you¡¯re free, put your mind to good use.¡± ¡°There is no freedom as a Phantom! You should know that. I spent my entire life constantly waiting for mine. The Coalition took everything from me! They took my home, my family, my country! Everything! I have nothing left and they expect me to build their Utopia?¡± He chuckled dryly, ¡°Their arrogance is astounding, isn¡¯t it?¡± Cato coughed again, though he continued, ¡°When we were out in the jungle, Rafael told me something. He said that they¡¯ve been beating us so thoroughly that we can¡¯t even feel their whiplashes against our skin. Their collars choke us so effectively that we don¡¯t even notice we¡¯re being strangled. And he''s right, you know. The Coalition¡¯s power is absolute.¡± ¡°If they¡¯re so strong, then what¡¯s even the point in trying to fight back against them?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡± Cato sounded offended that Eli would even ask, ¡°No¡­ the question is ¨C what other choice do we have? There is none! They¡¯ve left us with none. They¡¯ve left you with none. They tell us to stand, to sit, they command us like dogs. But worse yet is that they can tell us when we die. And they could kill all of us and not even care.¡± ¡°So what was the plan? Sacrifice yourself and then what? Prove a point? Die with your morals still intact? I know Overwatch is powerful. A single act of defiance from one Phantom isn¡¯t going to change anything.¡± ¡°Exactly, a single act of defiance won¡¯t. But a multitude will,¡± Cato said, ¡°Overwatch bases their strength from compliance and stability. The moment stability goes out the window, the entire structure collapses. If one random act of disobedience can inspire others to do the same, Kovic and Overwatch Command become powerless practically overnight! Overwatch isn¡¯t ever going to grant us freedom. We need to take it, by force if we have to! And I¡¯m willing to do that. That¡¯s why I escaped. I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go back home?¡± ¡°What home?¡± Cato¡¯s face soured, like he tasted something bitter he was on the verge of spitting out. ¡°You¡¯re British aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I was,¡± Cato shrugged, ¡°There¡¯s no Britain anymore. Not after the civil war.¡± That was news to Eli. He knew that there had been a Civil War in The United Kingdom, but that started in the late 2020s, only a few years after Eli was born. And Cato didn¡¯t look that old. In fact, Eli was sure that Cato was younger than he was, and Eli was born in ¡¯25. It was from The British Civil War that Phantoms first got their origins, thousands of English and Scottish civilians found themselves without a country to call their own. The armed forces of both sides terrorized each other in the chaos of the first flashpoint in the resource wars. Thousands became refugees practically overnight, labelled as undesirables by uncaring governments and shipped off to Phantom-Refugee centers to remain out of sight and out of mind. It was the first true glimpse at what the world would descend into, a warning that had gone ignored. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get a chance to grow up there. Whatever memories I have of living a stable life have long been taken by the bastards. I was a baby when The Civil War broke out. My home was destroyed in an attack by The Royal Government. My mother and father became refugees, and when they moved to London we found out that we weren¡¯t wanted there. Instead of helping us, they sent us to The Zone¡­¡± The Zone, that was another hideous feature of The Resource Wars, and a lasting scar that all Phantoms shuddered to even think about. The Zone was a territory that encompassed what used to be The Netherlands and Belgium - or at least the remnants of what was left of them before The Atlantic swallowed their cities whole and displaced millions. The world¡¯s largest holding pen and dumping ground for Europe¡¯s unwanted refugees and phantoms. It was a nightmare state. Millions of people being illegally kidnapped and trafficked into The Zone, ejected from countries across Europe, forced to build their own shelter out of scraps salvaged from garbage dumps and waste piles, and having to live in sprawling slums thousands of miles in size with millions of equally desperate and hopeless Phantoms as neighbors. There was no wonder that it had become the world¡¯s murder capital, the center of modern piracy, and a drug smuggling harbor. It was the definition of hopelessness. ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®freedom¡¯ that The Coalition provides,¡± Cato bitterly said, ¡°They pack you up and ship you off to rot in hell. That¡¯s what they give you. Once they have no use for you, if they can¡¯t kill you, they get rid of you. Send you off to The Zone so you can fend for yourself. That¡¯s Overwatch¡¯s idea of ¡®freedom¡¯¡­ if you can stomach to call it that. So, when you ask me why I ran or what point I see in trying to resist, I tell you what other possible choice do I have? They¡¯ve given us none. The Coalition¡¯s presence is so absolute that they can convince us that slavery is freedom, and that freedom is slavery. They¡¯re making us forget the definitions of those words so that they can use us. But not me¡­¡± Cato shook his head, ¡°Not me. I¡¯m tired of being used. And you should be too.¡± ¡°Even if you die?¡± ¡°Every option leads to my death. But if I¡¯m going down, I won¡¯t go quietly. That¡¯s what they want,¡± Cato whispered. His voice had been loud, though still held back by his ailment, and up until now he was forcing himself to speak with force. Cato was genuine. He was real about his beliefs in a way that Eli hadn¡¯t really given him credit for, ¡°Now I¡¯m not going to delude myself in the belief that my personal suicide is some great revolutionary act. Rafael might. Hell, Badger might too. But not me. I know that what I¡¯m doing is suicidal, purely. But if there¡¯s a chance, even the smallest chance, that it sends a message not just to Overwatch but to every other Phantom here that freedom is possible so long as we resist, then I will take that chance. And I¡¯ll take it again, and again, and again, and again, until the message gets through. I¡¯m fated to die no matter what. Why use the life I have to be a collaborator?¡± Eli shuffled in his boots. For the first time, he¡¯d actually given it some thought. He wanted to say Cato was right but there was still far too much uncertainty. Eli wasn¡¯t ready or willing to die for freedom. But, Cato was right that collaboration wasn¡¯t going to get them anything good either. There had to be another way¡­ anything. There must be freedom and life together. What¡¯s the point otherwise? ¡°I¡­ I agree with you. Mostly, I think,¡± Eli began, ¡°But I don¡¯t think we should be nihilistic about our odds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what you call it? Nihilism?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem very hopeful about our chances. I don¡¯t want to throw our lives away just to prove a point¡­¡± Eli sighed, carefully considering what he was about to say next, ¡°But you¡¯re right. We do need to resist. I don¡¯t want to start a revolution; I just want to survive.¡± ¡°On that, you¡¯ll find no argument from me,¡± Cato shakily said before he launched into yet another coughing fit. ¡°Right¡­ Misfit is our best chance at finding any type of strength. If you help me-¡° ¡°Oh and there you go¡­ hoping again,¡± Cato gave him a weak chuckle, ¡°You¡¯re idealizing it too much. You¡¯re trying to be a hero. I don¡¯t need heroes. I need people. People who are sick and tired of being treated like numbers.¡± ¡°What do you suggest then? That we die? If Misfit is our best chance then I¡¯m going to keep you all alive as best as I can.¡± ¡°You and what authority? Overwatch could hang us all the moment we return to The Nexus and there would be nothing you could do to stop them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re together. We can come up with something! Anything! I just need you to trust me. And if you don¡¯t trust me, trust the squad. I mean,¡± Eli gestured to the structure around them, ¡°We saved you. Or at least we tried. I¡¯m not ready to die for my freedom but I¡¯ll die to help others live.¡± There was something strange on Cato¡¯s face as he considered Eli¡¯s words. It had contorted into an expression that Eli never saw Cato wear before. At least, he hadn¡¯t noticed it if he did. A smile. ¡°Alright¡­ fine. I¡¯ll help Misfit, Misfit helps me. I¡¯ll join Robin Hood and his gang of merry men. I don¡¯t suppose it¡¯ll make much of a difference either way, but it can¡¯t get worse.¡± And just like that the tension Eli felt in his shoulders had relieved themselves, allowing him to breath in for what felt like the first time in forever. But a solid glare from Cato let Eli know that the battle hadn¡¯t quite been won, ¡°But when it all comes crashing down¡­ when we all wind up either tucked away in solitary, dead, or miserable, which will inevitably happen ¨C trust me, it will. I want you to remember me. Whether I¡¯m dead or not, I want you to remember that it was me who told you that our only hope was in our hopelessness. I want you to remember that the only thing Overwatch respects, is force. Not words, not friendship, not solidarity or even revolutionary talk¡­ but force.¡± Interrupting Cato¡¯s diatribe, there was a distinct echo that reverberated through the air. Both were silenced, immediately. There was a chorus of yelling coming from outside. Screaming. The distinct sounds of gunfire popped through the walls, and then an explosion. A large explosion that rocked the palace walls causing dirt lodged between the wooden logs to trickled down over them. The fireplace burnt out, casting the two into a dreadful darkness. The duo looked at each other, ¡°What the hell was that?¡± ¡°It must be the Avonians.¡± ¡°The who?¡± ¡°Same guys who attacked us at the Nexus, and the guys who made the Howlers, the robo-wolves,¡± Eli told him, looking through the now dark room with wide eyes. He felt something crawl up his throat, and his heart skipped a beat. Fear. The Avonians had returned. ¡°Shit, they¡¯re here?¡± Cato asked, sitting up firmly in his bed. Another explosion, this time closer to the palace, confirmed their fears. The door to the room flew open, and in came Misfit. Otaes had her spear drawn out, and she was clutching it close. She knew exactly what was happening. ¡°What the hell is going on out there?¡± Eli asked when Misfit came in, all of them had been frightened by the explosions. It was Dutch who pointed a shaky finger upwards, ¡°It¡¯s them. They''re here. And they''ve brought the dragons.¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-8...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[THE HOWLERS]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 19: Psycho Killer >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 19: Psycho Killer]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Another major explosion shook the palace to its core. The yelling from outside intensified and the gunfire had ballooned in intensity. A rising sense of anxiety made Eli¡¯s face burn in anticipation. Would they come here? Did they bring those... things? Dutch had already confirmed that they brought the dragons, but what about the other monstrosities? The gas? The behemoths? If they went outside, there was a chance that Eli would''ve come face to face with one of those machines again. What if it was there? Was there anything they could do to fight back? Anything? It was Otaes who gave them their first sense of direction, ¡°I need to take you someplace where you''ll be safe,¡± she muttered the final part of her words out as if she were recalling a terrible memory through them. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything we can do to help?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Not unless you can somehow stop an invasion by yourselves,¡± Otaes shot his prospects down, ¡°The River Republic and Avonian Empire are sending an entire army here to do what they couldn''t a year ago. They want to flatten Raritan until its rubble and occupy whatever''s left! There''s nothing that a bunch of human convicts can do about it,¡± Her glowing eyes narrowed behind the two holes in her mask. She had spat the last part out, almost as an insult. And perhaps it was. ¡°Well, what are you going to do? If they¡¯re coming here, you need something to take them out right? We can help you defend this place!¡± ¡°Alright then, enlighten me. What do you possess that can single-handedly stop an invasion of this scale?¡± Otaes sarcastically quipped, ¡°They¡¯re throwing the best of their army out at us! There¡¯s nothing that you can do to change that! It''s best if you just stand aside and not make the situation worse!¡± Eli wasn¡¯t sure exactly how he could help. All he knew was that if it was their fault that they triggered the attack, it should be their job to assist the Elves in repelling it. But Otaes was right, if the River Republic had the same frightening war machines that the Avonians had when they attacked the Nexus, it would be almost impossible for Misfit alone to do anything about it. And judging by how rapidly the Republic¡¯s forces had arrived to attack the Elves, it seemed that nothing could be done by them alone if the rest of the militia had been defeated. That was, until he remembered his monitor. Eli looked down at his right arm and pulled his sleeve up. The monitor was still there, practically untouched since last night. The elves must''ve either forgotten or couldn''t take it off of his arm as they did the rest of his equipment when they captured him, a good thing as he could use it now. The monitor wouldn¡¯t be able to help him directly. But as squad leader, he did have access to Overwatch communications and could call for help in an emergency. If this didn''t count as an emergency, nothing did. It wasn¡¯t much, and a very stupid idea. If the Coalition found out where Misfit was, they would no doubt capture them and take them to be thrown into solitary. Or worse. And that¡¯s even assuming that they decide to help Misfit at all. Why the hell would a Penal Unit squad randomly pop up onto their radar only to request for assistance all the way out in the middle of the jungle? Perhaps miles away from The Nexus? The Overwatch commanders would most likely be confused beyond anything, and they might send out something just to investigate. But would that even be enough to stop a full-on invasion? And then there''s the fact that Overwatch could just abandon them entirely. Wash their hands of Misfit and be done with it. What business would they have doing all the way out here anyway? Just as he was beginning to doubt his idea to call for help, yet another explosion rocked them. This time, it was much ¨C much ¨C closer. Call for help, and in the best case scenario they would be rescued just to get thrown into solitary confinement - likely to never see Earth again. Don¡¯t call for help, and they¡¯d get bombed into oblivion. A real catch 22. ¡°I¡¯m calling for assistance,¡± Eli said with a grunt, making up his mind. He looked to his monitor with unease building up inside of him. As much as it hurt to say, he''d rather be in prison than buried. That line of thinking was what got him this far. ¡°What? From who?¡± Rafael asked. ¡°Overwatch. They¡¯re the only ones who can help us.¡± ¡°Overwatch? The same people who probably already have our death warrants signed?¡± The man threw his hands up as if to show Eli just how stupid his own idea was, a type of realization that Eli had already come to long ago. ¡°Listen, I know it¡¯s a bad idea. But it¡¯s the least bad idea we have. If I get it through now they may not even realize that it¡¯s a prisoner calling for help given where we are!¡± ¡°We¡¯re talking maybe! What if they get your call and figure we¡¯re full of it? You know what, scratch that. What happens after we get rescued, and they find out we¡¯re the guys who attacked the armory?¡± Dutch jumped in, "They''ll kill us quicker than the damn dragons will!" ¡°They don¡¯t know that. All that they know is that we are a squad that just deserted. They shouldn''t know who attacked the armory, we kept our faces hidden and nobody saw our faces. Not even that one guard!" Eli said as he thought it through out loud, "And as for what happens next¡­ we¡¯ll cross that bridge when we get there. But what¡¯s the alternative? Sit here and get bombed? I mean we barely held on at the Nexus, here they¡¯ll tear into us like a pack of wolves!¡± Silence across Misfit as they pondered it. Just as Eli said, it was a bad idea. But the other ideas were far worse. Damned if they did, even worse if they didn¡¯t. But ultimately it didn¡¯t matter what Misfit thought. Otaes seemed unconvinced about the whole issue. ¡°My orders are very clear, I¡¯m to keep an eye on you at all times,¡± She retorted cementing the feeling of hopelessness within them, ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of help you think you are bringing, but unless you have a direct line to The Belford Alliance itself, there¡¯s nothing you can do.¡± ¡°Our base in the Nexus, we¡¯ve defended it from an attack before! We can defend this place too! If we get help,¡± Eli argued. ¡°I don¡¯t make the decisions to let you go out there, you have to wait from approval from the chiefs, and they are busy with the war!¡± ¡°Then come with us! You can keep an eye on us, just let us help you defend the Palace!¡± Her eyes narrowed even further. It was clear that she was skeptical, if not downright suspicious of Misfit. Being introduced as a Penal-Unit probably didn¡¯t help their case, ¡°I just need to talk to my commanders and ask them for help! Let us get our equipment back so that we can help you! If your warriors fail, we die. All of us!¡± Eli begged, trying to convince her that it was for the best. But she was right to be skeptical. Only an idiot would trust Misfit so readily with the knowledge of their role. She really shouldn''t let prisoners get their guns again in a time like this, but if Misfit could help... Otaes¡¯ blue eyes looked down to her spear and the hands that carried them, ¡°I¡¯m making a mistake, I know it. But, against my better judgement¡­ follow me,¡± She sighed, as she turned heel towards the door. For Misfit''s part, they looked somewhat confused. Not entirely convinced that this was going to work, but likely seeing it the way Eli was. There wasn''t much of an alternative really. What else was there to do? Sit around twiddling their thumbs as the elves'' prisoners while there was a war going on? "Look, I really don''t think this is gonna work, but... just don''t get us killed. Alright?" Matteo tutted as he walked past to follow Otaes out of the door. The two briefly bumped shoulders, either intentionally or not - Eli wasn''t sure. Though his eyes met Matteo''s for a brief moment. "I already told you, I''m getting us back home. Just trust me," Eli told him, though Matteo brushed it off. "I''ve yet to see proof of that one. But just do what you need to. Unlike you, I''ve got a daughter back home." Eli stood frozen like a statue as he watched Matteo''s back turned to him. His eyes glued onto the cyan delta plastered on the dirty dark blue plastic of the man''s uniform. It sounded harsh. And maybe it was. But Eli couldn''t say anything in response. There was nothing to say. He didn''t need to say anything at all. "Look, I''m just gonna say it. If calling Overwatch to get us thrown into solitary is really our best option - we''re fucked no matter what," Rafael said as he took left, "But you''ve risked your life to come and get us. That''s real. And for that, you''ve got my respect. Get us out of this one." This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "I will," Eli said with a knowledge he didn''t have, "Somehow. I will." "That''s all I''m looking for..." Rafael grinned, again looking at Eli before he too left the room, "Soldier Boy."
They were terrified of what was going on around them. The Avonians had already wreaked so much havoc in the Nexus, and they only just barely secured a victory against them there. But here they were, isolated in a strange place with unfamiliar people, with nothing to tether them to. Nothing, except Otaes. For she remained steadfast despite the attack. Eli didn¡¯t sense fear coming from her, or nervousness or anxiety. No, through the mask he watched her every action, and they broadcasted an entirely different emotion. Anger. Otaes sprinted down the hall with the rest of Misfit struggling to keep up behind. She was quick, and she expertly weaved her way through panicked crowds of elves running about within the Palace. Misfit kept in tow, slower though. While they ran to their gear, Eli fiddled with his Monitor. It was still unfamiliar to him as his old monitor was replaced just prior to them being shipped through the portal, and he struggled to get through to the interface that he desired. But with a little trial and error, he learned how to make a request from Overwatch. With a hit of a button on the monitor, he raised his arm up to his mouth. But he hesitated. What would he say? How would he identify himself over the radio? In order to communicate, he would have to state the name of his squad, or of himself. Either way, Overwatch would immediately know who they were, and that they were not where they were supposed to be. But he''d already dug his grave this far, no going back now. With all the other options exhausted, there wasn¡¯t enough time to explore anything else. And so, he spoke to the monitor. [Eli] ¡°Overwatch? Overwatch, this is Eli Freeman of Misfit squad, Delta Company! This is an emergency! Our position is under direct assault by hostile forces, over!¡± He let go of the transmitter button. The hope of his squad depended on that one transmission. He didn¡¯t know how far away from the Nexus they were, and he doubted if their receivers could even pick up a signal coming from this deep within the forest. But he had to believe that it would go through. But there was nothing coming from the monitor, ¡°Is it working?¡± Omar asked him as they ran through the Palace. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Eli muttered to himself. He tried again, his voice shaking with fear as he spoke. In his mind he conjured up the image of a chicken willingly running straight into the jaws of a hungry fox. He lowered his arm for a moment, maybe it would take some time? Up the stairs, and through another doorway took them into a large storeroom within the Palace. Rows of shelves were stacked next to each other into columns within the dimly lit room. It was clear that it was supposed to hold weapons and equipment, but there was very little of the remaining weapons left ¨C already taken by the defense forces of the Palace who were scrambling during the attack. Even here, in this central part of the Palace, Eli could hear the gunfire from outside. The urgency of the situation only increasing. Otaes pointed to a certain shelf that was tucked next to a large window facing out to the city. His eyes immediately recognized their gear, the very same guns, armor, and helmets that they managed to steal from the Nexus¡¯s Armory. Without wasting a second, Misfit descended upon the shelf. Eli grabbed a gun, an armored vest, and finally a helmet that he fastened onto his head. While doing so, he saw Otaes looking out of the window to what was going on outside. Her eyes were distant, and her previously on-guard stance had dropped to one that resembled¡­defeat? Eli looked where she was, and immediately he knew why. Raritan had been turned into a warzone. A fire burned somewhere in the jungle on the outskirts of the city. Smoke rose from the ground and filled the blue sky with smoke until it had become hazy. Gunfire popped in the distance, and flares of bright blue light flew up from the city streets. Fireballs bloomed destroying buildings. Civilians flooded the streets, running to shelter in nearby buildings and homes. Eli was speechless as he watched it all unfurl around them. In the skies, like jets circling overhead, there were strange machines flying through the air. They were fast and nimble, though it seemed they carried no engine, and instead used their wings to flap into the air. It wasn¡¯t until one flew closer, spitting a plume of fire onto the city below, did he see what it really was. They weren¡¯t aircraft at all. Despite their speed, their metal shells, and their machine-like nature, they were¡­ ¡°Dragons,¡± Matteo whispered as he looked up into the air. ¡°Those damn things are back again,¡± Shouted Badger. ¡°Avonian synths,¡± Otaes placed a hand against the glass, ¡°Temetet¡­¡± she whispered. ¡°What?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Temetet, my brother,¡± She pointed a finger to a part of the city that was being swarmed by the flying dragons, shooting blazing hot fire that looked potent enough to melt concrete on the homes below, ¡°He was sent back home to the Eastern Quarter of the city. That¡¯s right where the frontlines are¡­¡± She dropped her spear, ¡°No. Temetet¡­ I-I have to get him! Now!¡± Her voice wavered on the cusp of breaking into panic. She seemed torn between two decisions, leave to go find her brother ¨C Eli figured that was the smaller elf with the blank mask and curly hair who had accompanied her during their initial meeting. Or stay here as per her orders from Chief Ani and watch the prisoners. "We can come with, right?" Asked Dutch. ¡°No!¡± Otaes snapped, ¡°I can¡¯t bring you. I need to keep an eye on you.¡± Eventually her eyes landed on Eli. She took a step towards him, and in fear, Eli took a step back, ¡°You! Eli! You¡¯re coming with me! The rest of you stay here. I can avoid the battles by using the underground canals! But if I go, I can only bring a small team. Just myself and one other person. Too many and I can¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯ll remain hidden ¡°Underground canals?¡± Eli asked. ¡°I know a path towards my home through them!¡± Misfit looked amongst each other. Someone had to go with Otaes to rescue Temetet while the rest of them remained behind to look after Cato and defend the Palace. It was clear nobody wanted to go out there, even with the apparent protection that the tunnels afforded ¨C according to Otaes at least. Out there was far too dangerous, even remaining inside of the Palace was a risk as the dragons could surround them at any moment. ¡°What about us?¡± Croaked Rafael. ¡°You stay here with your injured one. Cato. I¡¯m keeping Eli as collateral. Betray our generosity and I kill him.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± They all unanimously shouted out. ¡°That''s only if you plan on doing something stupid,¡± Otaes remained cold, grabbing her spear from off of the floor and holding it as a warning, ¡°I¡¯ll remind you of who the prisoner in this situation is. I¡¯m being generous given the circumstances.¡± Eli looked to Otaes, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Misfit, stay here. Help the elves any way you can. Defend the palace and protect Cato. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Eli, dude,¡± Dutch pulled Eli aside, ¡°Are you sure? I mean, you going out into a warzone alone with¡­ her.¡± ¡°Yeah, this has terrible idea written all over it,¡± Said Rafael. ¡°Well¡­ The elves have been generous to us.¡± ¡°They have?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not dead. Yet.¡± Rafael shrugged, "True." Otaes sighed, as she inched closer to the door, ¡°Look. The burden of this is on you. But I¡¯m going to get my brother. Nothing else matters. Either you stay, or I take Eli with me. So hurry, make up your minds.¡± Misfit nodded among themselves. ¡°Eli¡­?¡± He heard Dutch say his name. He turned over to them all watching him sadly, ¡°Just stay safe out there.¡± ¡°From all of us. Please, get back to us in one piece,¡± Badger added on, ¡°We still need you.¡± Eli smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I promise, everything will be fine. Trust me.¡± Their words of concern oddly enough put him slightly at ease. And it felt¡­ strange. But as he followed Otaes, the trust that formed seemed closer towards falling apart. If Eli died, if any of them died, all that he¡¯d done to keep them alive would¡¯ve been for nothing. And then what? He couldn¡¯t let that happen. Eli would return, no matter what. No matter how difficult. He would be there. Nothing else mattered as much as that simple truth. Nothing.
==[Overwatch Command]==
>>> Communications activity detected >>> Message received >>> 17th Penal Battalion, Delta Company, Misfit Squad >>> [Penal Unit?] >>> Emergency Combat Assistance Request. Reason, unknown. Commanding Officer, Captain Juma. Last issued order: Defend The Nexus. >>> Current status: Likely fugitive. >>> [Dispatch Headhunters. We may have a possible Anti-Cooperative Element. Mission objectives, capture or kill. Autonomous Judgement is in effect. Transmit coordinates.] >>> Situation Report Updated! >>> MASS GATHERING OF HOSTILE FORCES SPOTTED SOUTH OF NEXUS. EMERGENCY REQUEST COMING FROM SOURCE. RESPONSE IS NECESSARY. >>> [What the hell? Did we send a bunch of prisoners out to fight those elves? Alone?] >>> Negative. >>> [...Copy... Scramble Airwatch. Close Air Support sortie. Do not fire on unknowns or the Penal Unit. Headhunters Mission update. Find Eli Freeman and Misfit Squad. Alive. We need to get to the bottom of this. Response code: Guardian. Secure. Retrieve.] >>> Acknowledged. Tasking Airwatch. >>> Headhunter mission status updated: Find Freeman. Chapter 20: Route Canal >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 20: Route Canal]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Stepping outside was akin to stepping through yet another portal. From inside of the protective walls of the palace, the war seemed distant. Close, threatening, but far enough away that they weren''t caught directly inside of the crosshairs. As much of a paradox as that may have been, considering the elven palace was probably a giant red flag - and perhaps even the primary objective of the advancing "Avonians". So they were called. But out here, the danger was all too real. The gunfire no longer echoed - It cracked. Crackling through the skies around them. Explosions shook the air so much that Eli felt his head might burst. And all the while, Eli felt like he was following a white rabbit through the madness, as he followed Otaes deeper into the fray. He had plenty of reason to still be afraid of her, but he trusted that she wouldn''t murder him outright for no reason. Though the implication that if Misfit ever disobeyed or acted out of line - she''d then exact a lethal judgement on Eli still bore down heavily, he was beginning to think that it may have been some kind of a joke. Weird warrior elf humor, maybe? Hopefully anyways. He hoped she wouldn''t kill him. Though for her part, she seemed to be a million miles away. Probably thinking about her brother. He followed Otaes closely as the duo made their way out of the palace around to the rear garden. It was a small space full of plants and trees that sloped downwards towards a narrow river that glistened in the sunlight. The water was clear, and whenever Eli looked into it, he could see small fish scuttle about above the rocky riverbed. Otaes led him to the edge of the riverbank, where they followed the path of the river until it fed into a tunnel. Stone blocks arched up and over the tunnel, allowing for a walkable path alongside the river as it flowed underground below the city. Eli slowed his pace, suddenly feeling uncertain as he gazed into the tunnels opening. Warm, damp, air oozed out of the tunnel opening. It smelled sour like moldy clothes. The interior of the tunnel was also dark, and if it weren¡¯t for the flashlight that Eli had on his vest, it would have been pitch black inside. Otaes noticed his moment of hesitation, and just before she entered inside of the tunnel, she looked back at him, ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°A little,¡± Eli sighed, knowing that it was too late to turn back now. He could see the interior of the dank tunnel. The walkway was made of stone, and it was narrow enough that only two people would be able to fit shoulder-to-shoulder if they squeezed. The damp smell of the tunnel surrounded him as they descended inside. ¡°Don¡¯t be. I know these tunnels like the back of my hand. They¡¯re just the canals.¡± He resisted the urge to blurt out, ¡®it¡¯s not the canals I¡¯m afraid of¡¯, managing to keep his mouth shut. ¡°I believe they used to be natural rivers a hundred years ago or something. Beyond the mountains is Lake Tear of the Clouds, their source. I don¡¯t come here as much now but, during the war these canals were a small paradise.¡± ¡°Some paradise.¡± ¡°It was our own. There was safety here from the bombs,¡± Otaes said, ¡°I promise it looked better when I was a kid.¡± She gave him an encouraging look before walking fully into the tunnels. Eli followed her, trailing not too far behind. ¡°As for you, I¡¯m guessing that you aren¡¯t lying about being an otherworlder? What¡¯s Earth like?¡± She said out of the blue. ¡°What can I say? Earth was better when I was a kid too.¡± ¡°What happened to your planet? Is there something wrong with it?¡± ¡°Kind of an understatement,¡± Eli sighed, ¡°It would be faster if I told you all the things that aren¡¯t a complete mess back home. I mean, I lived my entire life as a Phantom.¡± ¡°A Phantom?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what they call the nationless,¡± he said, patting the cyan and orange delta on the shoulder of his uniform, ¡°And there¡¯s a lot of us. We¡¯re all fighting over what resources there are left, the seas are rising, Earth¡¯s still warming. There¡¯s a lot of things wrong, and I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll ever be fixed. At least not while I¡¯m still alive.¡± ¡°Hm,¡± Otaes mused, ¡°Sounds like your world and mine aren¡¯t too different after all.¡± Eli didn¡¯t answer. His mind was somewhere else. Back on Earth. Chief Ani¡¯s memory reading had resurfaced memories in Eli¡¯s brain that he had fought hard to try and forget. To put behind him. But now, his eyes glazed over when he thought about what could have been if only his family had evacuated to safety. Or if they lived somewhere else. Or if the storm had never happened. Or if maybe, when he sojourned alone in a refugee camp packed thousands full, that a hand would¡¯ve reached out to save him¡­ But fortune never looked kindly on him. If it had, he wouldn¡¯t have been here on this hell planet at all. An indescribable feeling of discomfort arose in his chest when he thought about it. Almost like a burn. Something trying to crawl up his throat, like a sickness rearing itself in his core. Though powerfully distracting, it was a feeling all too familiar. A cocktail of hopelessness, despair, and longing for a better past. Those warm memories of the past had grown foggy with time. Cobwebs in his brain fudged the details until they were almost unrecognizable as his own. It didn¡¯t help that he tried to push them away so they couldn¡¯t sting with their bittersweet nostalgia. A paradise lost, a home, a family, a sense of normality. Only to wind up here. He silently hated Ani for opening a wound that should¡¯ve remained scabbed. Those memories were buried deep inside of his mind for a reason. That invasion of his mind, his most personal domain, for what? To prove that he wasn¡¯t a liar? To prove that he was after all, just an escaped soldier turned prisoner, transported against his will to a new world to fight a war he had no stakes in. To build a utopia that fed off the enslavement of himself and his friends. Was that too difficult to believe? Maybe. But there was no use dwelling on the feeling, not while they were in the middle of a warzone. But just as he was about to fight to try and bottle the intangible emotions up again, Otaes held out her hand turning to Eli, ¡°Turn off the light! Now!¡± Her voice was sharp and forced under a whisper. Eli immediately did as told and switched off his light, plunging the duo into darkness. Otaes knelt, and Eli followed. Crouching down low unsure of what Otaes could have sensed that alerted her. But then from further in the tunnel, another light grew. A bright orange glow illuminated the tunnels further ahead, creeping, slowly growing. And it was then that Eli could hear talking. The light grew until he could see the source. Soldiers. There were six soldiers that crossed over at the far end of the tunnel. Another river merged into theirs forming the shape of the letter ¡°Y¡± as the combined. At the end, the soldiers walked towards their position. Their helmets were olive green, and it matched the puffy body armor that they wore around their torso which Eli figured was a armored vest. Underneath that, a dark green uniform mixed in with swirling browns, greys, and lighter greens. They carried weapons that looked eerily like guns Eli worked with ¨C the old Cold War era weapons that sometimes found its way into the hands of the Penal Unit. Looking at the soldiers themselves was bizarre. They were elves like Otaes, but also there were humans as well. Eli was most surprised to find the face of humans among the group. The new world had been so strange these past few days, that to see a human ¨C something that otherwise would¡¯ve been redundant on Earth - was strange and out of the ordinary. Elves and Humans together made up the squad of six. ¡°River Militia, a scouting party. If their scouts are already down here, the assault forces will follow,¡± Otaes held her breath for a moment, contemplating something deep. With a swift movement she reached for the bow on her back and pulled out a red-tipped arrow, ¡°We have to fight them. We can¡¯t let them pass.¡± Eli wasn¡¯t certain if they could pull it off, but Otaes looked confident in their ability. He sighed inwardly to himself, and then loaded his gun. Nodding to himself. But before he could say anything, she had already placed the red tipped arrow into her bow and pulled back on the drawstring. Eli raised the sights of his gun up to his eye. His fingers grappled onto the trigger. They waited for all six of the soldiers to fully expose themselves. And then, like a wire being split, their world descended into chaos. Otaes let her arrow fly, and it darted down the tunnel, missing all the soldiers. It buried itself into the wall with a sharp clang. And then, it exploded. A small red fireball burst out, knocking two soldiers from their feet while the other four were disoriented. The soldiers returned fire, blindly into the dark. Eli ducked down even further to avoid having his head taken off by a red tracer. The gunfire being fired back at them intensified as a second soldier began to return fire. They were yelling in yet another language that was alien to Eli¡¯s ears. Both Eli and Otaes fought back with all that they had, but the bullets only narrowly missed them, and the soldiers were only increasing in accuracy. It wouldn¡¯t be long until the remaining soldiers found them, and so, Eli took a risk. He crouched down as low as he could get, and then he pushed himself into the canal. His boots splashed, surrounding his foot ¨C then his leg ¨C in cold water. His lower body was drenched, and irritably cold, but being down here offered more protection from the bullets. The water was only hip high, and he was able to shoot back from relative safety with the stone banks of the canal above him. A lucky shot from his rifle saw it pierce the helmet of a soldier, once his body dropped down the remaining two soldiers called it off and began to retreat down the dark tunnels. The same direction from which their patrol had emerged. Eli fired a few bullets after them, but he was unsure if anything hit through the darkness that fell upon them. All he could hear were a pair of boots shuffling away. ¡°Taking a swim?¡± Otaes asked him. It was then that Eli realized that she was even capable of humor at all. She seemed more like the ¡®kill everyone first, take names later¡¯ type of person. ¡°It was safer down here.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Was all she said, looking down the dark depths of the tunnels, ¡°The soldiers will be back to sweep the area once they realize their scouts are dead. Come on,¡± Otaes jumped down into the Canal¡¯s waters to get to the other side. Eli followed her as she walked over to the bodies of the soldiers. One of them was still struggling to move, alive though bleeding through his shirt. Eli looked at him closer, turning on his flashlight to observe the struggling soldier. The blood drained from his face when he realized that the soldier he killed was the human. He had tawny skin, leftover stubble, and green eyes. So human. So much like him. ¡°These vermin were just the untrained militia of the River Republic. Traitors to the Kiote Union, they work as the lapdogs of the Avonians,¡± Otaes took out her spear and wielded it into one arm. The soldier struggled to speak, and coughed out a few words that were lost on Eli. They were directed at Otaes, but all she did was give out an unamused puff. She raised the sharp spear into the air, right over the soldier¡¯s head. His eyes widened in fear, and he began to speak. Faster. Panicking. Eli looked away. There was a thud, and the sound of flesh gushing. The panicked talked ended. When he looked over at Otaes, she had already pulled the spear out of his cranium, and was cleaning the tip with a cloth. Eli was thankful that it was too dark to see with his flashlight off, the death of the human soldier sucked the life out of him... While cleaning the tip of the spear, Otaes'' glowing eyes met him. It was then that he noticed that one of her eyes, specifically the one which the red slash of paint covered on the mask, was duller than the other. Otaes looked at him and then to the now deceased militiaman, and then back up to Eli. "You''re not squeamish. Are you?" Otaes said, not expecting a response as she holstered her spear and continued down the tunnel, leaving him behind to stare at the body. Eli didn¡¯t know what to say. He felt bitter on the inside, like bile was starting to make its way up his stomach. He was in the middle of something that he had neither any knowledge of nor experience with. A war which he had been placed into. A new world, a new history. Reluctantly he followed when Otaes turned and walked down the hall. He briefly looked back at the dead Riverlander. And then back to Otaes, his fear of her lodging itself into the front of his mind yet again as they descended further into the madness. For the next ten minutes, things were quiet. They didn¡¯t run into another patrol, nor did they encounter anything that would slow them down. Eli and Otaes didn¡¯t say a word to each other, as the two wandered in the darkness towards the Eastern Quarter. The only sound in the tunnels were the vibrations of artillery hitting the ground above which shook the walls of the tunnel and dislodged dirt from the ceiling. Gunfire was muffled down here, underneath all the soil and city built over them. He could feel a looming discomfort within him as he walked. His only source of light being from his flashlight illuminating the path ahead of both himself and Otaes. He tried not to look at her, lest the image of her sending a spear through a man¡¯s throat surfaced again. Maybe he was just being too sensitive? It was war, big deal. People died all the time. Eli¡¯s hands weren¡¯t clean of blood either. He¡¯d seen his own fair share of war from the tunnels of Seoul. And if it weren¡¯t for what he did to get out of those tunnels, he wouldn¡¯t be in the Penal Unit at all. Whatever the case may be, he found it easier to just stare blankly at the walls while they walked. ¡°You don¡¯t talk much, do you?¡± Otaes asked him after a while of uncomfortable silence, interrupted only by their somewhat damp footsteps. Eli thought about the question for a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Only when I need to.¡± ¡°Good,¡± was all that she said, ¡°The Canals go back overground somewhere outside of the city limits, into the jungle, and then out to Canau. Where your base is.¡± ¡°The Nexus¡­¡± Eli whispered. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°That¡¯s our base. The Nexus. How do you know where it was?¡± ¡°Temetet and I were assigned to scout the area five days ago. When your people arrived, it kickstarted a war. I¡¯m not going to point fingers, but something happened in Canau. And it involved your people fighting the Avonians. The Imperial garrison in Canau was destroyed, they blamed us, and now¡­¡± ¡°A misunderstanding escalated into an invasion.¡± ¡°Quick learner.¡± ¡°Well excuse me but, I did only arrive on this planet three days ago.¡± Otaes turned to face him, her glowing blue eyes visible in the darkness, ¡°So tell me. You are a human, right? Not like, some weird alien version of one.¡± ¡°As far as I know, yeah.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re from a different planet, so¡­ you know¡­ how does that work?¡± She asked him. Eli shook his head, ¡°No clue. All of what¡¯s happening is just as new to me as it is to you.¡± ¡°Well, you must have some idea. Even as a¡­ convict. Is there any objective that you have at all? A mission of some sort?¡± Eli searched through his brain. It had been a long four days, but he could still remember at least some of the finer details. The mission announcement from Kovic, the so called dreams of a better future envisioned by those in control, ¡°Utopia,¡± Eli whispered. ¡°What?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the name of their plan. They called it ¡®The Utopia Project¡¯. I think. It¡¯s all really strange and it hasn¡¯t been made clear to us what exactly it¡¯s for. But the big shots on our planet need someplace new to build a society from the ground up.¡± ¡°Trying to escape the chaos of your planet to construct a new home?¡± ¡°Not for us. Well, they say it is, but they¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re so against it, why are you still fighting for them?¡± Eli threw up his arms, ¡°You think I have a choice?¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a way to resist. Besides, you already ran away and yet here you are ¨C very much alive.¡± ¡°Yeah, just barely. Besides, we came to save my squad. We aren¡¯t actively trying to fight the Coalition. Hell, do you know what they would do if they ever found us again? They¡¯d throw us into solitary forever, or worse¡­¡° ¡°And yet, you called them here hoping that they¡¯ll save you?¡± Otaes put a fist on her side, raising her other hand to accentuate her point. Well, yeah. He knew it was bizarre. Even ridiculous. His logic was admittedly contradictory. He scratched the back of his neck, ¡°I mean, it¡¯s the best chance we¡¯ve got. If the Avonians are as strong as you say they are, this whole city will be overrun unless we get help! And without the Coalition, I¡¯ll never be able to go back home! None of us will. At least as prisoners we stand somewhat of a chance but, on our own, we¡¯ll never see our planet again!¡± ¡°So, you¡¯d rather take your chance as a prisoner?¡± ¡°What other choice do I have. The only reason why we¡¯re even out here is because we had to sneak away from the Nexus to rescue my friends! They are all that I have left. I have to¡­ I have to, uh-¡° ¡°Protect them?¡± ¡°Yeah. Protect them.¡± ¡°I see,¡± was all that she said. As they were walking through the tunnel however, they heard movement. The sound of metal clanging against metal echoed through the dark tunnel. Quickly, Eli turned off his flashlight to avoid detection, but the tunnel was suddenly filled with light anyway. Above them, an access valve had been opened. A manhole on the ceiling was lifted up, exposing the dark tunnel and canal to the hazy afternoon sky. Soldiers surrounded it. They lowered ropes down into the tunnel, and one by one the soldiers rappelled into the Canal. They looked much the same as the scouts, though there were more of them than before. Otaes instinctively leapt back, and Eli tried to hide into cover. But it was too late. They had been spotted. The Riverlander forces opened fire. Otaes and Eli were immediately pelted with the same glowing red energy bullets as before. Eli lost his footing and fell on his back, while Otaes tried to return fire with her bow ¨C though she only had so much cover that the curving walls of the tunnel offered. Eli scrambled back to his feet, ducking underneath the red storm of bullets, and returned fire with his own rifle. With a few suppressive shots, he was able to force the Militia to scramble for their own cover, allowing both himself and Otaes breathing room, but the fight was only just beginning. From the open vault, another soldier rappelled down to reinforce the soldiers. But this soldier was different from all the others. He had darker armor, plates of metal over his chest glinted in the sunlight, and underneath a thick dark green helmet ¨C was a mask that covered his face. Piping ran from his mask to a steel tank on his back, and a purple band wrapped around his shoulder. Dark circles of glass sat where the two eyes should¡¯ve been. His gun was far larger and more advanced looking than that of the other soldiers. When he landed on the ground, the dust that covered it was agitated and he formed a miniature cloud upon impact. Even from where he was, Eli¡¯s ears picked up the faint traces of strained mechanical breathing coming from the Soldier through his mask. Otaes swore in her native language, ¡°Shock Trooper!¡± and then took another step away from the soldiers. She fired a bow into the Shock Trooper¡¯s chest, but the arrow did little damage against the thick armored plates and Kevlar vests that protected the soldier. Without even flinching, the Shock trooper raised its gun. Words were spoken from the Trooper, but again, Eli couldn¡¯t understand. But the voice, much like it¡¯s breathing, sounded mechanical. Knowing what was to come, Eli pre-empted the attack by raising his gun and shooting the arm of the Trooper in a bid to save Otaes. Three bullets fired from Eli¡¯s gun, and they embedded themselves into the armor of the Troopers arm. While it seemed that he managed to at least hurt the trooper, it didn¡¯t kill him. Instead, the Trooper stowed his gun away and raised his other arm. A device was attached to the arm of the Trooper and as he held it up it began to charge. Suddenly, a field of glowing red appeared like a holographic image in front of him. Eli tried to shoot at him, but the bullets ricocheted from the red field of light. A shield made from red energy, ¡°Crap!¡± Eli spat out, as he continued to light the shield up with his gun. But despite all the bullets, the most he threatened to do in terms of damage was knock the soldier down. While the Trooper struggled, he held onto the shield effectively. The other Riverlander soldiers ran up to create a formation behind the Trooper, and together they opened fire while using the Trooper¡¯s shield as defense. Both Otaes and Eli were forced down to avoid the flurry of bullets coming their way. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Otaes cursed in here native language, ¡°Eli! Come on we have to run!¡± she said, scrambling to her feet. She ran in the opposite direction. Eli was ahead of her, and together they fled away, down the curving path of the tunnel. As fast as he could muster, he charged down the hall. Sweat broke from his forehead and trickled down his face, knowing that the soldiers would have been on their heels. Bullets rang out chasing them down, but they missed ¨C just narrowly though. Eli¡¯s eyes darted about, looking for any place to regroup in order to hide in the darkness, but now the entire tunnel seemed exposed. Devoid of any cover. Their retreat was interrupted by yet another manhole being opened from the ceiling above. Light temporarily flooded in, blinding Eli. But soldiers didn¡¯t drop through. Instead, there was a metal cannister was dropped down into the tunnel, and then the manhole was closed. It clanged against the floor, bouncing momentarily. Eli¡¯s brain knew immediately what it was. ¡°GRENADE!¡± He yelled out, without a moment wasted he jumped into the canal sinking his head underneath water. Otaes followed close behind, and the second she sank underwater, the grenade exploded. Eli felt the concussive force of the grenade throw him back against the stone wall of the canal. The air was blasted out of his lungs forming bubbles that rose up to the surface of the water. Almost to be replaced by water, if Eli hadn¡¯t realized his predicament. The air above the canal had been replaced by a fiery wave that baptized everything nearby in incendiary devastation. But the fire quickly faded without anything to cling on to besides the stone walls and the water in the canal. No sooner did Eli¡¯s head rise above water where he gasped for air. His lungs crying out for relief, he took in a massive breath of the stale and moldy smelling air above them ¨C now carrying the scent of burning metal. Otaes was nowhere to be seen. He scanned the water for her body, but it was too dark to see, and he didn¡¯t want to risk giving his position away using his flashlight. The soldiers were running right towards them. Out of options, he knelt beside the wall of the Canal and weakly held up his gun. His arms tired and wobbly, he tore out the magazine. A silent panic washed through his body when he realized that half of it was empty. The others that he stored in his vest were missing. They must¡¯ve been scattered by the blast of the grenade while he was underwater. With no time, or visibility, to search for them, he loaded the half-empty magazine back into his gun and prepared for the worst. Dripping wet, and with the water up to his neck, he hoped to take down as many as possible before the inevitable. And that Otaes was still alive somewhere¡­ He saw the bright orange glow of light illuminating the far end of the tunnel. His eyes widened. This was it. The final stand. Shakily he braced himself¡­ A Riverlander appeared on the far side of the tunnel, carrying the light. Without hesitation, he opened fire. His first bullet pierced through the soldier¡¯s arm, the second through his throat. The Riverlander screamed out in pain, and his body fell into the river. But just as he fell down, the rest of his squad appeared in the end of the tunnel. They opened fire, though their shots were inaccurate. Eli knew that they had lost him in the darkness. Eli kept up the fire, checking his shots carefully as he had limited bullets to spare. The Riverlander soldiers he could manage to hold off. With a few well placed shots, he was able to convince them to back away. But the loud thudding of footsteps grew louder. The water splashed violently, and inside of the river itself the shock trooper imposed himself. The trooper called out to the rest of his squad in that same mechanical voice. Terrified, Eli fired at the soldier. Three rounds straight to the chest. There were small sparks of light as the bullets ricocheted off the trooper¡¯s armor, and at the most he grunted in pain, feeling their impact. But he was still effectively bulletproof. Though he was slow. Especially so in the water. Again, the trooper raised the device on his arm, charging it until it burst into the red energy shield. Eli knew that his bullets would be ineffective against it, and with his ammo so low, he could only focus on putting as much distance between himself and the soldiers as possible. He backed away, slowly, just as the Trooper advanced forward with his shield up. The other soldiers again flooded around the Trooper, opening fire. But all Eli could do was fire back. And then, he saw movement in the water behind the Trooper. Suddenly, something lurched up from the Canal¡¯s waters, grabbing one of the Riverlanders by the foot. The soldier collapsed onto the stone floor before he was dragged kicking and screaming into the waters of the river. Enveloped by a violent splash of water the screaming ended, and momentarily the soldiers turned their attention away from Eli ¨C though the Trooper kept his shield up. They watched the waters, though it was still too dark for them to see clearly. And then, another soldier was dragged in. He yelled out something in his native language before his head went underneath the waters of the canal. The soldiers, terrified, opened fire blindly into the Canal. But Eli saw a shadow crawl up the walls of the Canal behind them while they were distracted. The first soldier was grabbed from behind, stabbed through the stomach and his body was thrown into the Canal. Another caught on, but it was too late. A spear was thrown his direction, embedding itself into his chest and pinning him to the wall. The last two soldiers remaining, terrified, scrambled away. One of them fell, shakily raising his gun up before he was silenced by a arrow to the face. The final soldier was killed by a round fired from Eli. Otaes¡¯ silhouette appeared in the darkness, and she dove back into the water. Swimming lightning fast to the final hostile. The Shock Trooper turned his back to Eli, knowing what was coming. But Otaes was faster and more nimble than the slow and clunky Trooper. She jumped onto his back, dagger in her hands. In the blink of an eye, she plunged the dagger into the armor of the Trooper. The Trooper grunted in pain, but was far from being killed. His shield went down, and he grabbed Otaes, carrying her like a doll until he threw her body into the water. Eli fired at the Trooper now that the shield was down, aiming for the head. A bullet ricocheted off of the thick metallic helmet, but a second bullet fractured the glass covering the left, impaling itself into the skull of the soldier. For the first time the trooper had been severely wounded, and he dropped to his knee¡¯s holding an eye with one arm in extreme pain. The Trooper screamed out, though it sounded¡­ robotic. It was still a living creature. It must¡¯ve been. And, if it could be injured that badly, it could be killed. Eli kept up the fire, trying to aim at the eyes again, but the soldier was moving around far too much. He fired again, missed, and hit an armored plate. Squeezing the trigger one more time, his heart stopped in his chest. Enraged, the Trooper reached for his gun. Somehow, it was still alive after being shot in the eye. It grunted as it wielded the massive gun. Eli crouched down underneath the waterline. In one massive burst, the gun unleashed a massive swarm of red bullets that were so powerful ¨C they broke off chunks of the stone wall, destroying parts of the colorful paintings that lined the canal. The gun¡¯s recoil was so strong that it forced the Trooper to take a step back. But no sooner had he recovered, then another round fired. And another. Eli could do nothing but swim further away from the Trooper to a safer spot. But then, he felt it. In his leg, a searing hot burn gnawed its way through his calf! Burrowing itself straight into his flesh and into the bone. It was so painful that Eli was forced to resurface, gasping for air before he drowned underneath the water. He felt hot liquid spew out of the bullet hole. His eyes locked with that of the Trooper, who cocked the gun, and aimed right for Eli¡¯s head. The water behind the Trooper stirred, and out from behind, Otaes leapt onto the Trooper¡¯s back. In this state, she resembled more a wild animal than an elf. She used her dagger to stab the trooper in the throat. Once, twice, three times she managed to sink the dagger into the apparent weak point in the trooper¡¯s armor. The trooper struggled to get her off of his back. He circled around, visibly weaker than he was before but still extremely dangerous. Eli¡¯s eyes landed on the metal tank attached to his back. But again, he was out of bullets. He scanned the tunnel, the dead bodies of Otaes¡¯ work, their energy weapons. He didn¡¯t know how to use one, but he could try. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he was perhaps too optimistic about his chances. But he didn¡¯t let that stop him. He clambered up the wall while the Trooper was distracted with Otaes¡¯ attack. Yelling, flailing about as he desperately tried to get her to stop stabbing his neck. In this state, he was more human than ever. Panicking. Desperate. Eli limped, every step sending a searing pain up his leg and spinal cord. He felt tears in his eyes, the water dripped down from his soaking clothes. It stung even worse when it got into the bullet wound. He was slow moving, but he pushed forward. Locating the gun of one of the Riverlanders, he grabbed it and saw that it too had a trigger ¨C just like his gun. Awkwardly holding it in his arms, he took aim at the tank on The Trooper¡¯s back, just as the Trooper threw Otaes from his back again. The Trooper held out his gun and brought it over her head. But Eli was faster. The gun in Eli¡¯s hand kicked back with surprising recoil, a red projectile darted forward and pierced the tank on the soldier¡¯s back. Immediately it ruptured, and a jet of fire shot out from the opening. The Trooper noticed, and turned around to Eli, trying to get the tank off of his back. But it was too late for him. It exploded into a massive ball of flames that knocked Eli down into the water. He was blinded by the explosion, but shielded his face just in time to prevent major damage. He was surrounded by darkness and water for a few moments. All was quiet again, except for the sounds of water sloshing around his head. Slowly his head rose again. It was dark. The Trooper sat with his back to the wall. Bleeding profusely, even through all of his armor. His body was limp. And yet, Eli could still hear the sounds of struggling mechanical breathing through the mask. He wasn¡¯t dead, but judging by his shape, he might as well have been. Eli saw another figure rise up from the water of the canal. Otaes clambered up the walls, and collapsed onto her knees and hands. She coughed, spitting up water and by the looks of it ¨C blood. She heaved. Her white hair soaking wet as it looked almost glued to her back. Her elven ears were visible for the first time to Eli, in fact so was her dark purple skin that had been smeared in blood. Eli rushed over to her, ¡°Otaes? Otaes are you ¨C argh,¡± he winced in pain from his own wounds. The adrenaline was beginning to fade, and he was forced to kneel in the water as he suffered from them. He looked up briefly to see that Otaes was holding out an arm, shaking her head. ¡°Stay¡­s-s-stay back!¡± Otaes coughed out. She was hiding her face away from Eli. Her shaky hands reached up to her mask which rested a foot in front of her. Her breathing was rough and ragged, gasping for air. Her hands clasped over the mask. She brought it up to her face, strapping it on, she disappeared behind the mask once more. Slowly Otaes rose to her feet, holding onto the wall for support. Her free hand clutched her torso. A blue glow illuminated her hand. She held it over a wound in her stomach. Blood soaked her hand, but as the glow continued, the blood faded. She closed her eyes, wincing in pain. Eli watched in fascination, she was healing herself with¡­ magic? Within minutes, the wound had closed. Otaes took a few more ragged breaths in before she opened her eyes, they landed on Eli. Even from behind the mask, Eli could see that she was exhausted. He switched on his flashlight as he sat in the river canal. He felt spent. Every muscle in his body cried out for rest. His chest rose and fell on its own, taking deep breaths of sour-smelling air. ¡°T-taking a swim?¡± Otaes coughed out. Eli smiled, ¡°The water¡¯s fine,¡± he winced as the bullet wound in his leg throbbed once more. Otaes glanced down at the leg he was holding, and once she realized, she leaned forward to offer Eli a hand. He took it and she pulled him out of the Canal¡¯s water. Once he was on the dry and cold stone floor, he reached out to his leg, rolling up the sleeve of his pants to reveal a horrific sight. There was a crater in his flesh the size of a quarter, gushing blood. Red lines trickled down his leg, his life energy spilling out onto his boots and the floor. The pain came and went in waves, Eli closed his eyes and his head reflectively kicked back against the wall. He gritted his teeth as he looked for anything to stop the bleeding, but Otaes gestured to him, ¡°Let me see it,¡± she said to him. Eli let go of his own leg, allowing her hands to explore it. Every touch of her fingers, no matter where on his leg it was, sent a sharp jolt of pain through his skin. But she located the wound, holding her hand over it. Miraculously, the blue glow came over his wound yet again. Slowly, the flesh began to repair. It mended together like it had been magnetically connected. New tissue formed where the dead tissue lie. Covering up the wound, but it was only surface level. The blue glow of Otaes¡¯ magic faded out before long causing her to sigh in disappointment, ¡°I¡¯m sorry Eli, but I can only heal part of it. It¡¯ll stop the bleeding but, my magic isn¡¯t strong enough right now. The Avonians must have a suppression field active.¡± ¡°A what?¡± Eli choked out. ¡°Suppression field. Don¡¯t ask me how it works, but it¡¯s some sort of device that quells the effects of magic. Normally, I¡¯d be able to heal these types of wounds on someone else but, I can¡¯t with the field up,¡± Otaes told him. ¡°Well¡­ thanks anyway,¡± Eli said, Otaes nodded. He looked at the gun he picked up from the dead Militiamen, pointing over to it, ¡°So. Is that the normal gun that they use?¡± Otaes nodded, ¡°Pulse rifle. It uses modified ekron stones as ammunition." ¡°Ekron?¡± ¡°You have a lot of questions.¡± Eli chortled, ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m kind of not used to all of this yet?¡± Otaes rolled her eyes, but ultimately elaborated, ¡°Ekron is a mineral with magical properties. It allows creatures without natural magical abilities to cast spells depending on their skill level. You can find it in the scales of some fire-breathing dragons where you can harvest it into a useable form, but it¡¯s mostly found underground as ore. As for the gun, I¡¯ve never used one, but it¡¯s the standard issue for most Avonian grunts so it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to work.¡± ¡°All the more useful,¡± Eli grabbed the gun and cradled it into his arm. He saw the metal orb that was attached to the side of it, unlatching it to find a port that connected the orb to the receiver. Inside of the orb came a deep red glow, ¡°Ekron¡­¡± Eli noted to himself as he inspected the rifle, learning how to use it himself without ammo from his own gun, ¡°Interesting.¡± It was then that the two heard breathing. Mechanical breathing. Their eyes glided over to none other than the Trooper, ¡°He¡¯s still alive? I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Eli said. ¡°Avonian Shock Troopers are more machine than flesh,¡± Otaes said, jumping back down into the Canal. She walked over to the Trooper, who was still in the same position as before. The explosion had torn off flesh, parts of his body armor had been completely blown off. His helmet was almost torn off from the back, and it hung loosely from his head. Eli slunk down, his leg still in pain though feeling a bit better. He limped over to where Otaes and the Trooper were. Out of the labored breathing, Eli could hear words, ¡°Hey! He¡¯s saying something!¡± Otaes nodded, holding out her hand. A blue glow encompassed the trio. More magic it would seem. Suddenly the words of the trooper became clear¡­ ¡°Trooper¡­ Sector status report¡­Unit Eleven-Nineteen¡­ Still Active¡­ Hostile¡­ Visual¡­ Negative¡­¡± Eli, curious, pulled away the helmet and mask from off the trooper. He was met with a lot of blood. But he could make out the shape of a human face. But ¡°human¡± was stretching the word. The head was shaved bald. Several bolts had been installed into the skull and along the face. Sometimes there were metal plates and machinery that were embedded within the flesh. The eyes had been torn out and replaced with the very same eyes that Eli remembered inside of the Howlers. Metal optical orbs, the one on the right was completely missing and the damage around the eye socket was most severe ¨C right where Eli¡¯s bullet hit him. The ears were left intact, and so was the nose. But even then, there were metal devices that had been installed inside of them. The mouth was covered by a respirator and so Eli couldn¡¯t see what other horrific modifications had transpired there. ¡°Oh my god,¡± Eli whispered, fighting back the urge to throw up, ¡°Are all Avonian soldiers like this?¡± She shook her head, ¡°No, most of them are normal. Shock Troopers are Synths.¡± ¡°Synths? Like the Howlers?¡± ¡°Howlers, the Dragons¡­ Imperial abominations,¡± Otaes sighed. ¡°Who the hell would volunteer to become¡­ this?¡± ¡°Shock Troopers don¡¯t. Most of the time they¡¯re prisoners or slaves, pressed into service and then modified whenever the need arises. They''ve given their life, bodies, and minds to serve The Empire.¡± ¡°Prisoner¡­¡± Eli couldn¡¯t bring himself to look at the Trooper anymore. A prisoner. Eli¡¯s eyes drifted down to the blue Delta on the sleeve of his shirt, the mark of his status as part of the Penal Unit himself. He felt ill on the inside thinking about it. ¡°Unit Eleven Nineteen¡­ Report¡­ Audibles detected¡­requesting assault unit¡­ immediately¡­ major damage¡­ all units advise¡­ hostiles in-¡° The sharp end of Otaes¡¯ spear tore through his throat, finally ending the Trooper¡¯s life. Eli¡¯s hand instinctively rose to block his eyes from the gory sight, like a physical aversion to it. He felt it. He couldn¡¯t help it. All went silent once more. ¡°Trust me, we¡¯re doing him a favor,¡± Otaes pulled the Spear out from the Trooper¡¯s throat, offering Eli her blood covered hand. ¡°Come on, Eli. Enough standing around. Let¡¯s go get my brother...¡±
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: Shock Trooper Type: Imperial Special Forces (Convict/Slave Battle Thrall) Country of Origin: The Greater Avonian Empire Information: Cybernetic Forces and Synthetic Organisms are an integral part of The Avonian Imperial Army and the paramilitary wing of their intelligence force - The National Service of The Empire. From Dragons whose scales have been replaced by armored plates and wings turned into iron blades, to the hellhounds who''ve been genetically raised for loyalty to their handlers, the corrupting influence of the Imperial cybernetic engineers knows few bounds. Bounds that don''t just extend to smaller non-sentient species, but also to everyday people. The Shock Trooper is more of a description for a role - historically - more than it is an actual type of soldier, though the line has been blurred as Imperial Magitech advances. During The Sacred War when the Avonians had been pushed all the way to its farthest point of near defeat by the combined Valdacian and Oranian Orderite exterminators, the desperate Avonians began using prisoners and slaves as disposable frontline troops in order to slow down the invading swarm. These expendables were given the designation "Shock Unit" due to their use in some of the most arduous combat situations. Bravely, these units were largely successful at stopping the Orderite invasion, and played a crucial role in Avonia''s survival and eventual counter-attack that saw Avonian troops victorious against the Orderite menace. Post-war, as Imperial magical-technology grew, there became an increasing demand for cybernetically enhanced soldiers to be used in particularly hazardous combat environments. Such areas include the presence of demonic outbreaks, areas where extreme biological hazards were present, frontlines where chemical warfare was common, or in the instances where the Imperial Army found itself outmatched by a superior magical foe (As was the case in a few post-war skirmishes against the Heavenly Dragon Empire). But most importantly, there was a need for an armed force capable of surviving a nuclear war, as both The Empire and The Commonwealth developed atomic - and later glitterbomb - weapons. While the Commonwealth and Belford Alliance experimented with the Pentomic Army Formations to adapt to the presence of tactical nuclear weapons being deployed on the battlefield - Avonia fully developed its cybernetic warriors. The first rollout of the cybernetic "enhancements" were of course deployed on unwilling Shock Troopers. While the cybernetic enhancements would later gain volunteers from die-hard patriots within the Imperial Special Forces and NSE, the Shock Troopers would be the guinea pigs of the program. Prisoners taken from life sentences or death row, modified and (according to some RDI field reports) brainwashed into complete subservience to the Iron Phoenix. These new cybernetic Shock Troops have been crucial to the Imperial Army, responsible for some key Imperial victories in securing objectives across the Farewind continent. During the Mass Demonic Outbreak of 1236, Shock Troopers were deployed against zombified imps and demons to great effect despite heavy casualties. Their lack of free will, status as expendables, and modified biology for combat made them perfectly suitable as grunts to go up against demonic forces. And to this day, the Shock Troops have only increased their role as an integral arm of the Imperial Army in a new Nuclear Era. A particularly horrifying role to many...
Name: The Energy Disruptor Type: Magical Disruption Device Country of Origin: The Ostraland Commonwealth Information: Magic and the proliferation of it has defined combat across Planet Narva since the first Wizards and Summoner''s Guilds were formed - thousands of years ago. Renting out their magically gifted to the armies of the world, or building entire empires themselves with their magical ability. Magical armies have always held a key advantage against conventional forces, as some of the most powerful wizards and witches of their era were truly only limited by their own imaginative abilities. A lone sorcerer could single handedly shift the tide of the battlefield, and several historic moments were defined by their presence. For example, in the year 270 when The Bizonians defended Farewind against a mass dragonian invasion during the Battle on The Ice, Bizonian summoners were crucial in defeating the overwhelmingly superior forces of the Dragons, and halting Heavenly ambitions to conquer the entire continent. Such feats were replicated often, especially by the Valdacian Magical Colleges who reigned supreme during their peak only to be outclassed by the Avonian Empire''s hybrid army. Even with the rise of firearms, conventional forces still struggled to maintain parity with the dominance of magical units. And now in a Nuclear Era defined by jet aircraft and glitterbomb weapons of mass destruction, magical supremacy remains king. Enter, Magical Disruption. A tactic originally pioneered by Ostralandian engineers during The Glorious Revolution and The Coalition Wars to level the playing field. Ostraland''s humans have been isolated to their islands which were void of Ekron. To combat this, physicists were forced to find a way to deny the Avonian and Valdacian elves their own key advantage in natural magical spellcasting, and thus invented the Ekron Disruptor. While crude in its original form, the disruptor proved revolutionary as it allowed the humans to take worthless depleted ekron and transform it into an anti-magic weapon. Depleted ekron was struck against a surface lined with charcoal, creating a powerful energetic reaction the destroyed the very molecules necessary for the magic users to tap into their power and the power of the ekron stone. This would summon lightning strikes capable of disintegrating a magical field over an area for some time, allowing conventional Ostralandian forces to triumph against The Avonian Imperials and the Valdacian Mages. Anti-magic technology was crucial for Commonwealth victory in The Coalition Wars, and would continue to be crucial to Commonwealth anti-magical tactics leading to now. Though the technology has proliferated, with all major powers possessing the technology, it remains a crucial deciding factor to either achieve parity against a superior magical foe or to further suppress a population reliant on magic. For example, during The Kiote War, Avonian forces used magical suppressors across the Peninsula in order to disrupt Kiote Elven magical practices in healing, traditional rituals, and warfare. The weapons was an effective, and silent, destroyer. As the Kiote relied on magic for healing and emergency medical care, casualties among Warrior Elf forces skyrocketed until conventional aid was delivered by Commonwealth assistance. The disruption to their traditional rituals like the annual observation of the solar pass, was a significant moral destroyer among an already exhausted population, and the disruptor effectively became another effective terror weapon in the Imperial arsenal. Modern innovations to disruptor tech now even allow for friendly magical tools to remain functional - though other weapons have been invented to break through the disruptor field.
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 21: Hooligans >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 21: Hooligans]===

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It was a struggle even trying to make it towards the end of the tunnel. With Eli''s leg still wounded, he had no other choice but to shamble behind - struggling to keep up with her pace. He tried to keep up as best as he could, but to his shock, it isn''t exactly easy to walk with a bullet hole in the leg. Though Otaes had done her work in stopping the bleeding, he feared pushing himself too far. If he agitated the wound, it might open back up again. With Otaes still recovering on her part from the fight against the Shock Trooper in addition to the presence of the suppression field, if his wound opened up - he ran an extremely serious chance of bleeding out. He still had his pack of equipment stolen from the armory, and inside of that should''ve been a medical pack. Though he neither knew the contents of it nor how to use them. At least not like Matteo would''ve. But the best he could was stay out of the water. He could walk, slowly if he needed to. But the last thing he needed was to jump into the cold canals and get the wound infected with whatever kind of magic super bacteria lurking on this planet. He was terrified enough of the Avonians and their giant war machines, Narva''s microbiology was a threat he didn''t even want to think about. It was a marvel that he hadn''t already gotten sick. Wasn''t there a book about that? Finally, after what seemed like hours of walking nowhere - though what in reality was probably only a few minutes - they approached an exit. Sort of. It was an inspection point. An iron ladder provided a way for them to climb up and out into the streets of Raritan. A manhole cover sealed them off from everything going on outside. They had passed by plenty of inspection points like this one, but Otaes stopped here specifically, "This is us," she said as she stowed her bow away with the strap and grabbed hold of the first metal ring. Without missing a beat she had already climbed her way up to the ceiling of the tunnel before stopping to push the manhole cover slightly away. Sunlight immediately poured in, blinding both of them briefly as their eyes adjusted to the sun''s intensity. She took a cursory glance around, and then ascended to the street level when the coast was clear. She waved for Eli to follow, and up he went after her. Slowly of course. When his head poked above ground, he was captivated by the chaos surrounding them. Gunfire loudly boomed around them, buildings sat crumbling from Avonian bombardment, dragons screeched as they flew over the buildings above the duo spewing liquid fire on the city below. ¡°Mother Lotus¡­¡± Otaes whispered in astonishment as she looked out at her home city. Buildings were on fire, civilians were gone, and all that had been left was the cause of the trouble, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen this level of destruction since¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, abandoning her sentence midway through as she was struck by the total annihilation of the city around. And the battle still raged on. She turned back to Eli, words heavy and carried by a new kind of sobriety he hadn''t heard before, ¡°Come on.¡± Eli nodded, holding the Pulser tightly. A city in ruins when an unstoppable force rampaged through the region. He limped slightly as he tried to keep up with Otaes¡¯ swift sprint. The wound in his leg, though significantly better because of her healing magic, hadn¡¯t fully recovered. Anything beyond a light jog shot waves of pain that splintered up his leg and forced him to slow down. If he tried to keep pressure off that leg, he could ignore it. But still he moved slowly. They followed a dirt road that took them through blocks of city buildings, most of them damaged to some extent. Burning vehicles lay on the sides of the road, the work of the defending warrior elves against the mechanized forces of the Avonians and the River Republic. And then, there was a bizarre burning husk which embedded itself into the side of a building. Larger than the rest of the vehicles. He could see the wings of it sprawled open on either side of its coal-black body. Buried underneath a generous amount of rubble, his eyes widened in fear as he saw the dead body of a dragon, ¡°Woah¡­¡± Eli let words of astonishment slip out as he saw the burning husk of the dragon. Up close, he was able to see that it was just like the other Synths that the Avonians fielded. More machine than it was animal. But what separated this one from all the others was that Dragons ¨C of course ¨C didn¡¯t exist. He felt sick looking at it. It was so unnatural, even the organic parts of the animal looked alien. Precisely because it was. From the skies above he saw a squadron of dragons swoop down below carrying a metal device which they dropped over the city. They flew away at a surprising speed despite their size, easily able to beat even the swiftest of birds ¨C perhaps even a helicopter ¨C as it flew in the air. They dwarfed everything else in the skies, and almost everything on the ground. The metal devices fell the ground and exploded as the Dragons flew away, unharmed. Bombs. It was of course the very same Synths that had been used in the attack on the Nexus, except this time Eli could see them up-close with a dead Dragon on its back right in front of him. His breath was literally taken with a mixture of fear, astonishment, and disbelief striking him in his heart. What power did the Avonians possess that they could not only tame a creature like this, but also modify it into little more than a machine of war? And if this is what they were using as an air force, he shuddered to think that he may not have even scratched the surface of the terrifying tools of war that the Avonians had in their arsenal. But Otaes didn¡¯t seem scared in the same way as he was. She kept her posture as she led him past the corpse of the dragon and further into the warzone. He tried to imagine what it would be like for her to watch her city get torn apart by these¡­ monsters. Not even weapons. Eli knew that the Coalition had weapons of mass destruction, but he never saw something so absolutely cruel. The only image that came up in his mind was the nuclear destruction of Seoul. Badger must¡¯ve felt the same way that Otaes had, seeing their home get torn apart by a force so unstoppable. And yet, Otaes kept going strong. But as they marched through the warzone, Otaes stopped. Frozen in her tracks. Her ears twitched as she looked up. Hearing something. Quickly she turned to Eli. ¡°Hide.¡± He was confused, but he watched as Otaes darted into an open door that led into a heavily damaged building on their left. He didn''t even have time to react before she felt the weight of her tugging at his uniform, dragging him inside. He wondered what she could have possibly heard that warranted such caution, but then he heard it. A rumble shook the air. Like footsteps, but massive. Marching. Both he and Otaes watched the open door and the broken window leading to the outside. And then it appeared. Four metal legs dug themselves into the dirt path outside. Each step that it took was powerful enough that it shook Eli¡¯s insides. The four legs led up above to a large metal head. Eli¡¯s first thought was that it was a Behemoth of all things, except this one was a lot smaller. It was about thirty or forty feet tall. On its face was a large gun flanked by a smaller machine gun that sat on its bulbous metal head, while a red eye scanned down the streets below. Like a Behemoth, it had a red searchlight but only one. It sat just above its weapons, and it cast a bright red light - destroying shadows everywhere that its ruby red gaze touched. Eli retreated further into the ruins of the building to avoid detection. His mind flashed back to The Nexus, the Behemoths. Was this thing just as strong? ¡°Sentry,¡± Otaes pointed at it from the shadows of the rubble. Eli was speechless but Otaes told him further, ¡°Stay out of the red light and you won¡¯t be spotted by it. But they almost never use them alone, whenever there¡¯s a Sentry, there¡¯s always-" Otaes didn¡¯t finish her sentence, the Avonians finished it for her. Four wheeled armored vehicles ¨C the most normal thing Eli¡¯s seen so far ¨C flanked the Sentry. They had turrets with guns attached to them that reminded Eli of the light vehicles that both the Coalition and POA deployed. There were two vehicles, from one an elf dressed in a distinct green uniform and what looked like old-fashioned tankers'' equipment poked out of a hatch on the turret. Keeping an eye outside. ¡°The trucks guard the Sentries?¡± Eli asked. Otaes nodded, ¡°How do we take a Sentry down then?¡± ¡°Explosives. Normally you need something to get past its shield first, but a hit to its rear where the engine is should do the trick. Either way my explosive-tipped arrows can¡¯t penetrate their armor. Don''t suppose you brought some kind of Earthling anti-armor weapon to deal with it, right?¡± Eli shook his head, ¡°So, we stay here?¡± Otaes looked up observing their surroundings. The abandoned building that they took shelter in had halls leading further through the block and deeper into the Eastern quarter. Signs of life were recent, it was clear that the residents fled in a hurry, leaving behind plenty of their belongings as they shuffled out of the door. She pointed up to a hole in the ceiling that led up to the higher floors of the building above, ¡°We¡¯ll go through the buildings. My home isn¡¯t too far, Temetet should be there.¡± ¡°What makes you think he hasn¡¯t run away yet?¡± Eli asked her. ¡°He''s training to be a Kitchi. I told him to run if he senses danger, but I know him. He''ll definitely have stuck around somewhere, trying to be me again...¡± she muttered the last part. ¡°You¡¯ve practiced this?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time we¡¯ve been attacked by the Avonians. Temetet was only a child then, and I was barely an adult. But we made it through. If it¡¯s anything like last time, we¡¯ll find him in my home. But we should hurry.¡± ¡°After you.¡± They hurried down the dark hall, past doors leading into silent homes. Eli limped behind Otaes, his eyes absently observed the environment. Dust had been scattered into the air, and every step that the Sentry outside took sent even more dirt and debris flying up into suspension. He saw a door on his left open slightly, and felt the eyes of an elf inside on him. Before he could look closer, the door shut abruptly, ¡°Guess this place wasn¡¯t as abandoned as I thought?¡± Eli said to nobody in particular. A haunting call emerged from the Sentry outside, farther away now than it had been. It was the same foghorn used by the Behemoths during the attack on the Nexus, though it was a lighter tone and not nearly as deep. Though it was just as frightening, as it echoed over the warzone that the Eastern Quarter had become. They briefly stepped outside to cross the street, before diving back into another apartment block. The Elves designed their apartments in a fashion that a interior hallway connected all sides of the buildings outer walls, creating a interior network of halls that spanned several buildings. He could see tables in plenty of the halls, silverware, toys, even furniture. Common living spaces between the residents. The next building they entered had plenty of the residents inside, at first they seemed relieved to see Otaes. Even happy. They called out to her, ¡°It¡¯s the Mirage¡¯s daughter, she¡¯s here!¡± They would say. But their voices would freeze and their eyes locked when they saw Eli trailing behind her. They weren¡¯t sure what to make of him. The Human in a city of Elves. But then as they continued down the hall, approaching a door that would¡¯ve taken them to the next building, Otaes stopped once more. Her Elven ears twitched. Eli grabbed the Pulser, knowing that she heard something that she didn¡¯t like. Her Elven ears able to pick up sounds he would¡¯ve otherwise never heard, ¡°Soldiers are sweeping through there,¡± she whispered. Taking a few steps back, ¡°We have to go the other way.¡± She said as she turned around down the opposing side of the hall. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. With Eli limping his way at the lead, they came to a central common room in the building which lay empty. Doors lined the walls, leading into the rooms of the residents ¨C some of which were open. Left abandoned by fleeing residents. Two halls led into the common room, one leading to an open door which is exactly where they had came from and the other closed with the soldiers immediately behind. Eli heard the sound of heavy footsteps in front of them, and his heart dropped when he saw that through the hallway exit, they were headed to, there were more soldiers. ¡°Damn it!¡± Eli spat, stopping in his tracks so abruptly that Otaes butted into him from behind. They looked back to the closed door, which had been swung open by yet even more soldiers. Both of their paths blocked. ¡°Hey! Put your hands up! Put your hands up, now!¡± One of the soldiers screamed out once he spotted them, both groups of soldiers raised their guns at Eli and Otaes. ¡°ELI HURRY!¡± Otaes grabbed Eli by the straps on his vest, pulling him into an open door that got them away from the Common Room. He heard the voices of the soldiers trailing behind them, yelling for them to stop. They surveyed the room. A bedroom by the looks of it, it¡¯s occupants nowhere to be seen. There was an open window leading to the street outside and the opposing building. Otaes pointed to it, ¡°Get through, I¡¯ll block the door!¡± she ordered, moving the left-behind furniture to barricade the door while Eli tried to move his injured body through the open window. The sound of knocking and banging came from behind the door, the soldiers behind trying to kick it down. It budged, buckled, and nearly broke under the pressure of their boots, but the barricade held firm. Eli struggled to get through the window, his leg screamed out to him in pain, and the space through the gaps in the window were hardly large enough for his body and equipment to fit through. Even worse, it was clear that the outside world wasn¡¯t safe either. Just down the road, Eli heard the familiar sounds of thumping and the mechanical groans that signaled the approach of a Sentry. Red light flooded the darkened streets off to his side. It was coming¡­ Eli shakily looked behind him, to see Otaes still trying to hold the door back from the brutal assault of the Avonian soldiers. But just as he was about to call out to her, the door swung open with a force so strong that it threw Otaes back. An explosive device. Eli shielded himself from the flurry of glass that would¡¯ve been thrown into his face otherwise. In the smoke-filled doorway, stood a squad of soldiers with their guns trained on Otaes and on Eli. A Shock Trooper stood in the midst of the squad, with it¡¯s large shotgun in tow, and at the head of the team of soldiers was another soldier who looked as if he¡¯d been modified, wearing another cold iron mask through which small holes had been drilled out for eyes to peer at them ¨C glowing a cold red. Another Synth no doubt, but it looked like it was leading the squad, as it gave hand signals for the other soldiers to enter the room and secure it. ¡°Hands up! Now!¡± The modified Squad Leader shouted to the two. His voice was ¨C like the Shock Trooper ¨C mechanized. Garbled through computer vocalizations. Though unlike the Shock Trooper, he wore lighter armor and was far more¡­ human. The Squad Leader¡¯s voice still carried an emotional weight to it that barked orders to Otaes and Eli to raise their hands. They complied, outnumbered¡­ ¡°Unit Victor-31, sector perimeter not-secure. Eyes on two, one warrior female and a unknown human male. Possible Ostralander soldier. Over,¡± The Squad Leader garbled through his radio as the other soldiers rushed out to grab Otaes and Eli to restrain them. An elven soldier kept his gun pointed up to Eli, grabbing Eli¡¯s arms to pull him back from out of the window. But subtly, Eli heard Otaes calling out to him. ¡°Eli¡­ Eli? Run! Go!¡± Otaes whispered to him, but the Squad Leader held out his gun to her. ¡°You! Stop talking!¡± "We''re just lost and I''m trying to find my brother-" "I don''t care, Savage, shut up!" But it didn¡¯t matter, if Otaes had a plan ¨C Eli was willing to trust that she¡¯d follow through. Mustering all of his strength, Eli stood up, pushing the other soldier off of him. The other¡¯s ¨C distracted ¨C pulled their attention to Eli on the cusp of shooting him and killing their target. But then Otaes reached up, holding something in her fingers. Suddenly she threw it down. The entire room exploded in a loud flash of light, a massive bang, and then cloudy smoke that the more human soldiers and Eli coughed on. It stung his eyes, burning them. His fist instinctively punched the soldier next to him, ridding himself of his captor, before his eyes turned to the window ahead. He coughed violently, before he took one step¡­ then another. And then he jumped, catapulting himself through the window. He landed with a heavy crash ontop of broken glass and the dirt outside. The footsteps of the Sentry were loud. He heard it right over him, but couldn¡¯t see anything. Forcing himself onto his feet, he ran to cross to the next building over. Just as he heard the sound of a gun being powered-up. He pulled his eyes open, and he saw a closed door ahead of him. Neither knowing, nor caring, where it led to, he used all his physical power to knock the building down. The Sentry down the road fired it¡¯s cannon, and around him his world shook. The walls buckled, the ceiling caved in. Behind him. He was locked away from the street, surrounded by dust and crumbling building materials. Isolated in darkness. He had been knocked down on his stomach, laying flat. The blast of the Sentry¡¯s main cannon may have saved him from being crushed underneath the rubble of the building¡¯s entrance. He heard the roar of the Sentry¡¯s warning call from behind the rubble. Eli coughed up a fit. But then he abruptly paused when he heard gunshots across the street. The picture of Otaes formed in his mind. He closed his eyes, sighing. Shakily he stood up, his injured leg threatening to buckle underneath the weight of his body. And he felt something warm trickling down his leg. ''Oh for the love of...'' The wound had predictably opened back up after the minor kerfuffle. The wound wasn''t even the biggest of his worries right now. He felt a weight bearing down on him, a nervous sweat. The gunfire from behind him could mean anything. Eli was scared to know what, alone out in a alien city on his own. With an army right outside ready hunting him down. He felt his body, the E-gun was gone. He must¡¯ve dropped it. ¡°Damn it,¡± Eli cursed out, his eyes squeezed shut as his back pressed against the wall. He had nothing now. But he gathered himself. Looking through the dark corridor that he found himself inside of. Slowly, one tentative and painful footstep at a time, he walked through. He had to keep moving. Holding out hope that everything would turn out alright. But that hope slipped through his fingers by the moment, the gunfire behind him ceased and that monster outside was close. The sentry... it knew he was here. At least with the Behemoths, the sheer size of those things meant that he would probably have gone unnoticed to its massive scale. Hiding from a Behemoth was easy. But from a sentry? Hunting him? He shuddered to think about the idea of facing off against it. He made a mental note to stay far away from them, he couldn''t fight a sentry - that''s for sure. Not in this state either. He¡¯d be surrounded soon enough. He crawled up a flight of stairs with the thought that getting off of the ground floor would be a good idea. Each time his injured foot was planted on the stone steps a wave of pain was sent screaming up his leg. It was getting worse, for sure. But all he could do was grit his teeth and bear it. He''d deal with the injury later when he got somewhere safe. When he reached the top of the stairs, his eyes were blinded partially by the sunlight beaming through a hole in the ceiling. The outside skies above grew hazier, gunfire and smoke filled the skies. It felt apocalyptic, and to think he was in the middle of it all. His biggest fear ¨C that he wouldn¡¯t return to Misfit. Isolated so far away from them. He had nothing to fight them with. The room he was inside of as a temporary refuge was bombed out. The ceiling had caved in from a bombshell that tore through the room allowing sunlight to flow in. Rubble covered the floors. What windows there were had their glass blown out. Chairs, tables, and furniture turned over on their side, the owners having fled. Hopefully. Eli winced more as he limped his way through the room. He forced himself to look for anything of use. He had no way out. Other than to keep moving through the building and hoping an exit would magically appear, or that Otaes was still somehow alive. He needed to find her again, but how? The street was undoubtedly flooded with soldiers, all of them looking for him and Otaes ¨C if she was even still alive. After everything Eli¡¯s seen in these past few days, he might as well start trying to conjure a door into existence. How does magic work around here? Maybe if he thought about hard enough he could just open a portal and get the hell out of dodge. If he was in a world full of giant cyborg murder dragons, half-robot soldiers, warrior elves, and magic, teleportation didn¡¯t seem so far-fetched. A sharp pain shot up his leg and thigh reminding him of his situation once more. Slowly he waltzed over to the opening in the ceiling. Looking out to the street below. They were empty. But then, he heard someone outside call his name. ¡°Eli! Eli! Up here!¡± On the roof of the building across, a figure waved out to him. It was Otaes. His eyes widened, ¡°Otaes?¡± He called out to her, ¡°How did you get up there?¡± ¡°I''m quick! What can I say?" Otaes shrugged before getting back on topic, "I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, but listen, I need you to try and stay out of sight! Soldiers are swarming the entire quarter!¡± ¡°You¡¯re going alone?¡± ¡°They¡¯re looking for me and I have to move fast. They know that there''s a human around here now, but if you keep your head down then they might pass you for a civilian. If they don¡¯t see that you are human, that is.¡± ¡°Gee, won¡¯t you save me?¡± Eli half-joked. ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Otaes retorted, ¡°I¡¯ll try to keep an eye on you. Just try to find Temetet from where you are. He should be around here¡­ somewhere. He¡¯ll be wearing a mask like mine. You''ll know him when you see him. I have to find Archer.¡± ¡°Archer?¡± Eli asked. Otaes was about to explain but something grabbed her attention. She turned back to see what, briefly disappearing from Eli¡¯s vision for a moment before she turned back to him, ¡°I have to go, I may have been spotted! Remember, find Temetet. Don¡¯t come looking for me, I¡¯ll find you!¡± Eli was about to protest but she faded from view as she ran back, ¡°Wait!¡± His words fell on deaf ears. Turning back to his own situation, he sighed to himself. ¡°Who the hell is Archer?¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-10...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: IASW-38 Walker I (Tripod Variant) IASW-38G Walker II (Quadruped Variant) Type: Autonomous Sentry (Mobile Autonomous Assault Platform) Country of Origin: The Greater Avonian Empire Information: The IASW-38 ¡°Walker¡± is a Sentry developed during the latter stages of the Kiote War. Equipped with a powerful 30mm Autocannon that can fire high-explosive shells, and the terrifying FLY-9z Anti-Matter Heat Cannon capable of vaporizing all targets with a single devastating blast of a highly charged Ekron pulse, the Walker has proven to be among the most deadly weapons in the Avonian Arsenal. Not only does it pack a extremely deadly punch, but the Walker - especially the four legged Walker II - are extremely maneuverable, even in dense urban or mountainous environments. Able to perform feats of maneuverability such as climbing walls and walking along rooftops thanks to their lightweight Superalloy construction, Sentries fill in the gap between their larger cousins - the Behemoths - and mechanized armored vehicles. Developed as a answer to the shortcomings of the Behemoths (Their overwhelming size, high cost, inability to operate in dense urban environments without significant damage to infrastructure or the legs, and struggling to climb mountainous terrain), Sentries have become the default ¡°Tank¡± of the Imperial Armed Forces. Sentries are usually deployed on the frontlines as the core element of a mechanized or armored fighting unit to lead infantry into battle and to defeat entrenched enemies. The FLY-9z cannon allows them to vaporize walls, and advanced ¡°Hearing¡± technologies gives the Sentry the ability to detect sound coming from withing buildings. Sentries are also fully-autonomous, with no pilot or controller. Instead, they are powered by an Magitech "Soul" (though with the rise of computer processing, magic is slowly fading out to be replaced by a judgement AI) that directs the Sentry¡¯s movements and have given them an almost ¡°living¡± feel to them. Cementing their position as the top predators of the battlefield¡¯s food chain.
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 22: Shoot. Think. Run. Live >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 22: Shoot. Think. Run. Live.]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> [YOU FIND YOURSELF TRAVELLING DEEPER INTO THE RABBIT HOLE. HOPING FOR ANSWERS, YOU FIND MORE QUESTIONS. WHO ARE YOU? WHAT ARE YOU? I KNOW AND YOU DO NOT. YOU HAVE SEEN MY FACE BEFORE, TWICE NOW. KEEP FOLLOWING THE RABBIT''S TAIL. ANSWERS WILL COME WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED. CAN YOU LISTEN TO THEM? LISTEN TO THEM.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Once again, Eli found himself alone. The bullet wound in his leg burned even hotter with the adrenaline fueling his escape wearing off. He only lingered on the spot where Otaes stood on the roof for a moment, before he drew his attention to the wound. The location of which was made obvious by the patch of red blood tainting his uniform and making the dark blue somehow even darker. Sitting on the floor against the wall, he rolled up the sleeve of his pants to expose the wound. Every ginger touch from the fabric alone was enough to send a ripple of pain up his spine, but he pressed on until he could see the exposed flesh. He was met with a crimson red puncture of a bullet hole which tore straight into his calf. How he hadn¡¯t lost function in his leg entirely was just as much of a mystery as it was a miracle, but if he didn¡¯t address the fact that he had a giant gaping wound in his leg ¨C he wasn¡¯t going to have that miracle for long. Back during his time as an Army draftee, they taught the recruits how to dress wounds. He¡¯d used those skills often fighting in Korea, but it was never for an injury as massive as this one. Come to think of it, Eli had never been shot before. Shot at, sure. Plenty of times. Too many, now that he thought about it. But never had he actually been hit. This was a first. And it was a horrible first. The wound clearly hadn¡¯t been made by any ordinary bullet. A near perfect ring of flesh had gotten charred by the sheer heat of whatever kind of ammunition hit him. Ironically, despite the pain, the heat cauterized the wound slightly which might have saved him from greater blood loss ¨C though it definitely was doing more harm than good now. As he painfully tried to get a more accurate view of the wound, he could make out black fragments of something metallic buried in between bloody strings of flesh. The fragments were shiny, sharp, and all of them made their own individual trails of destruction upon impact. Even the tiny fragments of the round were enough to cause him sharp pain whenever they poked at the inside of his leg. The holes didn¡¯t penetrate too far into the muscle, but it was enough to do serious damage if left untended. Eli reached for his pack, pulling out the first aid kit from inside. His mind briefly wondered if The Coalition was still looking for them or even if they''d gotten their message at all, but the idea left him nearly as fast as it came. No use praying for them to arrive now. Here, he was on his own for the time being. He had only a vague idea of what the first aid kit¡¯s contents would be. He¡¯d be lucky if there was anything useful inside that he actually remembered how to use properly. His mind was too frayed at the moment to recall what exactly would be needed in this situation. If only Matteo were here¡­ he¡¯d know. When the pack opened though he found an abundance of supplies. Gauze, gloves, scissors, and a tourniquet. Strapping the gloves over his thoroughly soiled hands, he used the scissors to carefully remove the bullet fragments that he could see from his leg. Carefully, slowly, with hands that were determined to shake and wobble no matter how much he tried to still them, he managed to do it without further aggravating the wound. Next, gauze. He couldn¡¯t make out any kind of disinfectant inside of the kit, so he¡¯d just have to wrap it and hope for the best. He didn¡¯t even have any water to try and throw over it. One strip of gauze over another, wrapping around and around until his entire leg was covered by the cream-colored bands of tape. The wrap was tight enough to hopefully keep the wound closed without having to resort to using the tourniquet on himself. Afterall, he¡¯d still need to walk, and if he was using the tourniquet properly then walking would be extremely difficult ¨C if not impossible . Hoping that it was good enough for now, he rolled down the sleeve of his pants, and tried to stand. Should the bleeding get even worse, he¡¯d use the tourniquet. But for now, it would hold. Standing up, his leg still hurt ¨C but not as vibrantly as it did before. More of a leftover pain that ached rather than a stabbing handful of needles poking inside of him. Though a few times he could still feel the fragments he couldn¡¯t get stab him in the leg, it was enough that if he took things slow for now ¨C he should be alright. And when the assessment of his own injury was finished, Eli once again was brought to his surroundings. Out in the distance, he could still hear the muffled sounds of warfare hanging over Raritan. The screeches of dragons, roar of guns, and bass-filled booms of explosions and bombing runs. Mostly they were far away from Eli¡¯s zone of immediate concern. Mostly. He could still hear the shout of soldiers and gunfire too close for comfort. And the question of whether or not he was still being pursued remained. Either way, he couldn¡¯t stay here. He needed to both get someplace safe and find Temetet. Somehow. Eli walked ¨C more limped ¨C gingerly into the depths of the building. Passing through a creaky wooden door, he was dumped into a tight hallway with even more doorways passing on either side into the apartments. There weren''t many solid doors within the building however, instead cloth curtains that hung inside of the arch of the doorway. As Eli limped through the halls, he wondered if the Elves here weren¡¯t afraid of getting their stuff stolen. Each curtain was decorated differently, seemingly woven by hand. Some were threads of brightly colored and abstract patterns, while others were more dull. Some others depicted woven images and artwork, detailing pictures of animals or people or object or¡­ It was like walking through an art gallery. Except each installation was a small window into the lives of those who lived in this apartment building. As he limped through the halls, he eventually came across a large circular space, probably right smack in the middle of the building¡¯s core. All along the walls were mats, cushions and couches that rested on the floor. More artwork had been painted on the walls. Resting on an open spot were what appeared to be clothes and equipment. And in the center of it all was a large table flanking what looked like a indoor fireplace, judging by the soot covering the blocks of stone and mortar. A communal stove. There were even some utensils scattered on top of it, left perfectly preserved by the occupants who all either fled or were hiding within their rooms. Above the fireplace was a large open vent for the heat and smoke to escape through. A slight draft let Eli know that the vent opened somewhere to the outside world. Speaking of which, he knew that there were people inside of the building, taking shelter deep within their homes. He briefly thought about what would happen if he was spotted by one of the elves who lived here, and the image of them mistaking him for an invader and hurting him sprung loose in his mind. A real fear, as he couldn¡¯t speak the local language at all. Luckily all the elves he ran into so far had that translation magic spell thingy of theirs but he knew that everyone didn''t share knowledge of how to cast it. It''d be in his best interests to move on as quickly as possible, and so he stopped his sightseeing tour to keep moving. As he passed by the stuff inside, his eyes glossed briefly over something propped up on the tables. It was a knife, the metal blade still somewhat used looking ¨C covered in grease and fat. Whatever the case, it was useful. Without hesitating, Eli grabbed hold of it and clutched the handle tightly, technically stealing from the communal kitchen. It made him feel better that he had at least something to defend himself with. To think that they¡¯d gone through all the effort of raiding the Nexus¡¯ armory, only for him to wind up losing his gun when he needed it most. Well not his gun, he left that one behind in the canals. But the pulse rifle one. If he was lucky he might find another, but how many Avonians and Riverlanders would there be just leaving their weapons around unattended in the middle of an invasion? If he wanted a gun to defend himself with, he was gonna have to either fight for it or be really sneaky. He might''ve been able to pull it off on any other day, but the still painful wound in his leg reminded him that he was in no state to start fighting armed soldiers. Not head on anyway. Though there were other ways... he''d just have to be wise about it, if he really wanted a gun. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Passing by the communal kitchen and towards what he hoped were stairwells to the outside world, Eli froze in his tracks. In the floors underneath he could hear commotion. The garbled voices of Imperial soldiers resonated through floorboards. They were yelling, and he could hear terrified shrieks alongside them. Shrieks that were only silenced but what sounded like fighting, and then ¨C a gunshot. The crack of a gunshot ringing from the lower floor forced Eli to instinctively crouch low. He checked himself for wounds as the echo of the gunshot lingered, and as muffled sobbing choked the air. Wide alert, his eyes open looking for any sign of Imperial soldiers nearby. He narrowed in on the doorway on the opposing end of the hallway. A stairwell. Footsteps echoed on the steps one ¨C by ¨C one. Marching their way to his position. ¡°Shit¡±, Eli whispered under gritted teeth. He could not be seen. His eyes glanced around for a hiding spot but all he found were the doorways leading into people¡¯s homes. Hardly a place for refuge, and he couldn¡¯t just start barging into people¡¯s homes. Besides, if those gunshots were coming from the soldiers - which he had no reason to believe otherwise - the homes were not safe either. His search would have to continue. He limped his way back to the communal fireplace. Under the tables? No, they''d spot him instantly. Behind the clothes hanging on the wall? Get real, that was just stupid. He might be able to crawl inside of the fire-based stove itself but something told him that it was a really bad idea. Hiding behind the sofas and shifting around might also work, but there were no guarantees there either, "Come on give me a break here..." Eli whispered as his panicked eyes searched literally everywhere. His only route of escape was being blocked off by the advancing Imperials. If a hiding spot was obvious, it was a bad hiding spot. That left him with nothing except for inside of people''s homes, and he couldn''t do that either. And then just when he debated jumping out of the window and hoping for the best, he felt a familiar draft of air pouring from on top of him. The vent! He stood aside from it, eyeing up what he was working with. He doubted that it could work. It was close enough to the floor that he could just about reach it with his fingertips, thereby making it accessible. But with the current state of his leg, there was no guarantee that he¡¯d even have the strength to pull himself inside. Besides, there was so much dark ash and soot covering the opening that even if he managed to crawl inside, he might just suffocate inside of it. So much for making an escape. Fresh air was flowing through it, but would that continue with Eli blocking the passage. And where would the vent even take him if he decided to crawl along it? It was a bad spot to be in... But the boots of the Imperials were storming up the staircase rapidly. If he was caught by them, game over. The route back was blocked, and there was no time to explore for another exit. This was the best chance he¡¯d stand. Gritting his teeth, Eli stood up and limped his way back to the fireplace. Every second the boots of the Imperials drew nearer. He reached up, just barely able to grasp onto the lip of the vent with some moderate protest from his wound. It was possible to make it, to pull himself up though¡­ He sucked in a breath of air, standing on his tiptoes as far as he could. His leg hollered in pain, the bullet wound burning hot as he pushed the injury to his limit. On a normal day, he¡¯d be able to do this without issue. But with the gunshot wound, it was almost impossible. Almost. Through fiery torch-like pain, his hands managed to get a solid grasp inside of the soot-covered interior of the vent. He pulled himself up, slipping from the layers of soot and ash that covered the walls. Slowly, he managed to get inside, and just as he pulled the last of himself up into the darkness of the ventilation shaft, the Imperials burst onto the floor! He held his breath. The darkness of the vent was disorienting. He could hardly tell which way was supposed to be forward. The air inside of the vent was unsurprisingly filthy. And with Eli¡¯s presence disturbing years of layered ash, all of it was being kicked up into the air to burn his eyes, nose, and throat. He looked at his hands, pitch black covered in soot and ash. Crawling on his hands and knees, he managed to slither away from the vent opening. Chaos filled the hallways just outside of the vent¡¯s walls. The soldiers were having a field day in as they conducted their raid of the apartment floor. As Eli crawled further through the vent he spotted a small opening, hardly big enough for a quarter to fit through. It looked like a screw was supposed to fit inside but it had long since fallen out. Through the hole he was able to see what was going on right underneath him. Right up close, he saw them. Imperial soldiers. Wearing much lighter armor than the Shock Trooper. The face covered by a gas mask with glowing red sights for the eyes. And a purple band wrapped around the shoulder with foreign letterings etched onto them. The Imperial soldier was menacing. Just as much as the Shock Trooper was. The Imperial ordered a group of somewhat less-advanced looking soldiers to flood the rooms surrounding them ¨C though seeing that they all carried pulse rifles, Eli knew that they were all Imperial soldiers. If Otaes was right, at least. The one with the advanced suit of armor looked like the leader of the pack. An idea reinforced by the orders that he gave out to the troops surrounding him. They kicked down doors to be greeted by yells and screaming residents inside. Two of the soldiers had dragged someone out of the room. It was another elf, a woman. And from her arms was a baby. The baby was crying in fear, but that didn¡¯t stop the soldiers from snatching the infant out of her arms and handing them to another soldier guarding the rear. The woman herself, begging the soldiers for mercy was silenced by a hit from a rifle¡¯s tail end. Eli watched in horror as more of the hiding residents were brought into the hallway by the soldiers. It was like they were being rounded up¡­ for some reason. Some tried to fight back only to be beaten into submission. Others were confused as to where they were being taken to, just as Eli was watching them from his somewhat safe angle. One of the elves stood defiant, trying to fight his capturers only to be forcibly manhandled by three of them and shoved into a kneeling position. The lead Imperial walked up to him, grabbing his chin and forcing him to stare into the Imperial¡¯s red eyes. They spoke back and forth, eventually leading to the elf spitting on the Imperial¡¯s uniform. In disgust, the Imperial took a step back. He reached for the pistol holstered. There was no dramatic flair to it at all. No defiant last stand. Nothing. As if the Imperial could care less, he aimed the barrel straight between the elf¡¯s eyes. There was screaming from the others when they realized what was about to happen, but while they were restrained there was nothing they could. And likewise, there was nothing Eli could do. But watch in terror. Muzzle flash, a powerful bang, and the elf¡¯s body went limp. Falling onto the floor with a thud as blood trickled through the bullet wound in his forehead. The crowd had become silent as the soldier stowed the pistol away. With a gesture to the rest of his soldiers he gave an order, and the other Imperials under his command began dragging the captured elves away¡­ Eli had to resist the urge to scream. All he could do was stare, watching the Imperials terrorize and abduct the locals. It all made so much sense now why Otaes hated them with a burning passion. They were brutal and with they way they were handling the locals, seemed to view them as less than themselves. Like animals being led to the slaughter, the Imperials hauled the locals away to a unknown fate. A squad of about five Imperials remained to clear out the rest of the floor while the other three hauled the locals outside. The leader of the pack summoned his troops close and they continued their search through the building. None the wiser that they were being watched from the vents above their heads. It took Eli a while to process what he¡¯d seen. It was a level of cruelty that he hadn¡¯t seen as viscerally since The Nexus when the regulars opened fire on the crowd of prisoners as a warning. He had grown used to violence by now. But this wasn¡¯t just war. It was barbarism. Shakily, Eli kept himself going. Trying to get the image of the baby and of the murdered elf out of his mind. Where were they taking the child off to? Why did they feel the need to separate it from what was presumably their mother? Why were they doing any of this? There was nothing of value here. Unless they were looking for something. Maybe they were looking for someone? Was it possible that they were still pursuing Otaes and Eli¡¯s tail? Was all of this violence his fault? Suddenly the vent shaft seemed even more suffocating than before. And he found it even harder to breathe. It couldn¡¯t be his fault, there was no reason why Eli¡¯s presence would force the Imperials to do this to innocent people. It was possible that they had no clue of Eli¡¯s existence, they were just motivated either by cruel orders or hatred of the locals. Or both. Eli dragged himself further along, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t find out the answer as to why. For he never wanted to come across another Imperial soldier again¡­ Up an incline that proved difficult to snake his way through due to the soot, he imagined that it was leading to the floor just above, which would give him distance away from the Imperials below. Another vent opening appeared; this time it was large enough for Eli to fit through. Figuring that it was at least far enough away that he¡¯d be in relative safety to find a new path on his own, he took a risk. Carefully he crawled out of the dark and constricting vents and lowered himself onto the floor. He¡¯d been spat out into a half-bombed hallway that exposed bits of the skies above. His eyes landed on a door to his left. It was slightly ajar. Eli shuffled over towards it, not exactly sure of what he was hoping to find but believing that something of use might reside behind it. Out of view. Anything, or anyone who could help him. Standing right up to it, his hands pressed against the wooden surface. The door creaked open, painfully loud. Eli cringed in what may have been an overreaction to the sound of a door opening. Or perhaps not. It didn¡¯t matter either way. The moment that he stepped foot into the room, he felt someone grab him from behind. He was disoriented by a blood curdling scream, spun around, and by some mysterious force - thrown to the ground. His clouded eyes wearily looked up, to see ¨C of all things ¨C the figure of an masked Elf pressing a dagger against his throat.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 23: Windowlicker >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 23: Windowlicker]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
The Elf shouted in a language unfamiliar to Eli. They wore a mask, very similar to that of Otaes¡¯ except it was completely blank ¨C a greyish bone color. This Elf also looked smaller than Otaes was, but not by much. From some unseen section of the room emerged a floating metal box - a drone. From the drone''s front was a camera shining a bright light straight into Eli''s eyes. Eli squinted from the intensity of the drone''s light; his hands exposed to his aggressor in the hopes of convincing him that he wasn¡¯t a threat. He couldn''t be, not in his state. Wounded in the leg, without a weapon, and nearly dead. He couldn¡¯t try anything even if he wanted to. But eventually the Elf changed posture, as if he understood something that Eli was trying to say. He opened a wary eye to see that the Elf looked oddly confused. Suddenly, it held up its hand. The same blue magical glow resonated from it. ¡°Wait a minute¡­You¡¯re the prisoner from earlier. Eli, right?¡± Asked a friendly sounding voice. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m the-", He winced, ¡°I¡¯m the prisoner. Are you Temetet?¡± He nodded, ¡°In the flesh.¡± Eli sighed feeling the tension in his muscles practically fade away. Temetet pulled his dagger away from the skin of Eli¡¯s neck allowing him room to breathe, and the drone peeled away to hover in the middle of he room. A roar pierced through the air. Both Temetet and Eli looked out to the open window in the room. In the skies a dragon circled over their building. Wings open, letting out a screeching roar as it flew over them. Eli was initially awestruck by the creature, his gaze following the massive reptile as it held the formation just ahead of them. But his wonder shifted into fear once he realized that the dragon was likely hunting him. It would be in his best interests to remain hidden. He stumbled across Temetet, now all he had to do was get him back with Otaes or bring him to the Palace. Simple enough. But then he felt the familiar pang of vibrant pain sear through his poorly bandaged leg, and he realized that simple did not necessarily mean "easy". Eli struggled up to his feet. Wobbly. Temetet took notice of his predicament, looking down at the spot where the sleeve of Eli''s pants had been rolled up to expose the blood stained bandages. Without skipping a beat, Temetet offered him a hand, ¡°Are you hurt, Prisoner?¡± ¡°Gunshot in my leg.¡± Eli grunted, "I should be fine though." Temetet slightly recoiled in disgust while looking at it, but quickly gained his composure, ¡°I think I can fix that. With the right spell that is.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a suppression field up, I don¡¯t know if magic would work-¡° ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, look I¡¯m basically a genius at magic. I can¡­ lift things. Provided they aren¡¯t heavier than a leaf. I¡¯m sure I can find a magic spell to heal a silly old bullet wound.¡± Eli shrugged, ¡°Well if, you¡¯re sure.¡± ¡°Relax, I wouldn¡¯t worry about it.¡± Temetet said gesturing for Eli to lie back down on the floor to expose the wound. Temetet reached out - holding his hands over his leg, but quickly he stopped himself as if remembering something important, ¡°Now, I do have a disclaimer. Nothing serious. Just¡­ y¡¯know patient-doctor code type of stuff.¡± ¡°Oh...kay?¡± ¡°If I go through with this, there¡¯s a slight chance ¨C and I mean, really slight ¨C that instead of healing your leg I might accidentally give you... moderate to severe brain damage.¡± ¡°WHAT?¡± Eli choked. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine! Look at the alternatives! If you asked any other random elf to heal you, you¡¯d run the risk of spontaneous combustion! Brain damage or bursting into flames? I don¡¯t know about you but one option seems a lot better than the-¡° ¡°On second thought,¡± Eli brushed Temetet aside as he stood, painfully, on his leg, ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± ¡°Alright, suit yourself. You know, my sister Otaes, she knows healing magic. If we can find her, she can get you patched up in no time!¡± ¡°She already tried. Don¡¯t worry about it-¡° ¡°Wait,¡± Temetet placed a hand on Eli¡¯s shoulder, ¡°You were with her? Oh! She must''ve sent you! Where is she?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°W-what?" Temetet stammered, "What do you mean, ¡®You don¡¯t know¡¯?¡± ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t know! She¡¯s left because the Imperials are after her, so she''s trying to lose them! I don''t know where she is but she just wants me to find you!¡± Another roar from the dragon reminded them of the situation, dreadfully it was accompanied now by the sound of the soldiers¡¯ boots and their radio chatter, ¡°We have to go! The soldiers are gonna swarm us!¡± Temetet nodded looking around. His eyes landed on the drone hovering just behind them. Temetet started digging through a satchel hanging around his shoulder, and from it whipped out a monitor. With a press of a few buttons on the device, the drone let out a tiny chirp and its blades whirred - sending it flying into the distance at warp speed! Meanwhile, Temetet''s eyes studied the screen, ¡°Hmm... There¡¯s a path we can use to get out of here. If we follow the route, we can get down into the canals and back to the Palace!¡± ¡°The canals? Again? I don''t know...¡± Eli dreaded the thought of having to venture back into those dank tunnels again with his bad leg, "It''s a long way back, and there''s gotta be an army between us and the canals by now." "Don''t worry about a thing! That drone used to belong to The Imperials but I''ve rigged it so it''ll work for us! It''s an older model but it still should be able to tap into the communications networks that the Riverlanders and Avonians use. It''ll give us a good live feed of their position in real time!" Temetet''s eyes sparkled with wonder at that, he was practically bouncing in excitement about the revelation. Though he stopped midway when a thought seemed to strike him, "Provided they haven''t changed the ciphers of course... But eh, it should be fine. The Imperials aren''t really all that smart, you know? They''ve been using the same codes for the last two years and they still have no clue, it''s hilarious." "Wow that''s actually great, Temetet!" Eli could hardly conceal his own excitement. Having the ability to tap into their communications was an advantage so crucial it would''ve almost made their job easy. "What are they saying now?" "Lemme check," Temetet pressed a few more buttons on the monitor. There was a crackle of radio static at first and then the sounds of robotic dialogue, most of it completely unintelligible to Eli''s ears. But Temetet seemed to understand most of it, "Woof, they''re big mad! Apparently the Kitchi have been giving them hell. They say they''re looking for one Kitchi warrior and a human companion, huh... I''d hate to be those guys." "Temetet they''re talking about me and Otaes! I''m the human companion." "Oh... " Temetet gave him a blank-eyed stare, "Oh that''s not good." "You said there''s a route we can take to stay hidden, right?" "Yeah but... if they''re looking for you that kind of throws a wrench into our plans. It should be fine though. I mean, you can walk. Right?" Eli tested his leg briefly standing up on it and applying some weight, "It''ll hold, I think." "Good. Just follow me! We''ll be through this in no time!" Temetet said. With a few steps, he led the way out of the half deteriorated room and towards their escape. It was going to be a long trek back, and they''d have to be cautious to keep evading the Imperials who have definitely swarmed the building by now. But if Temetet was sure that his drone thingy knew the best path there, Eli should be fine enough following him. With the nod of Eli¡¯s head, Temetet took to leading the duo. Temetet walked briskly. He was quick, unsurprisingly. Eli - less so. He was limping along as fast as he could, trying his best to ignore the scorching pangs of painful protest that his leg offered him whenever too much pressure was put on the calf. A good sign was that it was hurting less, though it was hardly a major difference. At least the bleeding seemed to have stopped. The last thing he needed was to reopen the wound for like the third time now. Through narrow, half-bombed out hallways, they reached a staircase at the far end. Predictably, they could hear the soldiers tearing up a storm on one of the floors beneath them. Downstairs was of course out of the option, and Temetet quickly shifted direction to keep going further up. Once they reached the top of the staircase, a solid door greeted them barring access to what looked like the roof. "Woah... woah, the roof? Are you sure? They''ve got dragons up there!" Eli could feel his fear of the flying monsters suddenly overtake him, but Temetet didn''t seem worried about it. "They''re fighting griffons. They shouldn''t be focused on us." "Shouldn''t or aren''t?" "Shouldn''t! I mean, aren''t! They definitely aren''t! I think." Eli grumbled. He knew that it was the only way through, but he still hated the idea. If one of those things saw the two it would''ve been over. Temetet gave his shoulder a nudge, "Relax grumpy, I''ve got us covered! I''m basically a Kitchi Warrior barring a few technicalities here and there. We''ll be together, it''s gonna be awesome!" "I wouldn''t exactly call getting torched alive by dragons ''awesome''." "Oh come ooooooon, I''m not gonna let you get killed. I promise. Trust me," Temetet rolled his eyes. "Alright," Eli warily braced himself, "But you''re paying for my open casket." "Deal," Temetet opened the door without so much as a second thought. The door opened to reveal the bright sun now being clouded by haze from the gunfire. Dragons were indeed still circling the skies, but as Temetet predicted they were caught up in fights with griffons circling the skies. Temetet and Eli were about three stories up from the ground, spat out onto a flat deck from which there was rather easy access to walk to the buildings across, up and over a fence. A buzz in the air alerted Eli to the presence of the drone watching over them not too far away. He had to remind himself that they weren''t walking blind, but they had help - for once. So long as the drone was watching over them, he should be at ease. "Let''s be quick. The path is clear now but they''ve still got sentries lurking around here," said Temetet, "Eugh, hate those things. They''re like... spiders. I hate spiders." "You and me both." The drone quickly intercepted them, paving the path itself by flying to the next waypoint. It flew to another rooftop connected to their own, stopping right in front of an open window not too far away that would provide them with shelter. The only issue being the path there, which was perilous at best. The tiles lining the roof sloped upwards in a bell-shape over the building. All that was available for purchase was a slight overhang of the stone tiled roof that provided a flat enough surface for one person to walk on if they were careful. Eli followed Temetet onto the ledge, trying his best to ignore the fact that what they were doing was a really terrible idea. Now, Eli wasn''t scared of heights in particular, but he knew danger when he saw it. ¡°Alright, just don¡¯t¡­ uh¡­ don¡¯t look down,¡± Said Temetet, his voice wavering as he struggled to remain composed, ¡°Definitely¡­ do not look down. Whatever you do¡­ don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­ ah I just looked down! Yep. Don¡¯t do that. Definitely do not do ¨C Oh I looked again. Oh dear¡­¡± With their backs to the roof to ensure maximum balance, they shuffled across. Reaching an open window that the drone hovered just in front of. Although unexpected, Temetet climbed inside with Eli following suit. Once Eli¡¯s feet landed on stable floors, he collapsed. Exhausted. His heart raced in his chest, his lungs screamed for relief. Temetet also leaned against the wall, trying to catch his breath. ¡°Safe,¡± Temetet sighed, ¡°For now that is. We¡¯ve still got y¡¯know¡­ just half the Avonian army trying to locate and kill us. The usual. No pressure...¡± ¡°Yeah. No pressure at all,¡± Eli remarked. ¡°When you were being captured, you mentioned that you were a soldier, right?" The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Yeah, but not willingly. I was drafted in." Temetet looked confused, "So you were drafted against your will, you deserted, and now you''re being punished for it? That''s not fair." That response stunned Eli. He''d never heard someone say that. Being tossed into prison for desertion during a war seemed like a justifiable enough punishment for most - perhaps even to the others within The Penal Unit, "Well, everyone has their own definition of what''s fair and what isn''t." "Yeah but, they took you! They took you to fight and they''re not being punished for that, but once you decided that it wasn''t for you suddenly you''re the one being punished?" "It''s more complicated. It isn''t black and white." "Ah... well, I guess so. It still doesn''t seem right though," Temetet said though his voice was already trailing off. He took a cursory look around the room they had entered. It was quite large with plenty of furniture and several beds scattered around on the inside like a dormitory of some fashion. Slowly the drone entered the room through the opened the window, blades whirring, before Temetet caught it - deactivating the little robot and stowing it away into his satchel. Shelves containing books and decorations had been knocked over. The lights blown out long ago. A door leading further into the building had been knocked clean off of its hinges. Nothing remained of the original occupants. Which made Eli think about what Otaes had told him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be hiding somewhere?¡± ¡°What? Did Otaes tell you that? I came out here to help.¡± ¡°Help how?¡± Temetet tapped his mask, ¡°I¡¯m basically a Kitchi. When people see the mask, they expect you to take them to safety. So, I did. I helped them evacuate this part of the city so the Home Guard could take them!¡± ¡°Well, it just sounds like she wants you to be where its safe.¡± ¡°Nowhere is safe.¡± Eli shrugged, ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you have to put your life on the line. Let the Home Guard do their job.¡± ¡°This is my job, prisoner! I¡¯m training to be a Kitchi warrior! Just like Otaes. She just wants me put away because she thinks I¡¯m still a kid. But I¡¯m not! I¡¯m basically an adult now! I can fend for myself just fine!¡± He argued, his voice squeaking in a way that reminded Eli too much of Omar. That is to say, not like an adult at all, but an older teen. ¡°I¡¯m just doing what I¡¯m told.¡± Temetet nodded, his blue eyes seemed half-lidded as they stared at the floor. Sad even. He sighed, ¡°Yeah, yeah I know. But you have a weapon, right?¡± ¡°Lost it.¡± "I was afraid you were gonna say that," A screech from the dragon circling the skies above reminded them that they weren¡¯t completely safe. Eli saw the shadow of the dragons wings darken the room as it passed over the sunlight. He took a shaky breath of air in, savoring it. There was plenty of work left ahead of them. But the dragon, how were they going to escape that? Even with the drone illuminating the path ahead, the dragon could still find them. Right? Temetet stood up leading the way through the open door, ¡°Follow me, Prisoner.¡± ¡°You know that you can just call me, Eli. Right?¡± ¡°Oh uh, yeah. Yeah, sorry, Eli¡­ Eli Freeman,¡± Temetet thought it over, ¡°Did anyone ever tell you how funny it is that your last name is Freeman and you¡¯re a-¡° ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very much aware. Thank you.¡± ¡°Oh, is that like a sensitive topic or something? You could always open up to me you know? They say I¡¯m a really great listener and um¡­ should I stop talking?¡± ¡°Immediately.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Leaving the room, out into the exterior hall. Doors lined the walls, almost all of them opened. To the far end of the hall was the staircase downwards, the door leading to it was also kicked open ¨C hardly hanging on its hinges. They took the stairs. Winding downwards to the lower floors, they raced hoping to beat the soldiers before they arrived. But unexpectedly, Temetet pointed to a figure after arriving to the third floor, ¡°Look! An Imperial Soldier!¡± ¡°What!?¡± Eli froze in his tracks. The door to the third floor was ¨C like the others ¨C open wide. On the floor, Eli saw what Temetet meant. The tension that had suddenly coiled up within him was slowly unwound once he realized that the imperial soldier in question was already dead. His body was sprawled out on the floor. The two looked at each other briefly before cautiously approaching it. The soldier was on his back, providing an excellent view of his face. Another elf. Sky-blue skin, his amber colored eyes no longer glowed with magic or life like the eyes of Temetet or Otaes. His throat and lower jaw were painted in red blood, right where he¡¯d been stabbed, ¡°Oh man. This guy¡­ oof, he¡¯s definitely dead. Yep. Dead-dead.¡± ¡°I know what a dead body looks like, Temetet,¡± Eli searched over the body, looking for any signs of who the assailant could have been. His mind briefly thought that it was Otaes¡¯ handiwork, but there¡¯s no way that she could¡¯ve gotten to this building ahead of them. She wasn''t that fast. Or, at least Eli didn''t think so. Perhaps maybe... ¡°Just making sure. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m supposed to tell you about, since you¡¯re basically an alien¡­ right?¡± ¡°When you put it like that, I guess I am.¡± Eli sighed, turning back to searching the body. Underneath a sprawled-out arm he found another gun. His hands grabbed it without second thought, checking to see if it was still loaded ¨C and to his relief, it was. The ekron cannister glowed a soft red through the small holes in the black metal. Eli stood up holding the gun in his arms, inspecting it, ¡°Oh sweet, you¡¯ve got a Pulser. You¡¯ll finally have something to defend yourself with.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to defend me?¡± ¡°Uhm, do you really want to put your life in my hands?¡± Eli raised a finger in protest until he thought it over, ¡°Good point.¡± ¡°Hey, I¡¯m still training for this whole, Kitchi stuff ¨C y¡¯know?¡± ¡°What is a Kitchi anyway?¡± Temetet thought it over, ¡°We''re the warriors of the whole Kiote Union. It''s kind of an ancestral thing really, we''re supposed to be the best there is to defend our people. Our mom was a Kitchi herself, one of the best too before she was shot down.¡± ¡°Your mother?" ¡°Yeah, The Mirage. Both of our parents really, but she''s kind of a hero. It¡¯s a tough job, Otaes started training for it when she was ten. Most warriors start at around that age. A vast majority fail training, like I probably will¡­¡± Temetet muttered. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. If you''ve got two parents and a sister who''ve made it, you should have no problem at all." Eli told him. "What''s the use? I''ve always been the small runt obsessed with computers and robots and stuff. I can''t even do magic properly, much less fight." "When I ran into you, you had no trouble at all pinning me down with a knife to my throat." "You have a bullet hole in your leg, you walked blindly into me, and I could hear you coming from a mile away. You weren''t exactly a difficult target." "Well true..." Eli gave him that much, "I mean... was I really that loud?" "Very." "Ah okay," Eli winced, "Look Temetet I just think you should... trust... yourself more. You know? I mean, you''ve got talent. If you can hack an imperial drone that''s something." "Yeah but that''s a gimmick. I''m going up against guys who''ve been Kitchi since they were literal toddlers. Pakena is huge, and he''s the leader of Otaes'' griffon flight group! I''ve got no chance! But really I just don''t wanna let her down, you know what I mean? Because she¡¯s good. Like really, really good. She gets it from The Mirage, heh," Temetet said the title with a little bit of an exaggerated flair and a shake of the head before he briefly trailed off. "Ever since I was a kid she''s protected me but I''ve never been able to return the favor. She''s a Kitchi, and I¡¯ll probably just be a farmer or something," Eli found it particularly depressing when he saw Temetet literally shrink. His elven ears looked like they hung low, his blue eyes were dim behind his mask. Sure, Temetet was a chatterbox and maybe even just a tad bit... annoying, but Eli didn''t want to see him sad. He was friendly and he seemed to genuinely care about being a Kitchi. He had the drone, he chose not to stab Eli to death, really Temetet was the one saving him. Eli shook his head, ¡°You can do whatever you put your mind to. Everybody''s capable of anything. You''ve got free will after all.¡± Temetet sneered, seemingly unconvinced, "Yeah... I guess so." The two walked out to the staircase and made their way down to the first floor. A door awaited them at the bottom. But just before Eli was about to push hand onto the door to part it, Temetet grabbed his arm. Holding in place. Confused, Eli turned to face the Elf. He noticed his elven ears twitching behind the mask, just like Otaes¡¯. He turned back to the door. His human ears couldn¡¯t hear what Temetet could. ¡°Soldiers,¡± Temetet whispered, "Shoot, I forgot the drone''s in my bag... it didn''t pick them up when..." Slowly Eli backed away from the door. His ears picked up the sound of boots slamming against the ground the moment he was far enough away. Eli and Temetet turned to each other, their only option left was to run back upstairs. Slowly the two got onto the staircase, carefully watching the door as they walked backwards up the steps. Eli clutched the rifle for dear life keeping it pointed right at the door as they retreated. Just when the duo put considerable distance between themselves and the door, they heard the soldiers behind it stacking up. In the next moment, the doors blew open! A small cloud of dust and smoke filled the halls underneath them. Eli heard shouting and the mechanical vocalizations reminiscent of the Avonian troops. He didn¡¯t need to see them to know what was to come next. "Shit! Temetet! This way!" They ran up the stairs, Eli¡¯s leg slowing him down considerably. But he winced through it. He heard soldiers yelling at them, but Temetet¡¯s translation spell couldn¡¯t decipher what they were saying. Judging by the fact that they opened fire immediately ¨C the bullets narrowly missing Eli as he surmounted the next flight of steps ¨C they weren¡¯t happy to see the two. Up the flight of stairs the two went until they reached the top floor of the building. The soldiers right on their tails. They were met with the same hall as before, ¡°Which room?¡± Temetet asked, looking at all the doors lining the walls. The door leading to that room was still wide open, just how they left it. They charged inside, and when Eli half-ran half-limped his way in, Temetet slammed the door behind them! Thinking fast, Eli grabbed some of the furniture and used it to barricade the doors, his heart racing so fast he could hardly feel the pain in his leg anymore. When the heaviest of the furniture pieces were pushed into place, they heard the soldiers run up to the door and attempt to kick it down. The door budged, but they were unsuccessful in moving it. "Holy..." Eli sighed as he limped away from the door. He trained the Avonian pulser on the door frame, ready to shoot at whomever tried to follow them inside... but there was nothing. He was about to sigh a breath of relief when he heard it. From the skies outside, there was a terrible shriek! And then, upon the walls where the sparkling golden rays of sunlight danced vibrantly - shadows. A wing. A horn. A claw! Eli looked up to see the monstrosity swooping down low, it¡¯s maw open and pointed downwards. Behind the rows of sharp metal teeth, there was a red fiery glow deep inside. Fire boiling hot inside of the jaws of the dragon. Instinctively, Eli raised the Pulser up. He fired at it, sending blasts of energy through the air. His heart dropped when the energy bullets bounced off the black scales of the dragon harmlessly. It hadn¡¯t been phased in the slightest. ¡°Get Down!¡± Eli screamed but Temetet was frozen still! Without thinking twice, Eli grabbed Temetet''s shirt dragging him to the floor right when hell broke loose! Everything inside of the room burned, the fire swarmed all. The walls, the roof, the floors! The furniture combusted into bright orange flames. The intense heat of the dragon¡¯s flame burned Eli¡¯s skin. Being low to the ground helped but they''d be turned into a crisp soon. Forcing Temetet into a crawl, he saw a temporary safe haven - a simple table pressed against the wall. Though the heat was inescapable, the table provided enough shelter from the flames that they wouldn''t be incinerated immediately! A deep monstrous growl rumbled from within the chest of the beast. It was mechanical. Inorganic. Cold and unfeeling despite the angry heat of the fire which it spewed below. A monster, engineered to be so by cruel hands. Everything about the Avonians and their technology resonated with that, cruelty. As Eli beat the flames out of his prisoner¡¯s uniform, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a overwhelming sense of terror seep into his bones, not just because the dragon was quite literally hovering above them ¨C but also because of the seemingly inexhaustible and destructive might of the Avonian Military. While the River Republic¡¯s soldiers looked human enough for the most part, the Avonians had taken away the life out of its soldiers. Living beings reduced to nothing more than tools. It was that terror that kept Eli pinned to his hiding spot underneath the table. The fire encircled the two with the poor elf literally pressed back-to-back against Eli. He could hear the rushing sound of the flames all around him! His skin felt ready to burn off of his face. Shakily, he tried to move knowing for certain that he¡¯d be burned alive if he remained where he was. But every space was blocked off by either fire, or by the knowledge that the powerful jaws of the dragon would be waiting for him out there. With all paths cut off, Eli closed his eyes. Gasping finally for what must¡¯ve been his last breaths of air. There was a sharp cry that pierced through the air. Like the sound of an eagle¡¯s call. Eli was able to catch a glimpse of the skies outside, through the hole in the ceiling ¨C now much larger thanks to the fire of the dragon. Massive wings darted through the skies, much larger than he was though smaller than the dragon. Eli figured it to be yet another dragon, but then he saw its body. The brown head of an eagle, silvery feather tips, golden beak and claws. The torso of a lion. Powerful hind legs tipped with black claws, and a long tail that dragged behind it as it glided through the skies. A Griffon, he remembered the name. Eli¡¯s eyes were wide with fascination at the sight of such a beautiful ¨C though terrifying ¨C creature. And he beheld it as it descended with all of its fury and wrath directed at the dragon. It landed on the back of the dragon, just as the giant lizard had become aware of its existence. With a clash, the Griffon sunk its dagger-like claws into the gaps in the scaly armor. But the dragon held firm, and managed to shake the griffon off. Thrown from the back of the dragon, the griffon hissed but rebounded quickly. For such a massive creature, it was incredibly fast. Far faster than the larger, and far more encumbered dragon monstrosity that it challenged. David and Goliath, the griffon circled the dragon looking for a weak point. It lunged forward like a cobra, the griffon¡¯s beak open wide as it went straight for a armor-less patch on the throat of the dragon. It plunged the sharp end of its beak into the vulnerable flesh. The dragon screamed, as its jaws flew open fire spewed out from the depths of its gut. Billowing out into the room, melting everything it came into contact with. But the griffon¡¯s body hung in a spot where the flames couldn¡¯t reach, and the dragon was too immobile to grab it with its own claws. The wings of the griffon fluttered as it tried to keep balance, and the air beat from its feathery wings dampened the fire around Eli. He noticed the brief moment of respite, and not wishing to waste it, he moved from his hiding spot underneath the table. ¡°Temetet!¡± He shouted as if forgetting that the Elf was right next to him, "We''ve gotta get the hell out of here! Now!" Temetet answered. His voice did not carry the fear that Eli¡¯s did. If anything Temetet sounded excited, ¡°Wait! It¡¯s Archer!¡± Temetet shouted from across the room, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Eli! He¡¯s one of the good guys!¡± Eli looked back at the two creatures, the griffon going at the dragon with everything that it had and the dragon struggling to shake the sharp talons and angry beak of the griffon off. For a moment it seemed as if Archer had saved the two as the dragon was losing the fight. However, sounds from the other side of the barricaded door reminded Eli that their troubles were far from over. In a flash of explosive energy, the barricade was destroyed. Soldiers appeared in the doorway, flooding in with their guns brazen and ready to kill. Riverlander militia, and to Eli¡¯s horror ¨C another Shock Trooper.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 24: Never The End >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 24: Never The End]===

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With the dragon occupied with Archer''s savage attack, Eli couldn''t afford wasting any time in running for cover. Their hiding spot underneath the table suddenly didn''t look so secure, and he grabbed Temetet''s wrist as he rushed out. The squad of Imperial soldiers poured in. Guns started firing, Eli had no clue if they were being fired at him, Temetet, or Archer. Bullets cracked past, with Eli narrowly managing to get Temetet out of immediate danger, escaping further within the room. Towards the back was a wall and doorway that separated the rather large dormitory from a closet or storeroom. Limping towards the door, they slid into cover with their backs pressed against the wall shielding them from the chaos that flooded the dorm. He had no clue how many of the soldiers were looking for him, trying to kill Archer, or going for Temetet. He held his gun close, sharply inhaling, feeling his hands shake with horrible tension. When he steadied his breathing, he took aim around the corner with the rifle. The soldiers weren¡¯t prepared to see Archer and the dragon brawling with each other. Archer, sensing the presence of the soldiers, spread his wings - jumping from the back of the dragon while it was still disoriented. Archer took the soldiers by surprise, hissing at them, he caught the arm of one into his beak. Turning what was once a man into a ragdoll, slamming him into the wall with a powerful thud that froze the other soldiers for a moment. With the attention of the soldiers turned on trying to rescue their comrade, Eli took the liberty to return fire. Trying his best to keep his aim steady, the energy blasts from his rifle tore through the soldiers'' armor in a manner no less effective than his normal gun. That was ¨C of course ¨C until he tried to shoot at the shock trooper. The dark armor of the Shock Trooper absorbed the energy blasts from the pulser with ease. Shooting him was pointless, yet still, the trooper turned to face him! The trooper raised their arm, activating the device on its forearm for its energy shield - glowing with a familiar ekron red. Thinking fast, Eli shot at the shield generator attached to the trooper''s arm. The burst of energy from his rifle collided with the shield as it was charging, and it unleashed a powerful burst that sent red sparks of energy through the air and into the body of the trooper. Stunned by the explosion, the trooper keeled over! A victory! Though the victory was short lived. Through it''s mechanical grunts of pain, the trooper reached for its gun! Eli tried to shoot the trooper, at least to slow it down or to inflict some kind of grievous injury, but it was almost useless. The trooper''s armor was far too thick. The eyes might have been another weak spot, but his hands were shaking and the trooper was moving far too much for him to get an accurate shot into the glowing bits of its mask. The trooper got to its main gun, pointing the massive weapon straight at Eli¡¯s direction. Eli snapped behind the wall, crouching low with all the speed he could force himself to muster. Just in time. The Trooper let out a blast from the gun ¨C so devastating in power that it punched a hole straight through the wall - right where Eli''s head was. The shrapnel ejected from the wall scraped against Eli¡¯s skin like miniature bullets, and the force of the blast was enough to knock Eli to his feet. Again, a blessing in disguise as another volley from the troopers energy-shotgun punched yet another hole through the wall, ripping through the spot in space where Eli was just standing. His eyes squinted shut as his back was to the floor. He sucked air through gritted teeth. Fighting back against the exhaustion that polluted his body and the searing pain the burned from the wound in his leg, ¡°C¡¯mon Eli! On your feet!¡± Eli to himself, forcing himself with all his power to move back into place. Steadying himself back up to his feet. But the damage had been done. He wasn¡¯t a warrior. Hardly even a soldier. His body exhausted; his energy spent. He stumbled up to his feet, but his muscles failed him ¨C and he found himself falling back onto his hands. He crawled further into the room, taking cover behind another table that had been blasted onto its side. The sound of gunfire from the other room intensified. He could hear the screaming of soldiers, and he saw the red glow of intense fire growing. And Temetet... where the hell was Temetet? He looked around, seeing no sign of the little elf anywhere. Had he lost him? Didn''t he drag the elf behind cover into the store room. There were plenty of boxes and tables within this closet he took refuge in, was he hiding behind one of them? There wasn''t much time to contemplate Temetet''s whereabouts, as the heavy boots of the shock trooper thudded against the floor. Every step it took made the very floor shake. Eli was going to have to take it by surprise. He closed his eyes, stifling his breathing. He tried to imagine how they''d taken the shock trooper down last time. In the canals, there was an explosive tank that rested on the trooper''s back as some kind of life support system. But this one trooper didn''t have one of those. He tried to think of another weak spot. The eyes. The glowing circular lenses through the mask were a small target, it would''ve been a tough shot to make, but it was something. The armor was too thick to shoot through, and even its helmet seemed impervious to Eli''s bullets. If he wanted to kill the trooper rather than just slow it down, he''d need to shoot through the eyes. It was his best chance. Eli scrambled behind a storage shelf within the room, listening to the trooper''s heavy footsteps through the shooting within the room next to them. He could hear its muffled robotic chatter, though Temetet¡¯s translation spell had long since vanished and it sounded like gibberish to his ears. The trooper approaching. Steady¡­ The trooper entered the room, sweeping the area cautiously. Eli could see it through the gaps between the boxes, towering above the floor and filling the gap within the doorframe as if an elephant were trying to squeeze through. He had to wait for the right opportunity... The trooper grunted as it conducted its sweep of the room. One footstep after another, it drew closer. Its front was facing Eli and as long as that were the case, Eli would have to keep waiting. Jumping out in front of the trooper was unlikely to work unless he really felt like being torn to shreds all of the sudden, which he didn''t. He held his breath, fearful that the trooper could hear his breathing. Or even his heartbeat. A shadow near the far end of the room moved. Eli saw it from the corner of his eye. The shadow had disappeared behind another shelf off to Eli''s left. Just as the trooper came into view, the figure revealed themself. It was Temetet! Blue glowing energy surrounded his hands, and the trooper''s gun was surrounded by the magical energy. The gun tugged and slipped free from the trooper, at great physical expense to Temetet who pulled the weapon free with all of his might. Though the gun was still connected to the troopers body by a strap, the momentary slip gave Eli the chance he''d been looking for! Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. He bolted into position, standing upright to raise his own weapon and take aim - point blank. The iron sights of the pulser were locked onto the circular lens of the mask, the trooper looked at him as it tried to get its gun up. But Eli - for once - was faster. With a heat burning through his veins like he¡¯s never felt before, he sent blasts of energy straight through the eye holes of the trooper. The glass hole shattered, and the trooper dropped his gun ¨C howling in extreme pain. More bullets from Eli''s gun managed to bury themselves in between the kinks that separated its thick armor, inflicting smaller wounds on the body all while the trooper went down. Blood poured from the lens within the mask, and its final breaths were agonizing to hear. Gasping for air through labored robotic breathing. The trooper had finally been brought down. It¡¯s corpse lay on the floor in a pool of its own blood. A titan felled, the body remained still. The biggest threat was over. Eli''s body collapsed and he found himself on the ground once again, feeling as if he too had been killed. The energy of the fight quickly left him, and he was left empty with the trooper''s corpse only a few inches away from his boots, "Eli! Are you okay?" Temetet rushed over towards him. All Eli could really do was his give a sigh of relief, probably a way to tell Temetet that he was, in fact, not dead. As difficult as it may have been to believe that. "I''m alright. Well, at least I''m alive. Thanks to you," Eli told him. Temetet chuckled, "See, told you I wouldn''t let you die." The sound of struggling from the dormitory regained their attention. There was the dying cry of the dragon, the sound of Archer screeching in battle, and someone''s voice calling to them. It belonged to Otaes. He limped his way over to the other room to see her jump down from above. The Riverlanders tried to shoot her, but she was far too fast. Her spear went crashing through the skull of one human soldier, her fist knocked against another. Grabbing him by the collar of his uniform, and throwing the Riverlander hard onto the ground, she tore the spear out of the head of the first and used it to tear into the torso of the one pinned onto the ground. The elven soldier screamed out in pain, but he was silenced shortly after by his death. Otaes pulled the spear from out of his stomach, dripping with the blood of both human and elven soldiers. Eli felt a chilling wave of fear course through his bones when her blue glowing eyes snapped to him. As if he were her next victim, but thankfully he wasn¡¯t. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw him, as if relieved that she had made it in time. The two shared a silent nod of acknowledgment to the other as their attention drifted towards the other side of the room. The entire building had been nearly destroyed, sparse flames still burned through the room from the dragon¡¯s breath. In the far end of the room, right below a crater put into the ceiling, was the dead body of the dragon. Its iron wings so massive that it swallowed a good half of the room - a room which was quite large itself. The metal plates and iron scales adorning its body had been peeled off in some parts revealing bloody scars and grievous wounds. Archer was standing over the dragon with a claw placed on its chest. The dragon''s blood being smeared across his golden beak, brown feathers and talons gave Eli a good idea of who was responsible for slaughtering the beast. Archer was still as terrifying as Eli remembered him, more so now that he was literally covered in blood. "Temetet! You''re alive! The two elves ran to reunite, embracing each other. Otaes held her brother tight, ¡°You should¡¯ve been back home, like we planned!¡± ¡°But it isn¡¯t safe there!¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than being out here! Look at this place, Tem! This is a warzone!¡± ¡°But I helped! I helped the Home Guard get people to the Canals! I even helped Eli, I¡¯m ready-¡° ¡°No, Temetet! Not like this. If you want to be a Kitchi, you have to do it the right way!¡± Otaes scolded him, ¡°There are no shortcuts to this! Especially not here!¡± Temetet looked ashamed. His blue eyes sunk down to the floor behind his mask, nodding silently to himself. Otaes sighed, and she looked back to Eli, ¡°As for you¡­ thank you for finding him and keeping him safe. I didn¡¯t think it would be this difficult to¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Trust me, Temetet was an angel.¡± ¡°Really? Temetet?¡± ¡°Well you know¡­ a very talkative angel...¡± ¡°Now that¡¯s starting to sound like him,¡± Otaes sounded as if she chuckled from behind the mask, turning to Archer. She patted the side of his neck as a signal of sorts. The Griffon understood, rising on its feet and spreading his wings out. Ready to fly, ¡°Come on. I¡¯m taking you two back to the Palace. You can meet with the rest of your squad there.¡± Eli was confused when he saw both Otaes and Temetet crawl on his back, but his heart sunk when he realized that Otaes wanted him to climb on Archer¡¯s back, ¡°Wait¡­ you want me to get on?¡± Eli nervously asked her when Otaes gestured for him to follow. ¡°It¡¯s fine, he¡¯s an excellent flyer!¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m afraid of. It¡¯s the uh¡­ riding a mythical creature I didn¡¯t even know existed until today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s like being on the back of a dragon!¡± ¡°We don''t have those either.¡± ¡°Oh uhm¡­ a pegasus?¡± ¡°Uh-uh.¡± ¡°Horse?¡± ¡°I never rode a horse but we have them.¡± ¡°Well, think of it like a flying horse,¡± Otaes shrugged, ¡°Look, the alternative is going back through the Canals. There¡¯s an entire army between us and there, I don¡¯t know about you but I¡¯d rather fly.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s dragons in the skies too. What about those?¡± ¡°Archer is a dragon-killer, we''ll be fine,¡± Otaes told him, before looking straight into his eyes, ¡°Trust me.¡± Eli uneasily looked from Otaes to the Griffon, not entirely sure what to make of the giant eagle head whose bright golden eyes looked equally uncertain as they gazed back into his own. But eventually, the human gave in, taking a tentative few steps closer to the creature. Temetet reached out a hand to him helping to pull him up onto Archer¡¯s back. The saddle just barely fit him on, but his heart sank when his hands searched to find something to hold onto and they came up empty. ¡°So where¡¯s the handles on this thing?¡± Eli asked Temetet. ¡°Oh, there are none.¡± ¡°What-¡° ¡°Just hold on to my back," Temetet whispered to him, "Very tightly.¡± Before Eli could protest, Otaes¡¯ hands grasped the reigns around Archer and the Eagle¡¯s wings spread open. In one moment, they were on the ground. In the next, they were in the air. Eli¡¯s body propelled into the air while he gripped onto Temetet¡¯s shoulders for dear life. But his soul remained on the ground.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 25: No Greater Enemy

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===[Chapter 25: No Greater Enemy]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Warning! Subject physical status is in jeopardy! Are you sure that you wish to proceed? They recommend that you cut our losses and start anew. >>> ... >>> ... >>> Response is necessary. >>> ... >>> ... >>> [HE WILL LIVE. I HAVE MADE SURE OF THAT. IF THEY WISH TO BE IMPATIENT, THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE ENLISTED MY AID. THEY MUST WATCH, THEY MUST LISTEN, AS I HAVE. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
The flight lasted no longer than a few minutes. Archer was fast, incredibly so for something of his size. With grace, like a oversized hawk soaring across open skies, he darted over the battle ravaged Raritan. The other dragons that were certain to be near the airspace hadn''t noticed them, and the speed with which Archer mustered through made them too quick for any Imperials on the ground to shoot them down. On the ground, the Warrior Elves mounted a stiff resistance. Every floor of every building had been occupied by the Home Guard, their red and green headbands identifying themselves from the rest of the civilian population. They fired old guns on the advancing River and Avonian forces that pushed their way through the streets of the capital city. Every inch of ground that the Avonians took was paid for with blood, even despite their advanced weapons. But from the skies, the elves were paying the greatest price. They were on the retreat as far as Eli could see. And the Imperials were all coalescing towards one location. The Palace grew within sight of the quartet. Archer folded his wings back and cut even faster through the air in a dash towards the Palace roof. But to their horror, the Imperials had already pushed up to the Palace proper. Eli was still occupied with trying not to fall off Archer, but he heard Otaes shout something over to him and Temetet. Though he could barely hear. It was about the Avonians though, as she pointed down at their forces mounting a final assault on the Palace. They had to get there. Eli could only hope that Misfit was safe where they were. Archer descended over the roof of the palace with a less-than-graceful landing accompanying them. Otaes was the first to disembark, landing perfectly upright despite her speed. Temetet followed, not as sturdy on the dismount but in a passable fashion. And then there was Eli who was so far gone that he needed a good several moments just to get off of the griffon. He rolled off of Archer¡¯s back, falling onto his feet ¨C but his legs were too unsteady and instead of landing with any sort of dignity or grace, he crashed straight onto the floor. With the breath taken out of his lungs, the soul that he left back in the Eastern Quarter gradually flowed back into his body. Half of him was thankful that he hadn''t fallen to his death, the other was still in complete disbelief. ¡°You and me both, friend,¡± Temetet sensed Eli''s incredulity, helping the human back onto his feet. The wound was still there, but in a extreme twist of fortune - it hadn''t been aggravated to the point of reopening with all the chaos from the past few moments. He still limped, but the pain had died down substantially. Either he was getting used to the feeling or he was still numb on some kind of excitement high that hadn''t left his body yet. The latter was most likely. It had been an insane couple of hours, almost non-stop since they left the palace to go get Temetet in the first place. There was no point in celebrating though, the worst was far from over... Otaes turned to Archer, speaking to the griffon as if he understood her perfectly, ¡°We¡¯re going to go downstairs. Go ahead and do what you do best. Defend.¡± When she said the word ¡®defend¡¯, the Griffon immediately changed in demeanor. Archer had grown on Eli. He wasn''t terrified of the creature anymore considering that he''d ridden the beast without dying. Now he seemed like a giant flying horse with a dog mixed in there somewhere. But the way his wings spread out, claws extended, and pupils narrowed ¨C it was like the word ''defend'' was his trigger. In a burst of air from flapping wings, Archer launched himself into the air. Up and over the wall of the Palace. Eli sighed when he saw Otaes turn back around to lead them indoors, ¡°I¡¯m glad he¡¯s on our side,¡± he panted out with his hands on his knees, fighting to catch his breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t hurt you. Unless I ask him to, of course.¡± ¡°I find your sense of humor frightening. You know that?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking.¡± Eli grumbled as she walked past, ¡°Of course not.¡± They got off of the griffon landing pad and descended through a door, down a flight of stairs that took them inside. The first thing Eli noticed was how dark it had become in here. All of the magical lights and torches that illuminated the walls had gone dark. The second thing he noticed was the smell. Smoke, gunpowder, something burning from deep within. The crack of gunfire within and yelling confirmed the source, the defenders were putting up whatever resistance that they could mount against the Imperials. Warrior elves swarmed the interior of the palace, casting strange glances when they noticed Eli but moving on quickly to more pressing issues. It was like walking straight into a beehive. There were so many moving parts all around Eli that he almost lost track of Otaes and Temetet, finding himself lost in the crowd of colorful elves armed to the teeth. "Eli! This way!" He followed Otaes'' voice as they continued their way downstairs towards the throneroom. Eli didn''t have a great opportunity to observe the throneroom when he was first brought there, being detained with a sack around his head and interrogated before an audience sort of distracted him. So when he saw it again he was completely floored by the sheer size of it. Just as he remembered, the circular shape of the room was flanked on one side by a row of seats for an audience to gather. All of it faced the direction of the thrones mounted on the opposite end, with the circular sunroof dab-smack in he center casting sunlight to illuminate its entirety. But it was huge. The dome-like ceiling reached the top floor of the palace, and the palace must''ve been at least five floors high. And its circumference could easily fit thousands of people. Given the windows located around the walls, they weren''t on the ground floor. Likely just the one above it. The Warrior Elf defenders made quick use of the throneroom''s size, the doors leading to its entrance had been barricaded and the windows were manned by more of those masked warriors. Fledgling guardsmen distributed those old guns from before, spears, knifves, machetes - anything that could be used to slow the Imperials. His eyes caught on a long metal tube that a few of the elves carried around. Given the size and the trigger located on it, it resembled a rocket launcher of some fashion. He thought of what they were using them for. Armored vehicles? The sentries? ¡°Eli!" Hearing his own name shouted through the fog-like chaos of the room got his attention. When he looked to see who''d called it, he found Badger flagging him down. Another wave of relief washed over him knowing that Misfit was safe, ¡°You will not believe the day we''ve just had!¡± ¡°How long has it been?¡± Eli asked. ¡°About a half-hour after you guys left we found those Avonian guys tried to make their way inside the Palace. The Home Guard managed to barricade the lower floors, but we were scared we locked you guys out! Speaking of¡­ how did you get back here?¡± ¡°I flew in on a Griffon.¡± ¡°A¡­A Griffon?" Badger raised an eyebrow. ¡°Don¡¯t ask.¡± Eli was overjoyed when he found all of Misfit gathered in the throneroom. They rushed up to greet him, seemingly equally relieved that he was alright. He did a headcount in his mind, Badger, Dutch, Rafael, Matteo, Omar, of course there was himself, ¡°Where¡¯s Cato?¡± ¡°Over here!¡± A hoarse voice called out. Cato''s. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the foot of the audience seats on the first row. He looked surprisingly healthy. At least, he didn''t appear any worse than when Eli last saw him. He was a lot more conscious than he was before, and he looked fine enough to walk around briefly. Matteo gestured towards Cato, ¡°We had to evacuate him from the infirmary, there were too many wounded and the Elves said they had to prioritize their own. So we brought him up here with us. Their magical healing was ¨C well ¨C magical. I¡¯ve never seen someone make such a quick recovery. Not with normal medicine anyway.¡± ¡°Magic, elves, giant walking death machines, cyborg killer wolves, robot dragons, and now griffons. What''s next?¡± Dutch rhetorically asked. ¡°We get our freedom?¡± Rafael boldly asked with a smirk. ¡°No. Be realistic.¡± Interrupting the conversation between them, came Chief Ani herself. The Warrior Elf guards flanked her sides walking as a protection unit while she travelled through the room. Ani¡¯s eyes locked with Otaes¡¯ immediately, ¡°Otaes! Finally, there you are! We were looking everywhere for you!¡± ¡°I apologize, mother. But I had to go find my brother-" ¡°That was a dangerous move, going out there alone,¡± Ani scorned her, ¡°Most of the other Kitchi Warriors are either downstairs preventing the Avonians from coming through, or have been trapped behind their advancing army! You could¡¯ve been killed! You should''ve remained where you were stationed here at the palace!¡± ¡°I understand, but I had to get Temetet! Besides, I wasn¡¯t alone," Otaes glanced over at Eli''s direction. He responded with a nod of recognition. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now¡­ thankfully these humans have proven invaluable to defending the Palace. You call yourselves, Misfit, correct?¡± Ani asked them. ¡°That¡¯s right, Misfit,¡± Badger answered. ¡°They¡¯ve fought as if they were defending their own home. For that you have my thanks. But it will all be for nothing if we don¡¯t get help soon. Our defenders can slow them down, but they¡¯ve learned since the last war. They¡¯re pushing through, I tried to contact the rest of the Kiote Council but the situation is pretty much the same everywhere. The Ostralands are still too hesitant to intervene,¡± She sighed, ¡°Misfit, please tell me you have a trick up your sleeve, now would be an excellent time.¡± All eyes landed on Eli. His attention turned to his monitor. He requested support from Overwatch what felt like hours ago. His monitor told him nothing. Slowly he closed his eyes, disappointed that nothing further could be done, ¡°We have to wait. That¡¯s all we can do¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯ll never show up. Overwatch isn¡¯t wasting their precious fire support to save prisoners,¡± Rafael grumbled, ¡°We have a better chance of seeing pigs fly.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t give up hope. Not yet. We couldn¡¯t have come so far just to give up in the end.¡± ¡°For everyone''s sake, I hope you¡¯re right.¡± But then something interrupted their brief moment of rest. The Elves all looked in unison towards the same direction. Their heads turned, ears twitching. Hearing something that Eli¡¯s human ears couldn¡¯t yet pick up, ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡± Dutch asked. In response, Otaes only held up a finger to where her lips would be behind her mask. Everyone fell silent. The Home Guard clutched their weapons like something sacred. Something was coming. Ani turned to Misfit, her face twisted in a look of fear and bewilderment, ¡°Sentry,¡± She whispered. Then the building itself shook. Eli¡¯s eyes turned to the walls and ceiling. It sounded like something mechanical was repeatedly smashing itself into the walls of the palace again and again. In a almost footstep like rhythm. Each thud vibrated the core of the building knocking loose debris from the structural supports above. ¡°It¡¯s climbing the building,¡± said Temetet. There was a brief moment of silence. Nobody dared speak, nobody dared move. Sentries could climb buildings? Eli had only seen them once and they simply looked like a sized down version of the Behemoths. He didn''t think it was possible for one of those machines to have that kind of mobility. Did it know that they were here? From just outside came a roar. A foghorn-like growl, not to dissimilar to the one reminiscent of the Behemoths. Eli took a step back from the wall as he listened to the robotic growls of the monster lurking just outside. He suppressed images of the Behemoths, their red eyes casting all-seeing light upon a field of devastation. Their guns that could vaporize a person, disassembling them at the molecular level until all that was left of them was their clothes and a memory. Their size, towering above the battlefield - almost achieving invincibility, until they weren''t. But even in their death throes, the behemoths were a force to be reckoned with. Collapsing onto the phantoms below, sending shockwaves through the ground, burying all unfortunate enough to be crushed under the titanic weight of steel, howling with their robotic groans as they fell. Was the sentry going to be the same kind of monster? If it was, they were dead before the battle started. Nothing that the Coalition tried worked to bring down the Behemoth save for massive guns that the Coalition''s tanks carried. Even those had to aim for the narrow legs in order to strike a hit that mattered. The shield was powerful enough to stop almost everything from hitting the most obvious target. If the sentry wasn''t the same as a behemoth, or at the very least if there were better ways to take it down - they might stand some sort of chance. ¡°It¡¯s coming over here! Get the guns out! Go! Everyone else, find somewhere to hide!¡± Ani ordered them all. Misfit scattered around the large room. Finding anything ¨C everything ¨C sturdy enough to protect themselves with. Eli slid into cover behind a row of seats. Matteo to his left, kept a tight hold on his gun, while Omar shakily ran in to join Eli on his right, ¡°Mister Freeman! What¡¯s a Sentry?¡± ¡°Bad news. That¡¯s what,¡± Said Eli, ¡°They''re like mini-behemoths!¡± ¡°Is there any way to take one down?¡± Matteo asked. ¡°Otaes told me that we¡¯d need explosives! But even if we had them, I dunno where to put it to use!¡± ¡°Shit!¡± The mechanical stomping of the sentry grew closer, and louder. Each step that it took sent a renewed wave of fear and anxiety down Eli¡¯s spine. His body was still exhausted, and just thinking about the coming fight filled his chest with dread. But it didn¡¯t stop there, of course. For again, he heard one of the Elves cry out, ¡°There¡¯s two! I hear two sentries!¡± Shouted a guard. ¡°More than that!¡± ¡°By the source! They¡¯re everywhere!¡± All went silent. The stomping died, the sound replaced by a distinct electric buzz. One that gave Eli goosebumps. Static filled the air. Eli braced himself, preparing for the worst. And in the blink of an eye, there was an explosion! The room filled with dust and debris, choking the occupants within as the wall crumbled on the far end. Pulling his hands away from his face when the dust settled. He looked up. Sunlight trickled in through a massive hole in the wall. But in the midst of the hole, looking down on the defenders below ¨C was a singular massive red eye which cast an angry glare at those within the dark throneroom. Four long spider-like legs filled the crater in the roof, carrying a large metal body. The upper portion of the head was plated in grey metal ¨C peppered with a layer of sharp spikes. Underneath, the metallic gears, pipes, and engine of the machine were held up by even more armored plating directly underneath it. Right underneath the eye was a large cannon flanked by a smaller gun sitting just next to it. Entering the room, it emitted a deafening roar as it searched for targets. The red light destroyed the dark shadows within, revealing all like a giant red torch illuminating the room. A few brave elves stood to open fire on it with their guns, but the bullets ricocheted off the armor of the sentry harmlessly. The eye twisted towards them, red light surrounded the brave ¨C though foolish ¨C elves who had opened fire. A red energy shield materialized in front of the sentry to absorb the gunfire, though it was likely unnecessary. The larger cannon charged itself, summoning even more red ekron energy, before it unleashed the destructive ball of energy at the elves. Another explosion vaporized them after bathing them in red ekron light - just as the behemoth''s disintegrator had! All the while the second weapon - a machine gun ¨C opened fire on the defenders below! The bullets tore through wood, armor, people. Mowing them down and forcing the defenders out of their hiding spots. Eli stood up to shoot back at it, but even the bullets of his Pulser did nothing to even phase the sentry ¨C though the bullets of the pulser phased clean through the shield. Yet it wouldn¡¯t help him to penetrate the armor of the beast. "Shit!" Eli cursed, ducking further behind his cover in a desperate bid to not be hit, but he kept an eye on the monstrosity. While charging the main cannon, the shield flickered until it was turned off completely. The disintegrator must''ve required so much energy to use that the shield couldn''t remain on while the gun was firing! An opportunity. One that Otaes was quick to exploit. She had taken cover on the far side of the room, scarily close to the machine though in relative safety to facing its side. While the machine gun was pre-occupied shooting at whatever was in front of it and while the main cannon was charging again, she stood up, raising her bow with a red-tipped arrow loaded into it. The arrow flew, embedding itself in the sentry¡¯s face. The resulting explosion was powerful enough to knock the sentry off balance! From its siren came a painful cry, or as painful as a robot could get. By the way it moved and sounded, it almost felt organic. Almost. Red electrical sparks frayed the surface of the sentry, though it was still up and running. The arrow hardly injured it, but it managed to inflict some good damage. The main gun had been destroyed, some strange combination of Otaes'' explosive arrow must''ve interfered with the charging process, sending the gun into overdrive and destroying it entirely. Again, it wasn''t a killing blow - but it was certainly the best damage they were able to inflict on it. As the sentry fought to regain balance it took panicked steps across the room. The spindly legs ended with a sharp metal blade that stabbed into whatever material it walked on ¨C flanked by steel supports that kept the legs stabilized. As it walked across the room, it destroyed the cover scattered around with ease, ripping through the seats, cutting through tables and the podium, turned into a walking wrecking ball. Unlucky guards caught in the chaos would stumble over, only to be impaled by the sharp legs ¨C with their corpses turned into ragdolls that the sentry shook off. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Otaes tried again with another explosive arrow, but the shield was up. The explosive glanced off inflicting no further damage. More warriors flooded the room, bringing out those rocket launchers Eli had seen earlier. One of them took a knee to aim the tube at the sentry''s exposed rear. With the pull of a trigger, a ball of fire blew from the opening of the tube and connected with the sentry¡¯s rear end! The explosion was far more powerful than the arrow, and it was strong enough to blow punch a crater through its armor. When the smoke cleared, Eli made out a leak from the compartment that the rocket hit. Hot black fluid poured out of the sentry''s rear compartment, unleashed foul smelling smoke that swamped the room in noxious gas. Eli''s throat closed up as he got a nose full of the pungent smoke. Whatever that black fluid was, it certainly wasn''t oil. Or at least, not any oil Eli''s seen before. Even despite the grievous hit to the engine compartment, the sentry continued to move above, whirling its front around to point the shield at the direction that the rockets had come from. The machine gun unleashed a storm of bullets Eli''s direction, and a elf standing close to him who was preparing for a follow up shot with another rocket launcher, was brought down by a bullet piercing his throat! The defenders had to scramble back into cover, unable to shoot at the sentry while the machine gun kept them suppressed. The sentry kept moving, keep its eye pointed towards whichever direction the rockets were located. The red light bathed Eli, Matteo, and Omar one moment while they kept their heads low - until it moved on. It wasn''t looking their direction anymore, rather somewhere else. With the dead elf''s rocket launcher only a few meters away, he realized that there was another opportunity. While the sentry was distracted, it was possible to get a shot either in its side or rear from where he was! Such a opportunity couldn¡¯t be wasted! Eli sighed, knowing what he had to do. It would be a short sprint to get to the launcher and his leg might give him trouble, but there was so much adrenaline flowing through his bloodstream at the moment he couldn''t feel much of anything at all. He nudged Matteo, ¡°I¡¯m gonna grab those rocket launchers!¡± ¡°What? You don''t know how to use them!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out! Just keep me covered!¡± Matteo nodded, ¡°Keep you covered? What the fuck am I supposed to do that thing?" "Distract it!" Matteo rolled his eyes, "Madonne - fine! Go!" Unexpectedly, Matteo stood up from behind cover. Shouting to the entire squad within range, ¡°Misfit! Misfit! Cover Freeman! Distract the sentry!¡± Misfit opened fire with their guns, unable to damage it, but hopefully being able to get its attention. Sucking a sharp breath of air in, Eli prepared for the sprint of his life. And then like an arrow being released from the band of his bow, he charged forward. Running behind cover, away from the bullets of the sentry¡¯s machine gun that followed him close. His heart raced like a caged animal ¨C fighting for space in the cramped tightness of his chest. If he slowed down, even a little ¨C he would surely die. He saw the rocket launchers closer than they ever were, only motivating him to run faster. To push himself to a limit he didn¡¯t even know he ever had before¡­ In the faint distance, he saw it. Not the rocket launchers, not the sentry, none of that. He saw something odd. A figure watching him. Staring, perfectly still and composed in the dark recesses of the throneroom. Eli couldn''t believe it. His eyes widened. Everything around him slowed to a crawl in that moment. Somewhere, a dove flew through the crater in the wall and circled around his head. Glassface was right there. In his moment of distraction, Eli tripped over something on the ground, and he was sent careening on the floor. His tumble may have saved him, as bullets from the Sentry''s machine gun narrowly missed his head. He scrambled behind cover, ducking from the fire of the bullets as they punched holes through the wooden rows of seats that Eli depended on for his life. He regained focus, crawling the final few feet towards the nearest launcher. Blinking his eyes hard, he looked back to the spot where he saw it. Predictably, it was not there. An illusion. He pushed Glassface out his mind. What he saw wasn''t real. A mirage. It was just a figment of his tired mind¡¯s imagination. Surely. It had to be... Through gritted teeth clenched, he grabbed hold of the rocket launcher and pulled it into his arms. A brief inspection of the weapon gave him clues as to which way he was supposed to point it, not too dissimilar from the ones back on Earth. He fired one before, this had to be at least somewhat similar. He was unsure of how exactly he was supposed to use it, but it had a trigger, and it had iron sights. If it was loaded that should''ve been more than enough. He popped over his cover, but was forced to duck back down as the sentry opened fire on him. He couldn¡¯t shoot with it¡¯s attention brought to him. No matter how much Misfit tried to open fire on the sentry, the bullets did nothing and the sentry knew that Eli was its primary threat. The red eye of the sentry beamed down directly on him. Flooding the area he hid in with red light. Until Otaes ran out into the open, behind the creature. She released yet another explosive arrow and it detonated on impact. The sentry gave a pissed-off growl, its red eye peeled off of Eli and followed Otaes. She ran between its legs, weaving between them with a speed that seemed almost unreal. The distraction was effective, as the sentry chased her. Too close for its machine gun to get a good enough angle on her, it tried to kill her with its sharpened legs. Stabbing at the ground to impale her with. But she was too fast. Eli scrambled up to his feet. The vulnerable rear of the machine wasn¡¯t yet exposed. It¡¯s front facing shield was still deployed. He needed to wait or it would¡¯ve all been for nothing. But he could only hope that Otaes could keep her gambit up. He saw Misfit join the fray alongside Otaes, shooting at the sentry and bringing its attention to face them. It was a dangerous play, but it would pay off. Eli¡¯s hands were shaking as its rear became visible. If he missed, it would¡¯ve been over. He had to do it. He had to take the shot. His shaky hands be damned! He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes. He saw the smoking hole in the armor of the sentry. A small fire had already broken out inside of the engine. He focused his attention on it. Breathing in, steadying his breath. The lives of his squad on the line¡­ And he pulled the trigger. The kick of the launcher sent Eli flying back with a force he wasn¡¯t fully prepared for. Landing on his ass, he could only see as the rocket travelled through the air like a shooting star. Leaving fire and smoke in its trail across the room. Within a half-second, it landed smack inside of the engine compartment! From within, the engine burst into a bright ball of orange fire and black smoke. The foghorn screamed, wailing as the engine spit out hot orange flames. The red eye flickered as the body convulsed. It stumbled, tripping over itself and the cluttered throne room. Now dangerous as a giant ball of destruction tearing a path straight towards Eli''s direction. The elves and Misfit had to duck out of the way for fear of being knocked around by its flailing legs. Crawling on his back, he saw as one of its sharp legs raised right above him. He tried to squirm out of the way. But he couldn¡¯t move. Immobilized with fear. He raised his arms and legs into a ball to cover his face. Closing his eyes shut. Shaking with terror as the spike came crashing down over him. The leg jutted down, trying to stabilize the sentry. The sharp iron tore through the air and impaled itself in the floor only an inch away from Eli¡¯s head. The other legs failed to catch the sentry, and it continued to tumble backwards. It tore an even larger hole through the ceiling, and Eli was buried in debris. He could hear the sentry struggle, before it gave out one final death cry¡­ And then it collapsed, the steel body plowed into the platform that the thrones sat on, crushing or tossing them aside like they were paperweights. Smoldering, the beast was dead. He was out of breath. Panting. Mouth open wide gasping for air. But as the dust settled, he could hear cheering. The shuffling of boots ran over towards him, and before he knew it, he was surrounded by Misfit. Their faces had smiles all over. They pumped their fists, and surrounded Eli. Dutch grabbed his hand to pull him out from the pile of debris, "Hell yeah man, that''s the type of shit I''m talking about!" Dutch exclaimed, pulling Eli up to a stand. When Eli was brought back to Misfit he could feel pats on the shoulder for striking the killing blow. Eli smiled, exhausted, but happy. Until he saw Matteo on the floor, hunched over somebody. He was shaking his head. "Matteo? What''s wrong?" Asked Eli as he drew near. The rest of Misfit stopped cheering. Eli took another step closer to Matteo, and it was only then that he could see Cato. Lying on the floor, soaked in his own blood. He was still, eye frozen open, staring perpetually at the roof. His blonde hair was stained a dirty red, and his pasty skin was grey. Drained. Matteo grimaced, swiping at his neck as he solemnly shook his head, "He''s dead." It confirmed what Eli already knew just from one quick glance at his state. Sent from an emotional high careening back to another low. When was he killed? It looked like the sentry had shot him in the chest. The elves could heal him, right? But... no. They couldn''t. The suppression field. And he was already dead. They couldn''t bring him back from the dead, he was willing to give magic a lot of credit but he absolutely refused to believe that. No... "Cato..." Eli said his name as if the man could still hear. It was only a few hours ago and Cato was right there, talking to him. It felt like for the first time ever, the ice that separated the two was beginning to melt... And then he was dead. Just like that. Misfit had gone from seven living members, to six. The others around him were equally stunned, staring around Cato''s body as if it were a sight of horror - a diseased thing to stay away from. Badger was the first to get closer, and she kneeled down next to Matteo over the body. Her hand reached out to touch the vein on his neck, and he frown confirmed it once more. "He was right here. We could''ve saved him," Dutch muttered. "How could we be so careless? We should''ve protected him when we had the chance!" Rafael shouted, "Aren''t we a squad? Don''t we look after each other-" "Enough, Rafael! He''s dead! You''re just yelling into the wind," Matteo snapped. "I don''t want to hear that from you, old man. You never cared about anybody else. You only care about yourself!" Rafael shouted back. He looked as if he was going to continue on with his accusation but he stopped, knowing that now was a horrible time to start arguing. As for Eli, he didn''t know what to feel. His brain was so... scattered. A million different thoughts with a million different voices were swarming through his mind. How could he have been so careless? What could he do? What should he have done? Why didn''t anybody else try to save him? Why didn''t he even think to save him? Would''ve... could''ve... but it didn''t matter in the end. Cato was dead, and there was nothing they could do to change that. No matter how much Eli wished that weren''t true. More shaking interrupted the squad from their mourning. The other sentries were closing in. The ceiling of the throne room had basically collapsed in on itself. The outside sky ¨C almost foggy with the smoke of fire ¨C hung above them. Shadows moved in the distance, flying above them. Their terrible shrieks, their roars. Dragons. One of the dragons swooped down, threatening to enter into the building. It¡¯s claws and metal teeth bared, and its jaw open to reveal that it was building an inferno to cook them all inside. Misfit and the Elves scrambled for shelter. Right as the dragon was about to go for a kill, Archer intercepted it. Swooping in from somewhere out of sight, the griffon slammed into the dragon mid-air. His talons dug into the throat of the dragon, pinning it down onto the ground like a eagle to its lizard prey. The dragon shrieked and squirmed hard as Archer slammed the reptilian¡¯s head into the ground, knocking aside rows of shelves and interior furniture as they crash-landed. In one strike, Archer reached his head down and delivered a fatal-kill to the dragon, tearing its throat out with a slash from his beak. But there were more. No sooner had one dragon been killed, another already took its place ¨C taking Archer¡¯s attention away, ¡°Help him!¡± Eli ordered Misfit. They fired their guns at the swarm of dragons flying overhead. But the bullets only infuriated the swarm. Elves fired their weapons into the skies, and they grabbed the few remaining rocket launchers up to shoot at the sentries advancing up the road. One rocket fired, hitting a sentry in its side, and causing it to stumble in damage, but it failed to kill. The other rocket missed entirely. Their situation grew worst by the second. With the seemingly infinite armor of the Avonians pressing against them, they were unable to keep up. But all Eli could do was return fire, in the hopes that Overwatch had indeed answered his call. In the hopes that anyone could help them. It was all they could hope to do¡­ When he heard the faint crack of a gun fire in the distance. It was as if time had stood still in that moment. He saw bullets pierce through the armor of the dragons, blood spilling. Archer just barely escaped from the chaos in the skies, landing back on the ground in shock. Something had shot the dragons down. Something powerful. Flying just overhead was a machine. Not the machines that the Avonians fielded, but one that Eli was familiar with. A helicopter. It was painted in a dull grey coat. An Osprey. Two massive blades on either side sliced through the air generating a powerful whir as the osprey drew nearer. It''s grey coat bore markings that Eli remembered from Earth. The sentries fired their guns into the skies, arching themselves to follow the path of the jet, but the osprey was too fast and maneuverable for them. The chain gun mounted on the helicopter opened fire on the sentry below, tearing through its shield and the armor with a dazzling show of force! Flanking the osprey was another helicopter that flew overhead, shooting at the Imperials flooding the streets below. It was clear what was going on. Misfit didn''t even need to say it. Overwatch had received Eli''s transmission afterall. Eli closed his eyes as the explosive fireball threatened to consume them. But it subsided. When he opened his eyes again, there was an osprey lowering itself down. The twin blades of the osprey cut through the air, chopping so fast that Eli could feel their impact from where he stood. It hovered briefly overhead, captivating the awe and attention of both Misfit and the Elves inside the Palace. It was going for a landing in front. The gunner on the back of the osprey opened fire on the soldiers that swarmed the Palace exterior. Cutting them down one by one, their shields deployed but quickly evaporated as the volume of fire was too great for the energy to handle. The osprey lowered itself down slowly. The Elves were excited, cheering for the destruction of the Avonians and River soldiers below. But Misfit was far more apprehensive. They knew what the Coalition¡¯s arrival had meant. They may have been saved from destruction via the military might of the Avonians, but they would face a new threat altogether. One far more dangerous, at least to Misfit. They looked at each other fearfully, hoping to find some reassurance that everything would be alright. But they knew what was to happen. Eli was helped up by Dutch. They looked over to Cato''s direction knowing that he wasn''t around to see their ''saviors''. Eli heard the cheers of the elves, and it tore him apart on the inside. Otaes and Temetet both were absolutely ecstatic, and they ran up to Misfit, ¡°You did it!¡± Otaes cried out, ¡°You got them here! I didn¡¯t think it would happen but, it did! You¡¯ve saved our home!¡± Eli forced a smile in reciprocation, but he couldn''t hide his anxiety. And judging by the way the others were acting, neither could the rest of the squad. Temetet tilted his head in confusion, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Aren¡¯t you guys happy to see them?¡± ¡°We¡¯re happy to have been saved¡­ but we¡¯ll never be happy to see the Coalition. We¡¯re still their prisoners,¡± Eli muttered. Otaes and Temetet both looked at each other as Misfit turned away to their fate. They watched them leave, just before Ani arrived to talk to them¡­ Coalition Headhunters and Primary Combat Teams flooded the Palace, holding up the Elves, looking for the ones they called ¡°Misfit¡±. Eventually one of the Headhunters spotted them as they were walking down. Coalition soldiers swarmed them, asking for names and identification. When they were satisfied they led them out towards the osprey waiting to take them away. Captain Juma was standing outside, talking amidst a group of soldiers, when her eyes landed on Misfit being brought out to them. She seemed surprised, ¡°Misfit, I can''t believe you prisoners are still alive! How about that?¡± The squad was detained by the Headhunters. Their wrists shackled, their monitors re-programmed, and like slaves they were led into the back of the osprey. Carried away to a fate inside of their cells. Just as the osprey doors closed, Eli glanced back at Juma to see her talking with the Warrior Elves. Ani, Otaes and Temetet had gathered in front of the palace. Ani was pleading with Juma for something he couldn¡¯t quite make out. Otaes kept her eyes on him. He held the stare back, until the doors blocked their sight. The ride back to the nexus was silent, save for the sounds of engines whirring outside. Headhunters stood at guard with their weapons brandished, ready to kill if even the smallest transgression occurred. Eli wanted to tell Misfit that it would be alright. That they¡¯d make it safe. But, he didn¡¯t want to lie to them. The silence said enough. Inside, he tried to piece together how they ended up here. A series of events that just spiraled further and further until now. He glanced over at Cato¡¯s body. The betrayal that he felt over his desertion had subsided completely. There was no use holding a grudge against a dead man. But he still wondered if the words he spoke in the Nexus before they left remained true. Was it truly better to fight back? Badger seemed to think so. Rafael ¨C revolutionary that he was ¨C had endlessly fought to encourage Eli to rebel against the Coalition. But what other option was there? Eli had ventured out here to save the rest of the squad. Was it really worth it just to save two of them? He''d failed, somewhat, in bringing them all back here alive. No, of course it was worth it. Rafael and Badger''s lives were valuable just as much as anyone elses. But it didn''t change the fact that Cato''s death had almost soured the entire point of this entire expedition into the unknown. His sentence had already been extended a year by The Coalition for the desertion. What''ll it be now? Five more years? Ten? Life? Would they be kicked out of the Penal Unit and sent to rot in a prison back on Earth? Likely not, Overwatch wouldn''t grant them the luxury of returning home. They''d be held here to rot away for the rest of their lives, never to see Earth, never to see anything once cherished. Cato would''ve been happy. He was vindicated, proven right all along. He said it, and now everybody knew it for a fact. There were only two fates for those trapped within the Penal Unit. Dead or a slave.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-11...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: T1-75MM "Mighty Mouse" Type: Man-Portable Recoilless Anti-Vehicle Rocket Launcher Country of Origin: The Ostraland Commonwealth Information: The T1-75 Millimeter rocket launcher, dubbed "The Mighty Mouse" because of its 75 Millimeter caliber, is a recoilless anti-vehicle rocket launcher used primarily by Commonwealth Armed Forces belonging to The Ostralands and Oceania - while also being distributed widely across The Belford Alliance and nations aligned with The Free World. The Mighty Mouse is among the first generation of anti-armor weapons to not only be developed but also widely used by any major armed force. Designed during the opening stages of The Sacred War as a way for Commonwealth soldiers to destroy or disable Oranian and Valdacian armored war machines (With some use to kill massive wingless dragons often employed by the Heavenly Army), it became a mainstay for Commonwealth infantry-based vehicle destroyer tactics up until the proliferation of Commonwealth tanks like the T17 "Rolling Giant" Heavy Tank rendered the role more suitable for mobile tank destroyers. The Mighty Mouse would be widely accepted into service as a way for Commonwealth infantry to match war machines that would often overpower them in the past. They were employed across all fronts in The Sacred War, from the defense of Norfvamark, to the liberation of Farewind, The North Gelandian Campaign, Oceania''s Western Front against the Dragon Isles, and finally up until Operation: ENDGAME that saw Coalition forces make landfall during the invasion of The Heavenly Dragon Empire. Highly effective, these weapons could make even the smallest of infantry units a lethal threat to any armored formation. Despite being outdated and used primarily as an cheap export model for Ostralandian allies, the Mighty Mouse continues to be a powerful balancer in the face of a new Cold War. Routinely employed by infantry in proxy conflicts like The Kiote War, The Oran Crisis, or even the Fluerisian Emergency, the Mighty Mouse would assist Commonwealth forces in destroying targets like sentries or heavily armored dragons. However, as it was developed during The Sacred War, the High-Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT) warhead struggles against the magical shield technology that is now commonly employed by most heavily armored Imperial troops. While the HEAT warhead fired by the Mighty Mouse can still tackle most armor configurations found on a sentry, they need to be fired from the flank in order to skirt past the shield and make contact with the armor. A difficult order, given that newer models of the sentry are becoming increasingly alert and maneuverable. Even still, The Mighty Mouse finds a role on the battlefield in the hands of the allied freedom fighters of the world resisting Imperial aggression and absolutist tyranny.
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 26: Collaborator

>>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 26: Collaborator]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Emergency! Subject status CRITICAL >>> If this continues, they may abandon you. Response is necessary. >>> ... >>> ... >>> ... >>> [THE BUMBLEBEE IS A THRILLING CREATURE. IS IT NOT? THE HUMANS ONCE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BUMBLEBEE TO FLY. AND YET, IT FLEW. BIRDS FLY, WE KNOW THIS TO BE TRUE. IF FLIGHT AND FREEDOM ARE THE ESSENCE OF A BIRD, WHAT THEN DO WE CALL A FLIGHTLESS BIRD? IMPOSSIBLE? A DOVE CAGED BEHIND HARD STEEL, GROUNDED FOREVER. HER WINGS CLIPPED. NEVER TO FLY AGAIN. IS THE CAGED DOVE STILL A BIRD? OR SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY?] >>> ... >>> ... >>>[DO NOT TELL ME WHAT IS AND IS NOT POSSIBLE. THE UNIVERSE IS LARGER THAN THEY CAN EVEN BEGIN TO GRASP, LARGER THAN EVEN MYSELF. I CAN SEE THE THREADS LURKING BEHIND THE CURTAINS DIVIDING OUR WORLDS. THEY HIRED MY TALENTS FOR THAT PURPOSE. ALLOW ME TO WORK. I HAVE ALREADY TOLD THEM THAT THIS SUBJECT CAN HEAR ME. HE HAS SEEN MY FACE AND HE HAS SEEN HIMSELF WITHIN IT. HE HAS SEEN THE DOVES WATCHING HIM. HE HAS SEEN THE RAVENS TOO. AND HE HAS HEARD MY VOICE. PIECES WILL FALL INTO PLACE WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED. STEP BACK. LET THE UNIVERSE TAKE COURSE, LET FATE BE THE DECIDING FACTOR.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
It felt like hours until the osprey finally touched down on the concrete landing strip within the Nexus, just as the foreboding purple skies of dusk signaled the approach of night. The forest of the jungle had given way to concrete, steel, and monstrosities of electricity. The Nexus was larger than Eli remembered it being. The buildings had expanded, the fences on the perimeter transformed into concrete walls. Prisoners slaved away in the jungle, clearing massive tracts of land for even further expansion. Machines chewed at the ground like massive insects. Trees bulldozed and the natural beauty of the terrain razed to make way for the Coalition''s seat of power. Somehow, despite Eli only entering this world a few days ago, it wasn''t the native jungle of Planet Narva that felt alien to him anymore. It was the Nexus that felt strange. It wasn''t supposed to be there. None of them were. Eli couldn''t tear his eyes away from the walls, those new concrete walls that loomed over the hills. Covered in scaffolds and phantoms who worked on reinforcing them. None of them were supposed to be here. Despite the lingering heat of the waning sun, the Nexus felt cold. A growing inorganic mass that clung to the surroundings of the native world like a tumor. Pulsating and alive, eating away at the surrounding tissue until the body it leeched on was lifeless and barren. Is that what the likes of Kovic and Coalition High Command envisioned for this world? Enter in, burn everything, and suck it dry until it was in ruins just like the Earth they abandoned? Then again, Planet Narva was already a mess. Judging by what Otaes had told him, and what he''d seen first hand, Narva was heading down Earth''s direction long before The Coalition had showed up. Funny, how that worked. The Headhunters for the most part treated Misfit with more respect than the Security Units had, which was odd. Part of the Headhunters'' job was to capture and kill renegade prisoners - like Misfit. It was a miracle that Misfit hadn''t been immediately gunned down once they arrived. Eli tasked the Headhunters'' lack of direct physical abuse to their better training, of which was probably expected from an elite force. If they were given an order to capture Misfit but not harm them, it might''ve meant that Overwatch had seen some value in keeping them around. For now. The real shivers didn''t come until the Headhunters ordered Misfit to stand, grabbing hold of their handcuffs and shackles, just as Security Units lined up to take them away. There wasn''t much resisting from Misfit. They all knew exactly where they were being taken to. The only question really was how long? How long would they have to spend being kept in a concrete box with no contact and no way back home, except via the keys that Overwatch dangled over their head? How long would they have to torture themselves with the question of whether or not going back to Earth would even be a possibility? There was no way to know for sure, and it was ultimately that uncertainty that burned a hole in Eli''s chest. He was scared. Petrified. He felt more terror now than he had facing up against the sentries. The worst thing that the Avonians could do was kill him. But Overwatch could torture him forever until he died. That was the difference between the two. Matteo was right in a bizarre way. ''You¡¯re only here because between the Coalition and the aliens out here, the Coalition would¡¯ve killed us first!'' He snuck a look at Matteo behind him. The man was silent, as expected. But Eli could tell that he was scared in the same way Eli was. His reunion with his daughter was just within reach, and this botched rescue "plan" - if one could even really call it that - just stole it from out of his hands. A surefire touchdown almost. How much more time did Matteo have left anyway? Two months? Two more months until this nightmare was over. He would''ve been here for the full five years, the standard sentence, and all of it was ruined because of this. What was Eli''s six months in comparison? If anybody had the right to break down into tears at the moment, it would''ve been Matteo. And yet, there were no tears. Not even a defeated look. No resistance. Nothing. Matteo just accepted it. Maybe he was still planning on turning Rafael, Badger and Cato in. Well, not Cato of course. Cato already got his freedom... Misfit was stood up by the Guards and taken through the new and "improved" Nexus. All around them was movement. Prisoners were lined up, ordered to march by guards leading them to their next assignments. Machines rumbled as they pieced together bits of the fortress together into one massive amalgamation. The Nexus was alive, the same as it was growing. Helicopters flew overhead, jets landed on tarmacs far away. And the voice of Kovic droned on over the loudspeakers and massive displays built throughout the Nexus. His voice overbearing and omnipresent. Eli was nothing more than an ant in the middle of it all. Forced to hear Kovic¡¯s stuffy almost bureaucratic words. ¡°It has come to my attention that many of you consider myself and my administration to be an oppressive element. Perhaps you¡¯ve witnessed the raid on the armory, the violence of the riots and tightened security these past few days and are understandably upset, but allow me to clarify. We are not in the business of destruction, in fact, quite the opposite. I work tirelessly to create a new world for us to share. I do not wish to use violence but if the current rebellious attitudes that you hold continue to proliferate among your ranks, then I am afraid that violence will only be assured.¡± The prerecorded message serenaded Misfit as they were led deeper into the Nexus. Following the new concrete paths, down through the barracks of the regulars, and into the prison area. Where walls were topped with barbed wire. Watch towers stood tall with Security Units observing from below. Cameras watched every waking movement of those inside. The security had obviously improved since they were last here. No longer was the Nexus a ragtag base in the middle of the new world. It had become a facility built to contain, suppress, and destroy any possible notion of rebellion. As Security Units watched Misfit, they checked them in through the gates to lead them inside. Kovic¡¯s voice followed them as they went inside the prison. ¡°Again, it does not have to be this way. Help us, help you. Some of the more unenlightened thinkers with you may call that form of acceptance ''Collaboration'', as if such a term were shameful. I ask you, what greater common endeavor exists than that of collaboration with the will of our partners in the Coalition?¡± Cameras flashed as they took headshots of each prisoner. Rafael, Matteo, Omar, Badger, Dutch, and finally, Eli. They were stripped of everything, including their clothes. Forced to stand in the nude as the Security Teams inspected them for weapons or tools for escape. Their humanity stripped. Nothing more than cattle in the eyes of those who poked and prodded them. Eli wished he was somewhere else as the hot flashlight of a guard shone on his body. When the inspection was done, they were all hosed down with a purple fluid that smelled like pesticide, and then rinsed with water that was freezing cold. Soaking wet, they were issued new prisoner uniforms from machines that dispensed them. Guards couldn¡¯t even be bothered to give it to them. It had to be machines. ¡°Our current situation is unparalleled, and a refusal to collaborate is simply a refusal to grow - an insistence on suicide! Did the lungfish refuse to breathe air? It did not. It crept forth boldly onto land while its brethren remained in the dark abyss of the world¡¯s oceans! Uplifting itself to become one of the greatest species that planet Earth has ever yet seen, while its contemporaries faded away to drawings and references in the textbooks of a future civilization.¡± They were given a brief moments privacy. Allowed to dry themselves off and dress in their new prisoner uniforms. The same plastic-like jumpsuit, dark blue in color with orange stripes and stitches. A light blue Delta on shoulder and a orange delta on the back. The symbol of their prisoner status. After they were dressed, Misfit was separated from each other. Their eyes parted. Sad glances at one another. The dream was dead. It was unlikely that they would see each other again. At least not alive. Eli was already heartbroken at the idea, tears threatening to form in his eyes as he watched what little he had left pulled away from him. His family. But he lost it completely when he saw Omar. The kid was terrified. But this time, he had nobody to help him. He was all alone. Eli broke down when he saw it, weeping like a child. The guards grabbed him, forcing him to stand upright against his will, as they dragged him to receive his sentence. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. ¡°Shall we then, model ourselves upon the trilobite? All of humanity''s achievements reduced to nothing but fossils to be studied by civilizations who dared progress forward? Of course not, to do so would be preposterous! So yes, you should collaborate! We must all collaborate! Willingly! Eagerly! What other possible alternative is there...?¡± ¡°Prisoner, Eli Freeman. You have been accused of five counts of malicious noncompliance, two counts of assault on Coalition Officers, conspiracy to initiate a revolt, and direct disobedience. Judgment has ruled that you are guilty on all charges. Your sentence has been extended an additional five years. You will remain imprisoned for two years, with labor. Security Units, Prosecute, Detain, Advise.¡±
The cell that awaited him was nothing short of depressing. Concrete walls, a single bed, an iron door, a window that led to the outside world. The window was a small rectangular box, put high up on the wall. So high, Eli would have to stand on his tiptoes to see anything through it. Too small to appreciate. Just big enough to allow some outside light and alert him to the passage of time, unless Eli were to stare up through it and get a view of nothing but the sky and the nearby control tower. When the guards shoved him inside of his cell and locked the door, the first thing Eli did was move his bed closer to the window. Standing on it, he was able to see outside. A fatal drop awaited him, the Nexus sprawled all around. The window¡¯s glass was so thick bullets wouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate it. This was it. This was what his life was. Misfit was gone. He knew this would happen as soon as they raided the armory, but at least it was with the knowledge that they were saving their own squad. But with Cato dead, that dream was tarnished. It¡¯s luster failing to appear. All that remained with him, was Kovic¡¯s voice. And of course the control tower. That was all he could see through the window from where he stood. At the top of its lattice communications antennae were blinking red strobe lights. They glowed a vibrant red before dimming and fading fully into the evening sky. On and off. On and off. On and off. The strobe lights blinked. Beyond them were the birds too. ¡°Many of you may wish to return home, but I ask you, what home? Do you wish to return to Earth? Like a toddler who cries because he has outgrown his crib. No! We must refuse these primal impulses hidden within us that hold us back! What more can I say, than that collaboration should be among your highest priorities! If you want to escape your shackles as prisoners and live in a world free from violence, then I implore you - collaborate. Align yourselves with what you know is true. We must advance ourselves or risk our own destruction. Trapped like those we left behind on Earth in a system of perpetual destruction, warfare, and fratricide. The Nexus will be free of all those primal vices¡­ but it will only be free if you make it so. Collaborate. We will go far together¡­¡± On and off. On and Off. On and off. He sank down with his back against the wall. His cheeks still wet with tears. He failed Misfit. He failed himself. A rage against Kovic and the Coalition was burning. Was this the punishment for risking their lives to save their own squad? Rafael¡¯s pleas to rebel started to make more sense¡­ but it was too late for all of that. Now, they were locked away. The Coalition had won, as they probably always would have. They were just ants in the way, nothing they could do would change that¡­ Off and on. Off and on. Off and on. Hours later and Eli had contorted into a ball in the corner of his cell. Grasping all the warmness that he could extract from the concrete walls. His bare feet pushed against the cold tiled surface. The bed wasn¡¯t an option. From the faint trace of light that entered through the window, he could see the dead husks of insects trapped inside of it. There was no way in hell he was gonna sleep in that thing. The corner became his bed, and he learned to fold himself in a way where he could get some sleep ¨C no matter how uncomfortable it was. It was better than the bed. Often, he¡¯d stretch his legs by looking out the window. Seeing what had changed. The base was moving around still, without him. Uncaring of him. He was tucked away in almost total isolation from the base around him. As he stared out into the outside world, he would often look at the sky. He¡¯d see birds. Flocks of them. Flying across the sky. Sometimes they¡¯d perch on the roof of the prison. Right where the concrete shell of the building and the sky intersected. The perfect angle for him to see, and given that he''d been staring at nothing but the aircraft warning lights on the control tower just next door, birds were a welcome change in scenery. On and off. On and off. On and off. The birds were alien here. Brightly colored, their feathers protruding from their heads in bright arrays of vibrancy. He had grown jealous of their freedom. How could he help it? Hours spent searching his mind for ways he could¡¯ve prevented this. Maybe if he had convinced Cato to stay, maybe if he stood against Badger and Rafael from leaving, maybe if he went as soon as they did? All they had to do was keep their heads low and¡­ collaborate. If they¡¯d just collaborated, none of this would¡¯ve happened! They¡¯d be in the Penal Unit still, sure. But it was better than this. Misfit could¡¯ve been something real, a rare example of how one could get out from the system. But it was all over. Misfit was dead, and Eli killed it. Most of the birds were alien anyway. Though not all of them. Of the brightly colored macaw-lookalikes that flocked around the prison, there was one bird in particular that he kept an eye on. She was unmoving throughout the day. Her feathers were a snowy white, an odd interruption in the vibrant jungle green. It was hard to tell, but if Eli squinted hard enough... it almost seemed like she was watching him. And he watched her. The dove remained there, staring back at him, until the sun fell below the horizon. He was awake through the night watching her white feathers from his cramped cell. His body was still sore, aching from everything. The medics within the Nexus had done little more than glance at his leg to ensure that he was not bleeding to death, before they declared him fit enough for solitary confinement. The wound of course was not healed in the slightest, and the reverberating pain kept him up. That and of course his mind running around the same three points of ''what could''ve been different?'', ''could it have been different?'', ''how do I fix this?'' As the daylight was replaced with darkness, as the strange constellations illuminated the night sky, and as the glittering twinkle of moonlight shone through his window. The other birds had long since returned to the nests they made in the jungle, leaving behind only the dove to watch him. Now more than ever, Eli wished he was a bird. He wanted nothing more than to spread his wings and fly away. To turn back the time and escape from this world, and from Earth. To ignore it all. To watch the world pass on without him. Here in solitary, the world would pass on without him. But not in the way he wanted it to. Darkness had been replaced by the faint traces of blue. The moon vanished behind the horizon. And slowly the sun grew. Eli was still awake. His ass hurt from sitting on it all night. His eyes burned with dried tears. Locked somewhere half awake and half dead. He had to keep himself occupied, but he didn¡¯t know how. He counted the tiles on the floor when the light grew enough to see. Within fifteen minutes, he counted all of them. Eighty three. He formed shapes out of the bumpy surface of the ceiling. Insignias, places he¡¯s been, faces¡­ people. Misfit. In frustration, he returned back to the window. Placing his hands against the glass as if it would somehow phase through this time. But of course, he was just met with the unmoving and unbreakable glass. And the dove. He was beginning to wonder if the bird was even alive at all or if it were dead. And the more he stared at her... the more that the image of that creature filled his mind. Standing there, watching him. Glassface... Jingling keys. His head turned to the door, his eyes wide. A metal slip on the door opened, and a meal went through. It fell onto the floor ¨C though luckily they had the decency to wrap it in plastic. The slip closed shut and the guard walked away, right as Eli crawled over to the meal. Taking the plastic box into his hands, he opened the packaging. A plastic rectangle with a shiny aluminum color. It looked almost like chocolate. He flipped it in his hands to see the text, but couldn¡¯t see chocolate anywhere. He sighed when he finally read it through. ''GELATIN-BASED NUTRIENT BAR: PORK AND EGGS FLAVOR'' ¡°Good grief,¡± he muttered to himself, ¡°Just put me out of my fucking misery, why don¡¯t you?¡± The other stuff on the plate looked inedible, except for the sole cold hashbrown, he devoured that immediately. When the hashbrown was gone, he pushed the rest of the plate away. He might consider putting whatever that stuff was inside of his body later, if he was hungry enough. But for now, it was back to the window. Another hour, and he took to reading the back of the label on the Nutrient Bar. An hour after that, he had eaten the Nutrient Bar. It did not taste like Pork and Eggs. Fighting back the urge to puke out what little he had left, he searched the meal package for water. But he hadn¡¯t found it. He called out through the door, ¡°Hey! You forgot the water!¡± Nothing. He tried again. ¡°Hello? Can I get some water? Please?¡± Still nothing. He moped back to the corner of his cell. Fifteen minutes later, after he had dozed off, the flap in his cell swung open and a metal canteen was chucked through. The crashing sound that the metal made shook Eli awake. And in his fright, he hit his head against the solid wall. Now he had a headache to deal with. He crawled over to the canteen to inspect it. Feeling something wet against his hand. When he looked over it, he saw a crack right where the canteen had fell. Despite it being metal, it was so brittle and cheap that its impact had caused it to make a small ¨C though noteworthy crack. Eli felt as if he''d been punched in the gut. Placing his finger over the crack to seal it for the time being. He took a drink of the water, being grateful for that much at least. More hours passed. He went from the window, to reading the food label over and over, to doing pushups. Anything to pass the time. But no matter what, it just seemed like it wouldn¡¯t move. Night covered the window, and the sounds of thunder outside echoed in. Rumbling. He saw heavy raindrops plop against the glass. If he placed his nose in the right spots around the cell, he could smell rainwater. Though faint. The rain soothed him enough to actually get some sleep. And sleep he did. When he awoke, it was the crack of dawn. The light trickled in from outside. The birds were back, singing as his weary eyes opened. And suddenly, he needed to piss. Badly. He checked the cell for a toilet, and luckily he found one. He flushed it once to ensure it was working, and satisfied with it, he relieved himself. Nowhere to wash his hands, and as far as he could see, no toilet paper. Would he have to beg the guards for that too should the need arise? Already his canteen emptied itself overnight from the crack. He¡¯d have to ask for a refill, and probably a new canteen. The slip on the door opened again, and he heard a metal baton bang on the door, ¡°Prisoner, give me the tray and the scraps.¡± Eli rose, taking the tray and pushing it through the door. The guard on the other side chuckled, ¡°You know you¡¯re supposed to eat the food, right?¡± ¡°You call that food?¡± Again the guard chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not me starving,¡± then the slip shut. ¡°You dumbasses forgot to give me toilet paper! Hey!¡± Eli banged against the door. But ultimately, it was to no avail. His tired and hopeless eyes turned back to their familiar gaze to the window outside. The dove was gone now. And all that was left was the familiar sight of the antannae poking out from the communications tower. Off and on. Off and on. Off and on. Off and on...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep B-7...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE CRISIS IS ESCALATING]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[CONFLICT PHASE 3] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 27: The Panopticon >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

=== [Chapter 27: The Panopticon] ===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Current Directive Updated... >>> [ROT SPREADS FROM ONE WORLD TO ANOTHER. THEY THINK THAT THEY CAN ESCAPE THE DEMISE THAT THEY HAVE CREATED, BUT WHAT IS DONE WILL CATCH UP WITH THEM IN THE END.] >>> Acknowledged >>> Searching Memory Feed... ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
It was a weird sensation walking into the human fortress for the first time. Very weird. This part of the jungle had practically been Otaes'' backyard a few short days ago, and now it was completely foreign to her. Well, not really. The exact spot in the hills was always on The Republic''s side of the border, not the Union''s. Still, she knew this area well. Canau was always a quiet, though tightly guarded, coastal city right next to the border. One surrounded by the shimmering blue seas of the Helen Gulf, and of course the rolling mountains of the northern Kiote jungle. But now, all of that was gone. Otaes kept a tight grasp on Archer''s reins as they flew in formation with the other Kitchi griffon riders. To the north - in the distance - there was still smoke rising from the villas and concrete towers that dominated Canau. The quiet town was quiet no longer, as the humans occupied the city. The Imperial counter attack had failed to materialize, possibly because of what had happened at Raritan, Otaes thought. But just underneath them, interrupting the idyllic verdant mountains, was the fortress that the human''s had arrived in. Well, Otaes shouldn''t call them just ''the humans''. It''s not like The Commonwealth were the only human faction lurking around here anymore. "The Coalition", as that prisoner Eli called them, had seemingly taken their place, appearing out of nowhere to cement itself. For the life of her, she couldn''t tell if they were truly friend or foe. Sure, Eli was terrified of their power. But he was a prisoner, after all. He may have helped save Temetet - something she does owe him for. But he was a prisoner for a reason... Right? From the head of the pack, Pakena waved his hand as a signal for the other Kitchi to start descending. On the ground, Chief Ani should''ve already arrived at the base so the meeting could start. Finally, after so much confusion, they''d finally get answers as to who - or what - The Coalition really was. And most importantly, why they were here... The first thing Otaes noticed upon landing in a dusty airstrip hastily tucked away in the corner of the walled fort, was the smell. It smelled like a chemical burning. A visible smoke stack from a new-looking building close to the Nexus'' center confirmed that there was a factory around here, perhaps the source of the odor. It irritated her nose, horribly. The second thing she noticed were the soldiers. The Coalition''s security guards and soldiers swarmed around the Kitchi, at first trying to bark orders as if they owned the place. Sure, the fortress was theirs, but this was territory that had existed to the Union long before that portal ever opened up. They were guests on her planet, not the other way around. The lack of respect from the guards nearly boiled into a open confrontation between Pakena and a few of the other Warriors, before being diffused when one of the humans - a woman who seemed to hold the greater authority - got her soldiers to back off and lead them towards The Nexus'' core. As the warriors were led through the Nexus, Otaes took the opportunity to scout around. Afterall, being a scout and picking up on small details were the exact type of thing she specialized in. And here, there was certainly a lot to take in. For one, the prisoners were everywhere. They all wore the same uniforms that Misfit had on, and they looked just as miserable - if not worse. Everywhere, there were prisoners being ordered around by armed guards, building the fortress, carrying supplies from one place to another, everybody was working hard - most likely to no benefit of their own. It left her with a bit of a sour feeling to see all of the prisoners slave away like this. Maybe Misfit was somewhere in their ranks doing that exact type of work? Well, if they hadn''t already been sentenced to solitary confinement as Eli was certain they would be. Again, Otaes reminded herself that they were prisoners. And prisoners were prisoners for good reason. Even the Avonian Shock Troopers she couldn''t feel too bad for. They were murderers, looters, they carried the Avonian spirit within them - prisoner or not. She could empathize with their suffering, but she couldn''t feel too bad for the enemy. There was nothing that would suggest the prisoners here were any different. Even if one of them had very well saved her brother''s life... And then, in the blink of an eye, they were inside - seated at a rather large mahogany table. It was an office of some description, tucked away in the core of the base in what the humans called "The Central Administration". Chief Ani had already been seated at the table when the guard''s re-introduced the two parties, and as was probably expected, she was playing the part of diplomat quite well. Smiling with the humans, exchanging gifts with them, telling stories and fabulous tales about the Kiote people so the humans would be at ease - despite them being intruders. It made Otaes sick, watching Ani like this. Really any of it. Though this was technically the River Republic''s territory, not too long ago - in fact within Otaes'' living memory - it was Kiote. Ancestral lands. Burial grounds. Villages and farms. Hunting fields for the natural abundance provided to the Kiote people. The Warriors have called this land their home for thousands of years, and in the span of a few days the humans had transformed their home into an abomination. Was Chief Ani blind to the smoke being pumped into their skies? Couldn''t she smell the sulfur tainting the air? Couldn''t she tell that the humans she laughed with and played the part of diplomat for were destroying this place? No different than what the Republicans or Imperials would''ve done. Sure, the humans weren''t out to kill the elves... for now. But they were not to be trusted. That''s for sure. Well, not all of them anyways. The Coalition wasn''t to be trusted. The humans themselves, that was a different story. They were much like the Commonwealth in that regard. A horrible nation full of ugly people. But sometimes those people were good. Misfit was good. At least they hadn''t done anything wrong to her or the warrior elf people. After a few moments of waiting, the leader of The Coalition had finally arrived. He was a rather ordinary looking human. Even meek. Short gray hair that had been neatly combed, clean shaven wrinkled face, and a finely pressed plain suit that carried only a few badgers to denote his rank and little more. On one of the badgers was his title "Overseer". Nothing more and nothing less. He smiled upon entering the room, ushered in by a few uniformed guards, their guns discreetly hidden underneath their clothes. It was bewildering to think that this man, meek and unimposing, was the architect of this wretched place. A demon wearing human clothes and with a warm smile. A fraud. There were plenty of Kovic''s type in The Commonwealth''s administration. Ugly men inside, diplomats on the outside. Yet another mark for how similar they were. It was as if The Coalition was just the Commonwealth, only a century or so in the future. And if what Eli had told her was true, Planet Earth was a mirror of Narva. A glimpse of an entire world run by humans a century later. It was bizarre seeing these "Aliens". Everything was so bizarre. It was difficult to keep track of what was happening. Otaes sighed beneath her mask as Kovic and Chief Ani greeted each other, Kovic even learned that it was customary on Planet Narva for people to bow to each other in greetings. Chief Ani of course did not tell him that bowing was an Imperial tradition. Warrior Elves knelt before the Chiefs and accepted a handshake to pretty much anybody else. ¡°So, welcome to the Nexus. We hope everything here is to your liking?¡± Kovic got the ball rolling with a jovial old smile as he and the rest of his lackies took seats on their side of the table. Chief Ani reciprocated, meanwhile the guards for both parties - Otaes included - remained standing on opposing ends of the room. Ani smiled, ¡°Oh it was absolutely lovely. And the Earth meal, absolutely divine! We should exchange dinners some time, provided all goes well here.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see any reason why it shouldn¡¯t! But moving on to matters of business, now¡­¡± Kovic was handed a few papers by one of his staff members. A list of demands, and some things they were willing to give up. Kovic grunted as he briefly flipped through the nearly twelve-page long document, ¡°As I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware, our manpower is¡­ strained at the moment. Our assistance in defending - uh, Raritan - was a decision we had to make very carefully. Most of our forces are caught up holding the line in Canau or fighting in the outskirts of Raritan as we speak. I think it would be understandable to lay out a few requests that we have before we solidify anything.¡± Ani smirked, ¡°I understand, but I believe it can¡¯t be overstated enough that the reason why we are fighting this war is because of an error¡­ on your part.¡± Otaes rolled her eyes. Finally someone said it. The Coalition''s people looked taken back by the blatantly true statement. They started the war. They intruded where they were not meant to be intruding. Their forces were the ones that reignited a conflict that everyone wanted buried. And now it was their assistance that was required to bury it once more. Anything less would be inconceivable, and The Coalition would''ve exposed themselves as frauds. Kovic¡¯s staff members whispered among themselves. One of his officers tapped his shoulders, whispering into his ear. ¡°The way we understand it, there was a ceasefire between the Kiote Union and the Avonian Empire. A ceasefire that was broken because of the little kerfuffle that happened between us and them?¡± ¡°That would be correct. The previous Kiote War was one of the most destructive wars not just in our history, but in the world. We barely held on last time, and that was with the support of our allies. We''re even less prepared to fight them now than we were ten years ago when the war first started.¡± Kovic shuffled around in his seat, ¡°Well, no offense here but you guys are using bows and spears to fight an army that uses giant walking killing machines and half-robot dragons.¡± ¡°Our people have relied on magic and the advantage of our home terrain for centuries. It wasn¡¯t until recently when things began to change. Drastically,¡± Ani sighed, ¡°During The Sacred War we fought alongside the Avonians ¨C if you can believe it. But there was a bigger threat then. It was the first time those machines had been made. Nothing¡¯s been the same since the war ended. The Avonians developed stronger weapons of war. Eighty years ago, they were using muskets and sometimes even swords. Now, they have mechanical beasts, and machines of death. There are a couple of nations in The Kiote Union that have tried to adapt. Namely the Seville Kingdom. But we don''t have the ability to just snap our fingers and industrialize. All of our guns have either been sold to us or gifted by The Commonwealth. We don''t have anything even close to resembling armor or any credible type of vehicle. It''s just the tactics that have kept our homelands safe for centuries.¡± "And this conflict? What actually was the war about?" Asked a general seated next to Kovic. ¡°At the end of the Sacred War, the relationship between the Kiote Union and Avonians deteriorated, to put it mildly. The River Republic used to be a firm nation in the Union, and a wealthy one at that. They sold goods to the Avonians and their natural resources, in turn the Avonians gave their oligarchs cash ¨C and power. The Riverlanders elected a president to resist corporate exploitation, but the military overthrew him and replaced him with an Avonian lapdog.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°And that¡¯s what started the first Kiote War?¡± Ani nodded. Kovic leaned back for a moment, seemingly thinking it over. To Otaes, it sounded like Kovic had heard that story before. Or at the very least was familiar with what happened. "You mentioned a Commonwealth and the Avonians. They''re the primary powers of Planet Narva... right?" Ani again nodded, "There are a few others, but for the most part yes. They''re both locked in what we here would call the -" "Cold War?" That was surprising. Kovic seemed proud of himself for being able to complete the sentence, for he smirked a little bit and continued on, "We had one of our own. On Earth. Two worlds, staring each other down with weapons capable of destroying our entire planet. We come from a world much like yours in that regard. Unfortunately," Kovic sighed, "But that''s why we''re here. Our world is advanced, much more advanced than your even. While we lack magic, we have technology. But we can''t stop the decline of our planet. The Cold War on Earth started almost a century ago, and the effects have been disastrous. We''re still technically living in it''s shadow. Telling you everything wrong would take too long, but you have to understand that we''re desperate. Refugees. Pilgrims." "Pilgrims?" "One of the foundational myths of my home country was about people fleeing the chaos and turmoil of their home, fleeing to the new world, uniting with the natives and building a prosperous and free society where all could live in harmony..." Kovic''s sly smile was ingenuine, Otaes didn''t know what he was talking about or if it was even remotely true. Likely not, given everything she knows about them now, "And much like our forefathers, we''ve come here to build a new home. Not as aggressors or colonizers, but as nothing more than desperate refugees without much of a choice in the matter. We need help, and while we accept that the war may have been reignited due to our carelessness, that doesn''t mean we can''t prove our usefulness and commitment to upholding peace between our people. We want to know everything that there is to know about this world. We want its history, all the factions, all the countries, who¡¯s in power and who isn¡¯t¡­ everything,¡± Kovic pressed. ¡°That can be arranged,¡± Ani acquiesced. The fact Ani couldn''t see that Kovic was lying straight through his teeth was astounding, and the idiocy of it all was too much to bear. Otaes needed to do something. She was nothing if not one to repay her debts, and there was one debt owed of her that couldn''t be forgiven unless she acted now. Otaes stepped forward, out of place next to Pakena and the other Kitchi. Pakena''s hand immediately went to go and stop her, but she easily brushed him off with a yank of her arm. Slowly she approached Ani, leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear through her mask. Keeping her eye on Kovic the entire time, she could see him and the rest of his team trying to see what she was about to say. Ani paused for a moment and cleared her throat, "Thank you, Otaes," she whispered back. Promptly, Otaes returned back to her position, feeling the burning sting of Pakena''s likely wrathful eyes on her the whole time. But she didn''t care at this moment. They could entertain The Coalition''s foolishness if they wanted to, she''d given up faith in her leaders long before the humans had arrived. But she had her own job to do here. And she wasn''t going to let the opportunity slip because Ani was too blind to see she was being taken advantage of. ¡°Before we go any further, my daughter Otaes reminds me of something important. I¡¯m aware that you use¡­prisoners. In combat. Correct?¡± Kovic looked at his staff, they nodded pressing him to go on, ¡°Yes, yes that would be correct.¡± ¡°I have a few personal concerns about that. We are aware that you have a certain prisoner named, Eli Freeman with you.¡± ¡°Eli Freeman?¡± Kovic raised an eyebrow. He looked confused. The officer from earlier, Captain Juma, gave him a nudge, ¡°He¡¯s one of mine. Misfit Squad.¡± ¡°Misfit?¡± Kovic asked. For his part, he seemed to have no clue that they even existed. Likely he wouldn''t, what would someone the likes of Kovic care about one squad of fugitives? "They''re the ones who brought us into contact with the elves," Juma clarified, "More or less." ¡°So, you have him?¡± Ani asked. Kovic briefly nodded, fixing himself before he spoke, ¡°Yes, we ¨C we do. Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°The Free-Man and his squad have proven themselves to be a vital contributor to the defense of our city. We really owe a great deal to him and his fighters. My best warrior¡¯s brother was saved by the Free-Man, and he served alongside Otaes to a remarkably faithful extent. Misfit has demonstrated a resolve to defend our capital so strong that you would think they were fighting for their own home! Let¡¯s just say that they¡¯ve become a friend of the tribe.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Kovic mused, raising a glass of water up to his lips, ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°The loyalty of the Warrior Elves is extended primarily to those we consider our friends, even more so than our diplomatic allies. What I¡¯m saying is that we want Misfit, in their entirety, free.¡± Otaes took a small bit of pleasure watching Kovic nearly choke on his water. After a brief, though impromptu, fit of coughing he recomposed himself. There was a lot of talking among Kovic¡¯s staff. They were just as surprised as he was, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ani. But they are prisoners. I can¡¯t just let them go free. They have a sentence, and they are required to serve it.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m also aware that you have Misfit imprisoned in solitary. Punished for helping us.¡± ¡°They violated our laws, Grand Chief. We have reason to suspect that they assaulted two guards and raider our armor. Then they attempted to flee with stolen weapons and equipment. Solitary confinement is the gentle choice for those felons.¡± ¡°The version I¡¯m familiar with is that they were trying to rescue their own team.¡± ¡°Maybe," Kovic shrugged, "But ask yourselves this. Why was their team out there? Because they deserted! Misfit are a bunch of criminals, same as the rest of them I''m afraid.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t excuse the fact that their contribution has been invaluable. Without Misfit, our capital could very well be under jackboot of Republican occupation. If it is impossible for Misfit to be freed from the Penal Unit entirely, then we demand that Misfit is returned to their original status and allowed to work with us again in the future.¡± ¡°Impossible,¡± Kovic whispered, ¡°Listen, we can¡¯t just let them get out of solitary. Don¡¯t you understand how that would look? I mean their raid on the armory nearly triggered a prison revolt! A bloody one! To just let Freeman and his gang walk out of solitary would be dangerous. For everyone. We don¡¯t want the other prisoners to get any¡­ magical ideas! It would set a precedent that our rule of law is amenable,¡± Kovic protested but deliberated further, ¡°Eli Freeman is just an ordinary prisoner, nothing else. If you want, we¡¯ll gladly arrange another penal unit to work with you. One that isn¡¯t in solitary. Or even better, I can dispatch some of my elite headhunters to assist you. But Misfit squad must stay where they are.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you aren¡¯t seeing them the way I am. There are forces greater than both of us at play. They¡¯ve highlighted the Misfits as special, I¡¯m afraid our cooperation cannot continue until they are freed from their cells. They may remain as part of the Penal Unit, as prisoners, but everything returns back to the way it was prior. We owe it to them.¡± Kovic, Juma, and the rest of the assembled staff members glanced at each other. Before they once again turned to Chief Ani...
The solitary cells were miserable, to say the absolute least. The buildings that the cells were housed in looked like they were rushed to be assembled in a manner of hours. Flat and brutal, concrete structures flanking the central administration. Complete with dozens of thick glass windows containing who knows how many disobedient slaves within. The solitary building was still being expanded by the looks of it, as prisoners were marshalled on by guards to continue building new foundations in parts surrounding it. Like everything else about this wretched hive, the solitary building was growing. The influence of The Coalition grew stronger by the second, and it grew more permanent too. An irreversible scar. A wrong that couldn''t be righted any more. At least Otaes could right this wrong. ¡°This is it,¡± Juma said, stopping in front of a solid steel door on the second floor of the solitary building. It was a long and quiet hallway lined with a mess of other identical steel doors, only separated by a numerical designation painted on the wall next to them. The only sounds were the occasional wail of prisoners inside, and the low rumbling of a ventilation system inside. The lights were shoddy, despite being new the electric lights seemed unable to operate for more than few moments without flickering. Juma waved her hand and a guard pulled out his keys. With a twist and a pull, the door creaked open. The room inside was dark. Otaes¡¯ eyes adjusted to the lack of light inside. It was a small, cramped space, with a bed and a single tiny sad window mounted high up on the wall. It was a cage fit more for an animal than a human. And then her eyes landed on him. Eli had turned around, his eyes wide. He looked dirty. The hair on his head matted and poorly kept, his clothes dingy, he himself looked¡­ hollow. As if somehow he had been carved out from the inside. His eyes went first right up to the guards and Juma, but his face contorted when he saw Otaes and Ani standing besides them. It took a minute, and he didn¡¯t say anything. Nobody did. Ani looked at the guards, and they gestured for her to enter inside. Ani looked back to Otaes to stay put while she went in. And just as she walked inside, the door shut behind her¡­
¡°Eli Freeman?¡± Ani asked. Eli looked up at her, unsure of how she got here, or why she came here. It was strange seeing her here, he was sure that he never would see anyone from the past again. And to have Ani here, in his cell of all places, it was almost frightening. He swallowed, ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So this is where they¡¯re keeping you?¡± She said, her eyes darted around disgusted at the state of the cell. ¡°It¡¯s not permanent but¡­ home sweet home. For now,¡± He grimaced. ¡°Do you know where Misfit is?¡± The question stung him. A wave of emotion washed over him from the inside. Slowly, he shook his head, ¡°They separated us days ago. I think. Gave us each five more years, and then threw us in the hole. I haven¡¯t seen them since.¡± ¡°You will be freed.¡± Eli looked up at her. It was such a certain statement. A bold one at that, ¡°How do you know.¡± ¡°Us Warrior Elves owe a great deal to you. If you hadn¡¯t stumbled into our home, I¡¯m afraid I would¡¯ve had to evacuate Raritan. It would¡¯ve been the first time that our capital had been lost to the enemy. Ever¡­ who knows what would¡¯ve happened after.¡± ¡°Yeah well, it¡¯s our fault that this war is even happening in the first place.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Not yours specifically. You¡¯ll do well to know that we keep our friends and family closer than we keep our allies,¡± She explained, ¡°We¡¯ve been talking with Kovic on negotiating your release, at least from solitary. All of Misfit¡¯s. It¡¯s us repaying our debt of gratitude.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a prisoner,¡± Eli sighed, ¡°It¡¯s probably better in here than it is out on the battlefield.¡± ¡°Do you really believe that?¡± ¡°I-¡° Eli paused. Ani took another look around the room, ¡°This place they have you in is for animals. How can you be comfortable rotting away in here? How can you not try and fight back?¡± ¡°Fight back, how? Why? I was this close to making it out of the Penal Unit,¡± He held his fingers up, feeling his heart skip a beat, ¡°This close. I could feel it. Freedom was right there! All I had to do was just sit there, and¡­ and-¡° ¡°Collaborate?¡± She filled in. Eli sighed, ¡°Yeah. Collaborate.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not you speaking. That¡¯s Kovic. Besides, you said it clear as day¡­ it was your job to get Misfit back home. To protect them in the only way you know how,¡± she extended him her hand to pull him up from sitting, ¡°You can¡¯t protect them if you¡¯re wasting away in here. You have work to do, Freeman. Your story doesn¡¯t end here.¡± He could feel hope in his heart once more. A final light, a chance to do what he had to do. The chance to get reunited with Misfit. One more time. He was almost disappointed in himself for giving up so easily. But again there was the fear of having it all ripped away. The Coalition seemed unopposable. How could he guarantee their safety if they remained under the jackboot of their totality? He could not. It was impossible. The image of Omar crying as he was ripped away from him brought tears to his eyes. There was a spark of rage hidden somewhere in that image. Something that drowned out his fear. He¡¯d do anything to fix that. No matter how impossible. He had to do it for his team. Anything short of that would¡¯ve not only been a betrayal to them, but to himself. The way a squad leader should. He nodded, taking her hand as sniffed away the tears burning his nasals and eyes, ¡°Thank you,¡± was all he wearily said.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== ==[ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST]== >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO''S NEST]===

===[SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION: SABER GROUP / OVERWATCH COMMAND GROUND FORCES]=== >>> Operation: FOREIGN FRIEND >>> Initiator: The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence SABER Group (On behalf of The Ostraland Commonwealth) >>> Receiver: Overwatch Command Ground Forces (On behalf of the Global Strategic Coalition) >>> Operation Goal: Airborne delivery of 55 T1-75MM recoilless Mighty Mouse weapons, initiate friendly contact between both parties, establish mutual trust and contacts with the Signals Intelligence Support Unit (SISU) >>> Searching Transcript... >>> Please standby... >>> Initializing... ==[Begin Transmission]==
The forest was oddly silent. Sergeant Gomart hadn''t been on Narva for long, but his time was enough to know that whenever the Kiote jungle got really silent, something was bound to happen. The calm before the storm. The shockwave before the blast. His squad of headhunters seemed to reciprocate that feeling. Overwatch Command had given them a seemingly random spot to sit and wait for... something. Overwatch was expecting something or someone to meet at the location, but if it was a group of locals or an fugitive unit of phantoms that turned themselves in - he had no clue. Gomart wasn''t even sure if Overwatch knew what they were supposed to be out here looking for, and if they did know, they certainly weren''t telling him. "So... we get there and just wait?" Asked Private Braun in his thick German accent, "Seems like a setup to me, no?" "Could be," Gomart told him. The location of the meetup was at the peak of the hill just a few miles north of The Nexus, close to the local town. Despite it''s proximity to The Nexus, it was only recently liberated ground and much of it remained unsecured. The "elves" could''ve been anywhere in this area. Lurking in the shadows. Though, from what Gomart had seen with his month or so of being deployed out here, The "Avonians" didn''t fight like that. Ambushes were rare. The Avonian elves liked to use massed assaults of dragons, behemoths and artillery to destroy a position. Ambushes weren''t their tactic of choice. That was for the actual locals of the area. The "Warrior Elves", or so they were called. Still, despite the lack of any sign that the Avonians were near - dragons, twenty meter tall death machines, clouds of chemical gas that could kill a man in under a second - he remained somewhat nervous. It was impossible to shake just how terrifying they were. Gomart had been in a lot of combat zones in his lifetime, too many in fact. But this... Planet Narva? This took the cake for being the most horrifying. It wasn''t even close. Sure, Earth''s wars were brutal. But you could always know what the enemy was capable of. Tanks were a tough nut to crack, but killable. Aircraft were even harder, but once again they could always be shot down. What the hell was a squad of Headhunters gonna do if a Behemoth were to show up right here? Even if it was unlikely, the fact that there was literally nothing they could do to defeat it was a fear all on its own. And there were rumors that the behemoths weren''t even the worst that the Avonians could come up with. Damn this planet all to hell, caution would remain his guiding principle. He wasn''t getting vaporized by a death machine today. The Headhunters stalked through the jungle silently, moving through the thick verdant terrain swiftly. The wildlife was rumored to be dangerous, but they were armed well with full-color night vision. If they came across a threat that they couldn''t kill, they would steer clear of it. He kept a tight grip on his gun as he remained observant. From the distance, there was the electric buzz of their recon drone faintly humming over the jungle canopy, "The drone''s picking up nothing. No heat signatures besides the animals. It''s just us out here," Lieutenant Powers advised as she turned off the monitor attached to her wrist, "The point is in the clearing just up ahead." "Good," Gomart said, "No surprises. Take up positions within the trees, do not enter the clearing. Got it?" "Copy." His squad affirmed. Eventually the clearing came into view. It was a rather large and inconspicuous field in the midst of the jungle palm trees and grass. There was evidence of a recent fire, an unnatural. Some of the trees carried recent burn scars and a few of the dead palms remained standing in the field. Their husks black with soot and ash, littering the clearing''s grass. "A fire happened recently," Said Corporal Shephard as he observed the decayed husk of a tree not too far away from the ridgeline. "How much do you want to bet that it wasn''t a natural forest fire?" Braun said. "The drone is still searching, hold on. I''ll get it to inspect the area closer," Powers turned back to her monitor. The electric whine of the drone zoomed over head, and the tiny quadcopter scanned the area. Gomart inched closer over to her, watching the monitor on her wrist softly glow with the infrared feed. The camera zoomed over the black-and-white terrain of jungle, but ultimately there was nothing. Nothing. More - Wait. Was that a, "Dragon," Braun said. The camera snapped immediately onto the shape of a dragon lying dormant on the far end of the field. Or rather, not dormant. It was difficult to make out through the infrared camera, but its size betrayed it. Luckily for the Headhunters, the dragon''s body was cold. So cold that it blended in to the ambient environment around it, the body appeared gray upon a gray background. But it was there. Horns, half-iron scales. Massive wings capped with sharp spikes. It was all there, "Thank Christ, it''s dead," Powers sighed, shivering slightly. "I remembered a report that the armored division lost an Abrams around here a couple days ago. Whole crew, ripped apart. Not a single survivor. They think a dragon did it," Braun said. "Dragons can kill tanks?" Shephard asked. "Unlikely. I''ve seen the report too," Said Gomart, "The tank was hit by an explosive mine trap and they were swarmed by those robot dogs. The crew panicked, tried to flee, and then abandoned the Abrams when a fire started in the engine. Dragon came in and ripped up what was left of the tank, dogs tore apart whatever was left of the crew." "Bloody fucking hell..." Shephard whispered. "That wouldn''t have happened if the crew knew what they were doing. So keep your eyes on a swivel. The dead dragon only means that the Avonians were here at some point. We don''t know how long ago it was. Spread out, take up guard positions around the ridge," Gomart ordered and the squad obeyed. Filtering out with their weapons raised. They remained in the bushes to surround the clearing while also remaining hidden. Silence. Nothing but the buzz of the drone. Each of the headhunters confirmed that their field of vision was clear from any threat. The drone picked up nothing. There was nobody here. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Minutes passed by and nothing happened. "Are we at the right spot?" Whispered Braun over his headset. Powers again looked at her monitor before quickly putting it away, "Yeah. This is it." More waiting. Tense minutes slipped by filled with unease. It felt like a trap waiting to happen. Gomart couldn''t help but keep looking over his shoulder for fear that they had already been spotted and were being stalked. But nothing happened. More waiting. And more waiting... And even more waiting... And then... nothing happened. "You sure this is the right spot? What are we even supposed to be looking for?" Asked Braun. "That''s what it said on the monitor," Said Powers. "Yeah, but what if it-" Braun stopped speaking suddenly. Gomart craned his head to watch him in the distance. He was looking at vague direction somewhere far. "Braun? What happened?" Braun turned back to the squad, "You hear that? It sounds like a rumbling noise. Northeast. Range uh... I don''t know. A kilometer out, maybe?" Gomart listened. And he too could hear it. A low rumbling in the air. Much deeper and far more powerful than the whir of the drone. The headhunters kept an ear out. Listening as the sound intensified. The drone ascended sharply as Powers ordered it to get a better view of the region. Still, nothing on the ground. But the sound only grew, to the point where it almost seemed like it was right above them. "It''s coming straight for us!" Said Shephard, "I think that''s what we''re waiting for! It sounds like an aircraft! A big one!" They turned their attention towards the skies, as the rumbling evolved into a distinct screech! So powerful it threatened to deafen them! And from the skies above, came lights. White electric light flooded the field. Not from either the drone or the headhunters, but from the aircraft. The powerful lights illuminated all. Silhouetting the aircraft as its form materialized overhead. Gomart almost couldn''t believe his eyes. It was as big and wide as the behemoths were tall. Two massive wings stretched out from either side of it, keeping the iron giant afloat in the skies. Meanwhile powerful spotlights on the nose beamed down on the clearing. Three jet engines on either wing propelled it forward with incredible speed! Emitting distinct plumes of red exhaust as it pushed through. On the underside of its wing was a ten pointed star which briefly flashed in his vision before the aircraft flew overhead and dipped back out of view above the jungle canopy. It flew so close to the ground that Gomart could almost feel the wind blowing from its size as it flew past. There was a cargo bay that seemed open from the rear end of the aircraft that rapidly closed just before it departed. Gomart followed the aircraft even though it was out of sight, wordlessly. "It dropped something! Airborne! Parachute!" Said Braun. He pointed to the skies. A massive steel container fell towards the clearing, before it was halted in mid air by two giant parachutes that guided it gently to the ground. The metal container also bore the same ten-pointed star that the underwing of the aircraft had. There was no mistaking it. This was the target. "Aliens left us a gift?" Shephard asked. "Scout it out. It could be dangerous," Gomart ordered. The drone descended, hovering over the package and illuminating it with a light of its own. Powers shook her head, "No sign of any trap. It looks clean." Gomart nodded, "Good. Headhunters! Rally!" He held up his fist and moved towards the package. The dust had already settled and it sat dormant in the middle of the field. Yet upon walking up to it, something inside it woke up. A sensor had been tripped, and the box lit up, swarming the Headhunters in bright red ball of energy! In fear, Gomart took a step back aiming his rifle at it. A slot on the box opened up and from it boomed a robotic voice: "ALLIED SUPPLY SHIPMENT. DETAILS INSIDE. OPEN THE BOX. MORE ON THE WAY. FRIENDLY FORCE. DO NOT FIRE." The voice droned. Gomart was unsure of how he understood what the voice was saying, given that it was definitely Narvan in origin. He figured that it had something to do with the field of red energy. A type of translation magic of some form. It had to have been. More slots on the box opened up, exposing large metal tubes to the Headhunters. The tubes had writing and insignias all across them. And they were accompanied by what had to have been rockets. The writing on one of the tubes "T1-75MM MIGHTY MOUSE ANTI-VEHICLE ROCKET LAUNCHER". "Well I''ll be!" Shephard exclaimed, "They gave us guns! I''ll bet these can take down a dragon or maybe even a behemoth!" "So that''s what Overwatch wanted huh, we''re getting supplies from the locals," Gomart narrowed his focus. He spotted the label, ''Armed Forces of The Ostraland Commonwealth'' engraved on the box''s metallic surface, "Ostralands..." "Whoever they are, I think I might like these guys. Especially if they keep this up!" Powers said, "We ought to let Overwatch know!" There was more. Paper. Instructions. Required reading. Those could be dissected later, but Gomart glimpsed their primary purpose. They showed off how to use the weapons, how to contact the Ostralands, and most importantly - what this was all for. "May The Revolution Always Be In Safe Hands," The text at the end read. Gomart was confused at first by the line. Revolution? Perhaps it was just their motto. Interesting. He turned to his squad, "Contact Overwatch. Let ''em know that we just received a literal gold mine." "On it!" Powers immediately went to her radio. "Good... now how the hell are we gonna get this back to The Nexus...?"
>>> [SPRUCE GOOSE TO ANGEL. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST. EGG RECIEVED. FOREIGN FRIEND IS A GO. RETURNING TO BASE.] >>> [UNDERSTOOD. GOOD WORK. DEBRIEF NECESSARY WHEN YOU LAND. MAY THE REVOLUTION ALWAYS BE IN SAFE HANDS.]
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-12...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: T/B-12 "Constellation" Type: Night Bomber/Strategic Bomber/Utility Aircraft Country of Origin: The United Provinces of Oceania Information: Air Superiority has for millennia been the primary force behind the success of armies across the world. From the Avonian Dragon Riding knights and Warrior Elf Griffon Warriors, to the flying Avian legions of Oran, and to the Pegasus riding crusaders of Bizonia - flight has dominated the battlefields of Planet Narva time and time again. And as time continues, air superiority has only cemented its necessity. And in this new era of warfare, jet aircraft engineered by The Commonwealth have emerged as a complete game changer. Commonwealth jet aircraft have become one of humanity''s defining symbols, as humans for the first time in history dominate the skies above Planet Narva. The T/B-12 Constellation is one of the mainstays of the Commonwealth airforce. A massive winged bomber capable of delivering hundreds of bombs precisely on target. Engineered during the closing stages of The Sacred War as a successor to the long-range B-100 "Super Lancer" Strategic Bomber, the Constellation arose from an emerging atomic battlefield and a need to deliver both nuclear and glitterbomb weapons via air from virtually anywhere on the planet. Though the Constellation would - luckily - never be used for its intended purpose as a nuclear strike bomber - it remained present in the skies of Narva. From the Oran Crisis, to the Kiote War, to the Zanican Straits standoff and countless other conflicts across the globe. The internal bomb bays are capable of destroying an area the size of a small city, and the bomb bays are so large that they double as a cargo hold for the rapid ad-hoc transport of equipment across continents. This versatility has made the Constellation an integral part of The Oceanian and Ostralandian Commonwealth''s Airforces, and it remains a distinct thorn in the side of the Avonian Empire, which has yet to successfully shoot one down...
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 28: Misfit >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 28: Misfit]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Being freed from solitary was a fever dream. Eli¡¯s mind hardly processed the images as they floated by. It didn¡¯t feel real to him. There were shapes, objects, faces, maybe even people. But none of it was there. Probably more accurately, he was the one that wasn''t there. It had only been two days at most spent in solitary confinement, and it was enough to shatter his hold on reality. Had Chief Ani and Otaes not saved him, what would''ve happened then? Sanity may have flown out of that bullet proof window. He wondered what he would''ve been like if he was insane - provided he wasn''t already insane, which was a genuine possibility. He was a lot of things right now, and nothing at all - all at once. He didn''t know how he felt as the guards walked him out of his solitary cell and into the outside world. He wasn''t even focused on that specifically. Instead, he was a million miles away. Earth? Narva? Maybe. He felt like he was leaving the Solar System, flying past Jupiter and kissing the rings of Saturn as he flew past. Playing pool with the shiny blue Neptune and Uranus. Swimming through the asteroids, further and further... Billions of miles away. Somewhere where Overwatch could never find him again no matter how many portals they opened. He was processed, issued a new uniform, and his monitor was again reprogrammed. A solitary regime replaced with that of a normal Penal Unit. He felt a rush of relief wash over his psyche when he saw the glowing monitor display his ordinary penal unit regime once again, normal orders, normal assignments. His prison extension had not been reversed, but at the very least - he wasn''t in solitary for all of it. Accompanied by guards, he was taken out of the prison and sent to the inner barracks. Where the rest of the penal unit lived. The provisional tents in the field had been replaced by blocks of metal housing. Cheap housing at that. The barracks looked more like slums than they did actual barracks. Yet it was better than the solitary cells by miles. The security units holding Eli stopped in front of one of the long metal boxes that they called a barrack. Iron bars filling the windows of the front steel door segregated the dark interior from the open air. The muggy tropical weather had created a somewhat dank smell that emanated from the barrack''s interior. A security unit took out his mess of keys, finding the appropriate one to slot inside of the steel door - and with a creaky groan, it slid open. Inside, there were four bunk beds and little else. Just some chairs, a table, and a few windows that were both barred and covered by that same impenetrable glass. It was obvious that Overwatch had reinforced the security now that The Nexus was no longer in any immediate danger - for now. The gaps in security that had even made Misfit''s escape attempt possible in the first place had all been smoothed over. No longer were the prisoners kept in cloth tents with no real way to close the doors. This was it, the real deal. He was still in the penal unit, but the amount of relief he felt to at least be a prisoner outside of the Solitary Cells was immense. Of all things, he¡¯d never thought he would be happy to be back in ''The Pen''. The Security Units shoved him inside without much care at all and locked the door behind him. Leaving Eli in the shadowy interior of the room as the crunch of the security units'' boots against gravel faded into the distance.. There was a light hanging from the ceiling, but either it was disconnected or broken - or both. His eyes drifted to one of the available beds, slowly he slinked his way towards one. Clambering his way towards the bottom bunk, and laying down on its surface. It was rough, it was hard, and he swore he could feel one of the springs stabbing him in the ribs. But it was better than sleeping on the solitary floor. He ought to tally Otaes'' favor, if they were to ever meet again. He knew for sure that she would. He owed her twice now. First, she saved Misfit from those wolves. Now, she got him out of solitary confinement. If they ever did meet once more, he''d have to find a way to repay her. Surely. Somehow... As he stared at the bottom of the bunk above him, he noticed that he had a small view out the window just next to his head. It wasn''t much. Just the steel barrack next to them and the crown of one of those squat palm trees that he thought looked like giant pineapples. He almost didn''t notice the flock of blackbirds that had taken up residence within the crown of sharp green leaves inside. And a lone dove among their ranks. The birds. There was something about those birds. Not just any birds though, specifically those two. And every time he thought of them... the image of that thing kept coming back to him. He had seen it, standing there back in Raritan. Only for a brief second. But it was there. So was he just seeing shit from his dreams now? Was that normal? Maybe a side effect from the portal? Actually, now that he thought about it - were they sure that the portal was safe? What if it gave him cancer or something... He was letting the jungle heat get to him. Sighing, he closed his eyes. Waiting for the rest of his squad to be returned. Eventually, there was another jingle at the door. The locks were undone, and standing there in the doorway was Dutch being escorted inside. The thin stubble around his face had grown noticeably darker. His hair wild and unkempt. His uniform dirty and visibly soiled. He held his new uniform in a plastic package. Eli could only imagine how he himself looked; it was a while since he last saw himself in a mirror. Dutch shakily locked eyes with Eli as he walked in. He took a seat on another available bed across from his. Dutch''s normally friendly demeanor looked distant. Hands folded, eyes staring at something in the distance. He looked a bit on edge. Eli couldn''t blame him. "You mind if I..." Dutch''s usually bright voice was tempered by a low grunt. He held up his new uniform''s package in his hand, gesturing to it. Eli averted his gaze to let the man change. There were no private doors or stalls in here after all. Eli turned back to the palm tree, but all the birds were gone now. Flying off somewhere else. Odd. When Dutch slipped into his new uniform, nothing else was said between the two men. There was a lot to say, but it wasn''t the time now. Dutch probably felt the same way Eli had, somehow defeated and relieved at the same time. They had been saved - sure. But they were stuck on Narva now... If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perhaps forever. Then Rafael. Eli wasn''t sure what he was expecting Rafael to look like, but his abnormally meek and quiet posture certainly wasn''t it. He carried wounds on his face that Eli swore weren''t there before. Had they been... torturing him? He could very well see the guards beating Rafael, the revolutionary-wannabe, just for the kick of it. The wounds on his face had little time to heal, and though they weren''t major - they were noticeable. Then came Badger. Like Dutch, she looked terrible. Messy. Hurt. Not nearly as bad as Rafael, but enough to get the fact that she''d spent the past few days in solitary confinement. Once again she said nothing, looking out by the door for the rest of the squad to enter. Then Omar. Omar looked beyond relief when he finally locked eyes with Eli. And then there was Matteo. Out of everyone, he was the one that looked the most drained. The bags under his eyes had grown a few shades noticeably darker, his face more hollow, his posture beaten and depressed. How could he not be? Eli had six months left and the extension of five years was soul crushing enough. Matteo had two months... he must''ve hated Eli. And he had every right to. In fact, as the man heaved his way inside - he noticed that Matteo refused to meet Eli''s gaze. He kept an eye on Matteo. There was no telling what was going through his mind right now. Matteo trudged past everyone, saying nothing, doing nothing except for making his way towards an available bunk out near the back of the barrack. And then... Cato. He never came. Eli stared at the doorway half expecting him to show up. But he would never. They started off with seven and now Misfit was down one. He felt uneasy thinking about it. His hands had started to shake. He thought of things he could¡¯ve done. Would¡¯ve¡¯s, could¡¯ve¡¯s, should¡¯ve¡¯s. They all came to mind. But what was done was done. Cato was dead. Misfit was down to six. They were not invincible. They probably never were... ¡°It¡¯s not right¡­¡± Dutch said, finally breaking the silence. He sat on the edge of his bed, with Badger''s hand barely grazing his auburn hair from her spot above him, ¡°It just isn¡¯t right.¡± ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± Asked Rafael. ¡°Cato shouldn¡¯t have died out there.¡± ¡°He said it himself. We¡¯re prisoners. We¡¯re supposed to die. At least he got what he wanted. He died free," Matteo said. As was expected of him. He didn''t seem to like Cato. Or really care at all. ¡°But we could¡¯ve saved him!¡± Omar said, ¡°The Elves! They moved him from the hospital! If we kept him there, he wouldn¡¯t have been in harms way! Or if we put him¡­ somewhere. We could¡¯ve kept him alive if we just tried harder!¡± Matteo sighed, ¡°It¡¯s not their fault. It¡¯s nobody¡¯s fault. You can¡¯t predict when someone¡¯s gonna die, you know? No use beating ourselves over something we have no control of.¡± ¡°But we did! He was unconscious! We could¡¯ve moved him somewhere safe! We¡¯re a squad! A family! Isn¡¯t that what family does? Are we seriously just going to shrug our shoulders and say that nothing could¡¯ve been done when one of our own gets killed?¡± He looked over towards Eli, ¡°You told me that! We¡¯re family! We¡¯re Misfit! We¡¯re supposed to look out for each other. Right?¡± Eli looked away from Omar¡¯s gaze. He felt ashamed of himself. He abandoned Omar once, watching helplessly as the guards dragged him away in their moment of weakness. Allowing it to happen. Resigning himself to letting the dream die. ¡°Right?¡± He sighed, looking back up at Omar, nodding. ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re right.¡± ¡°He is?¡± Badger asked. ¡°He is. We¡¯re Misfit. We¡¯re out here on our own, far, far away from our homes. If we even had homes in the first place. We got out of prison because the Elves were impressed by what we did out there.¡± Misfit was silent as they listened to him. He had to restore their confidence somehow. This brief stint in prison could never happen again. They got lucky. Once more and the dream would truly be dead. They had to make their every move count. They needed unity. Or else, they would end up dead. Just like Cato. ¡°From here on out, we¡¯re not just a squad. We look out after each other. We protect each other. We fight for each other. Because nobody else will. The only thing we have is each other. If there¡¯s a decision to be made, we make it as a whole,¡± Eli leaned forward, feeling more confident in his words as he said them. Misfit was still silent. They were listening. That¡¯s all he wanted them to do, ¡°If we decide to fight back against Kovic, we fight back together. If we decide to wait it out, we do so as a squad. But no matter what, we stick together. We survive.¡± Eli stretched out his hand, balling it into a fist, ¡°Together. I need you guys. I can¡¯t do this alone.¡± ¡°None of us can. We all need someone watching our backs,¡± Badger placed her fist next to Eli¡¯s, grinning from ear to ear, ¡°I¡¯ll look after you, you look after me. We¡¯ll get through this.¡± Eli returned the smile. Looking over towards Rafael who approached with an equally large look of satisfaction, ¡°Ah, see¡­ that¡¯s the revolutionary spirit I¡¯m waiting for! You can¡¯t conquer what you cannot divide.¡± Rafael placed his fist in the circle. Of course, Omar placed his fist in, looking right up into Eli¡¯s eyes, ¡°You promised that you¡¯d get me and everyone else here back home. I¡¯m still holding you up to that.¡± ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d forgotten,¡± He joked, causing Omar to giggle with laughter. Dutch placed his fist in too, "Cato shouldn''t have died out there. But while we''re alive, we can show them that they won''t break the rest of us." And lastly was Matteo. He was hesitant to do so. Watching from afar. But eventually, his fist joined the circle of everyone else¡¯s, ¡°Eli¡­¡± He looked up at the old man. There was pain in his eyes. Fear even. He was uncertain of the future ahead. Eli knew what Matteo was going to say, ¡°Just do your job. I don¡¯t think they reversed our sentence extensions¡­ so just keep us alive. Keep us together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± ¡°There is no trying. You either do, or you don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then I will.¡± Matteo, for the first time that Eli could see, smiled. A real, genuine smile. Not one buried under layers of hopelessness and nihilism. But a real one, ¡°Good.¡± Misfit would have to endure. If they didn¡¯t, they would all die. And they all knew that for a fact.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 29: The Corporate State >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 29: The Corporate State]===

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¡°¡­Provisions have been made to create an area surrounding the Nexus, approximately fifteen kilometers in a circle extending from the outer walls. These lands, included which is the entirety of the coastal city of Canau barred a few suburban outskirts, will be incorporated into official Coalition territory, and by proxy my jurisdiction.¡± ¡°Very impressive, Major. Very impressive, however, we have a few¡­ concerns moving forward,¡± The investor shifted in his seat and cleared his throat, setting a glass of spirits down on the table. The clouds of cold mist already condensing on the surface of the glass. Kovic wondered if his white hair was natural from age, though the investor didn¡¯t look old. Fourty-ish maybe, but no older. Probably dyed white, Kovic figured. ¡°Anything, Mr. Katsuro.¡± ¡°I¡¯m of the impression that a lot of the territory within the jungle is considered sacred ground to the Elves. I hate to bring this up, but if we are going to move forward into establishing enterprise territory ¨C I need assurances that the elves will not be a problem. Rather ¨C the Corporate Board does.¡± ¡°Assurances?¡± Kovic asked bemusedly. ¡°We need to be sure that our assets won¡¯t be bombed the moment we finish building them. The CEOs on the Board want assurances that the war we¡¯re fighting and the political situation won¡¯t be a burden on production. They want political stability so to speak.¡± Kovic smiled, nodding to Katsuro, ¡°Rest assured. Our primary combat teams stand ready for rapid deployment and are prepared to defend the Nexus as well as modern technology permits. The Avonians are giving us some trouble, I¡¯ll admit. But that¡¯s mostly thanks to their magic. From what we could gather, most of the tech on this planet is comparable to what you''d find roughly in the mid-20th century. 1950s, 60s, hell even 70s. We''ve just had a few of our boys meet up with one of the local factions, they''ve still got black-and-white TVs running off magic power if you can believe it. We¡¯re lightyears ahead of them as far as tech-to-tech comparisons go. It''s their magical powers and our chronic lack of manpower that''ll be our biggest issue, but luckily for us we''re working on it. As for the elves, they will not be an issue. We''ve made sure of that.¡± ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Well, you see, the warrior elves are very ¨C very- ¨C simple. They like to make decisions based off emotional ties and spiritual connections. If you give them several alternatives to what they truly desire, they won¡¯t know what to do ¨C so they¡¯ll relinquish it to you. They¡¯re incredibly easy to... uh... persuade in that manner.¡± ¡°So, what did you offer them?¡± Mr. Katsuro asked, leaning in closer. Through his narrow framed glasses, the businessman looked intrigued. ¡°Guarantees, assurances. We insisted that the price of our alliance was recognition of the Nexus¡¯ sovereignty within the aforementioned fifteen kilometers. They pushed back, asserting that they wanted ¨C get this ¨C they wanted some of our prisoners to be free as they were close friends. You believe that?¡± ¡°Wow.¡± ¡°And even then, were able to negotiate them down to letting the prisoners out of their stay within solitary confinement. We¡¯ve given them nothing. Yet they believe that they¡¯ve achieved some sort of victory.¡± ¡°Smoke and mirrors.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all it is.¡± Katsuro let a thin smile grow across his narrow face, and he leaned back in his seat as he reached for a glass full of spirits, ¡°That¡¯s certainly good to hear, and the corporate board will be pleased. They want someone as Overseer who¡¯s got a strong knack for ¨C¡° Katsuro struggled for a word as he brushed back his silver hair, ¡°Diplomacy. Right. Diplomacy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re Chief Executive of a multinational conglomerate, I¡¯m certain you¡¯re well versed in that strategy,¡± Kovic tried his best to flatter the man. ¡°Oh of course, that¡¯s all corporate politics really are. Diplomacy,¡± Mr. Katsuro smiled, smoothing back his white hair as he reclined in the leather chair. He reeked of corporate faux enthusiasm. Just one of the annoyances that High Command sent over to keep an eye on him. To make sure that he was building the vision they desired. Utopia seemed a far-fetched dream with minds such as Mr. Katsuro¡¯s being in charge. But as much as Kovic hated the corporate board and their endless greed, he had to put up with them. At least for now. Utopia could wait. For now, practical matters were at the forefront. ¡°So¡­ are your fears eased?¡± Kovic asked the chief executive, who nodded with a brief professional smile. ¡°Thanks to you, they are. Mining operations should begin soon once the lands are properly secured, and we get our equipment shipped over. Funny you bring up the elves, some of the soldiers remarked that they were beautiful.¡± ¡°Perhaps if you can stomach their odor. Sitting across from Ani, I thought I might pass out.¡± Mr. Katsuro let out a chuckle, ¡°I like you. We could use someone like you on the board. Let the High Commanders send another one of their officers to be overseer, I can get you out of having to deal with the prisoners. I have a few business partners in Japan and Korea who would love to have you as an American representative.¡± ¡°Thank you for the offer, but I¡¯ll respectfully decline. There¡¯s too much here for me to give up, too much at stake. You know?¡± Kovic frowned as he reclined into the plush softness of his chair. The words came easy, almost as if they were pre-meditated. He could be blunt in this way, and so his hands gestured to the window outside ¨C to the Nexus and to the life that had taken root all around what used to be just a stretch of dirt and a few tents, now a fortress and a proper home for Overwatch in the new world, ¡°Everything you see here is a dream, a brighter future for mankind. You know how Earth is. War¡­ famine¡­ constant shortages¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± Katsuro¡¯s smile dropped for the first time as he sighed, raising the wine glass to his thin lips, ¡°Ever since the 2030s, the whole planet¡¯s gone to hell.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s what Utopia is all about, you know? Restarting. Back to square one, but this time with something our ancestors never had. Knowledge and wisdom. We have a real shot to make something profound here. As overseer, I get to build that Utopia. And I wouldn¡¯t trade it for the world.¡± Katsuro chuckled lightly as he fixed the glasses on his sharp face, his eyes locked with Kovic¡¯s, ¡°They did call you a visionary in the dossier they sent me. But be careful, there will come a time when your dreams don¡¯t align with what¡¯s necessary. Be pragmatic, but optimistic.¡± There was a wad of bile building up in the back of Kovic¡¯s throat. How ironic was it that the man who stood as the antithesis of Kovic¡¯s vision of Utopia, was telling him to put his dreams aside to be pragmatic. Ridiculous. Kovic forced a smile and nodded his head, ¡°Of course. The Coalition always comes first.¡± ¡°Ada boy. Anyways, I believe you¡¯re a man who has things sorted. A right head on his shoulders so to speak. I believe you¡¯ve got the project well under control, and I¡¯ll advise the corporations to greenlight expansion into the enterprise zone. Speaking of¡­¡± Katsuro pulled out a massive journal, bound together by a belt but even that didn¡¯t stop pages of notes and letters from spilling out of them. Kovic felt a dreadful feeling encroach on his back, ¡°The Enterprise zone. Let¡¯s talk construction.¡± ¡°The Warrior Elves have agreed to the conditions set out by Coalition High Command; we have the power to evict any resident who lives within the enterprise zone should we wish. There shouldn¡¯t be too much resistance, as far as I¡¯m aware it¡¯s only a few farms and villages that belong to them in the area.¡± ¡°And what about the other faction? The River Republic?¡± ¡°Most of the enterprise zone lies on that side of the border, and seeing that we¡¯re technically in a state of war now, enforcement could prove difficult. However, I¡¯m ready to mobilize our Primary Combat Teams should we need to deal with an attack or insurgency of some sort.¡± ¡°And what about the city? Say-naw they called it? Caw-Naw?¡± Katsuro strained as he tried to pronounce the name of the city, failing, and instead pointing to it with the tip of his pen ¨C scribbled out on the crowded pages of his journal. ¡°Canau,¡± Kovic corrected him, ¡°Truth be told we¡¯re not sure what we want to do with it. On one hand we could try incorporating it into the broader Enterprise Zone, but we¡¯re already dealing with enough manpower shortages as is. On the other, we could just keep it under military occupation for the time being and have the elves do all the administrating for us.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Kovic could sense the hesitation coming from Katsuro¡¯s voice. That¡¯s not what he wanted to hear. The Corporate Board was seeing something that Kovic wasn¡¯t taking advantage of. He had to be more aggressive. ¡°Alternatively,¡± Kovic spat out a plan he¡¯d been keeping somewhere in the back of his mind, yet had always hesitated to share for fear of the potential repercussions. Katsuro looked up, suddenly interested. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We could go ahead with integrating Canau into the Enterprise Zone. It¡¯s a city with at least ten thousand people inside. We¡¯d be able to put most of them to work so long as I¡¯m guaranteed that more industry from Earth actually gets moved here. It¡¯d be an ample opportunity to wean The Nexus off of prison labor for good, at least before the colonists arrive. And¡­ it could make a hell of a profit.¡± And like that, Katsuro¡¯s face lit up. He could smell money in the deal, and like a good businessman, he wanted nothing else, ¡°Perfect,¡± Katsuro scribbled something down on what little free space there was on the crowded paper, though his face was expressionless. When he was done scribbling, he flipped over to a page all the way at the front of the journal, reading from it, ¡°If I can secure a greenlight from the board, there will be four corporate entities who will move into the Zone. BP, Ford, General Electric, and my own Sony Electronics. Each of them will create a subsidiary company that will be merged into one conglomerate - name still up for debate - that will allow the companies to operate here without fear of discovery in planet Narva. All for secrecy¡¯s sake.¡± Kovic frowned, ¡°None of these companies are military contractors as far as I know¡­ what business do they have in Narva?¡± ¡°Well at Sony, we¡¯re aware of a certain resource that could make the manufacturing of our semiconductors both far easier and cheaper overall. General Electric has their hands in a lot of pockets. You¡¯d be surprised. BP should be self-explanatory, they¡¯re masters at resource extraction. As for Ford, I¡¯m not sure. They¡¯re Americans, you should have an easy time picking their brain. But regardless, all the corporations represented on the board have contributed something to the construction of the portal. We provided the computer chips, digital equipment, silicon technology, superconductors. Ford, and BP financed it, billions of dollars. General Electric built the portal with their engineers. It goes on and on. It was a collaborative effort.¡± ¡°Scary what can get done when sharks smell blood in the water,¡± Kovic¡¯s offhand comment made Katsuro look somewhat weary. ¡°There¡¯s a lot to be found on this planet, Overseer, and we want to secure our investments. It would only be wise.¡± Kovic nodded, ¡°And this new conglomerate. Who¡¯ll be running the thing?¡± ¡°That¡¯s up for the corporate board to vote on. I¡¯ll be throwing my hat in the race since I¡¯m already the chief representative. If I can get at the head, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to get the rest of the board cooperative with your more visionary plans. In fact, the more I think about it, the more I happen to agree with you.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll make two of us,¡± It was Kovic¡¯s turn now to lean in, ¡°I''m being completely honest when I say that we have a real chance of making something truly amazing here. Building something new. Something better than what we¡¯ve got on Earth. I just need the cooperation of the companies, the military, and of course the High Commanders.¡± ¡°As long as we keep meeting our growth targets and expectations, I see no reason for our relationship to sour.¡± ¡°Cheers,¡± Kovic raised a glass with the two clinking mid-air. The two men rose from their luxurious chairs, leaning in to shake hands. A few pleasantries were exchanged, and guards escorted the businessman to a more luxurious suite where he¡¯d be spending the night in a faraway fantasy land. Perhaps even given a once-in-a-lifetime tour sponsored by the Coalition, where he¡¯d get to see all the local wildlife and exotic beasts that inhabited the territory secured by Kovic¡¯s forces. Perhaps that would be yet another area of venture capitalism to exploit, sending over the rich tourists to come and gawk at whatever it was they found so interesting on this rotten awful planet. Making a theme park out of this horrid jungle. The Elves would certainly hate the idea, but who cared about what they had to say? As Kovic did in his negotiations with Ani, he would simply do again. And if he kept in good standing with the army, he¡¯d have the force behind him. As for Kovic himself, he watched the businessman leave the office room. His pleasant smile vanished the moment the door closed behind the well-dressed man. It wasn''t just that Mr. Katsuro was a businessman - and Kovic loathed businessmen. He''d spent enough time around Wall Street in the days before the coup to know that the likes of Katsuro represented some of the most obnoxious, money-hungry, brain dead, "individuals" on Planet Earth. And - as if the universe was making some kind of great cosmic comedy sketch - They were the people who made the world turn. Utopia wouldn''t need them. Predators like Katsuro ran contrary to the social order of any society, and their rot of greed and corruption couldn''t be allowed to spread. And yet, he needed them still. The Overwatch Commanders were joined at their hip, and if he didn''t satisfy the Corporate Board... there would be eyebrows raised from people Kovic couldn''t afford to lose. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Perhaps then, it was the fact that they reminded him of just how mortal he truly was in the Overseer''s chair which made him detest Katsuro so much. Kovic may have been the man responsible for running the place, but as far as anyone of importance was concerned - that was it. He was a man surrounded with clowns to the left, jokers to the right, frauds and anti-Utopians in front and behind him. Like a man straddling on to a lifeboat in the middle of shark infested waters, Kovic too was a man stranded. One wrong step, and he''d be good as dead. Overwatch could replace him with someone they thought aligned with their vision at any moment, the army could overthrow him and turn The Nexus into a glorified military bunker. As the influence of the Corporate Board grows, as more resources were shipped back to Earth to make some sort of economy for The Nexus, The Corporate Board too would become a critical lifeline for him, and if he lost their support - The Nexus would surely die. And then there were those damn Phantoms... Everywhere he looked there was danger. And Mr. Katsuro was only the tip of the iceberg. He rubbed his hand against a handkerchief in disgust, turning to a secretary not too far away. ¡°Get the announcement system ready. I want to make an address.¡±
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==[WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE]== Building a Utopia is no easy task, and despite what some naysayers might believe, Major Kovic doesn¡¯t exactly have complete and absolute authority over what can be done inside of the Nexus. Instead, Major Kovic must play a Great Game in order to maintain a balancing act between the major factions that dominate the Nexus. As it is, there are six major factions that Kovic must keep in line in order to make progress on his dreams of Utopia - either by appeasing them, or by silencing them... [Kovic¡¯s Administration] Is the most obvious. This is Kovic¡¯s personal cohort of bureaucrats, administrators, and staff who work tirelessly to achieve his personal vision of Utopia and to fulfill Kovic¡¯s orders. Without the Administration, Kovic is but a mere man. Kovic¡¯s Administration runs off of Cohesion - which is a measure of how stable the administration is, The Administration''s ability to operate The Nexus without disruption, and how well it can implement Kovic''s dreams for a Utopia. Kovic¡¯s Administration Starts with a base of 100 Cohesion. The higher this number gets, the greater control Kovic has over the Nexus and the easier he can get his job done. However, if this number hits 0, this will be a sign that something has gone horrifically wrong in The Nexus leaving only chaos in Utopia¡¯s wake. [Overwatch Command] Represents the demands of the Earthbound Coalition High Commanders. While in practice Overwatch Command represents the body of Kovic''s officers in charge of issuing orders to soldiers and prisoners; tasking fire support; and maintaining daily operations; in The Great Game - Overwatch represents Kovic¡¯s superiors. Overwatch has a Satisfaction mechanic, with their base level of Satisfaction set at 100. Satisfaction represents The High Commander¡¯s approval of Kovic¡¯s job and their willingness to dispatch additional resources to help the Nexus grow and keep Kovic in power. If this number reaches 200, Kovic will have near complete access to Overwatch¡¯s granted powers and a near unlimited supply of Earthbound resources. But if this number reaches 0, Overwatch will fire Kovic and replace him with a new and more loyal Commander... unless Kovic resists and keeps himself in power by force... [The Armed Forces] Are the combined Primary Combat Teams and Security Units of The Nexus as well as any Phantoms assigned to combat duties. The Armed Forces are the sword and shield of Kovic¡¯s Administration, in charge of fighting the Administration¡¯s enemies (Which ranges from rebellious Phantoms, to The Avonian Empire, to an Angry Overwatch Command) and keeping the peace. They operate on a Trust mechanic, with trust representing how much the Armed Forces are willing to obey The Administration¡¯s rule. They start with a base of +50 trust. The closer it gets to 200, the more absolute Kovic¡¯s rule over the armed forces becomes. If the number reaches 0, this represents apathy to the administration, meaning the Armed Forces will refuse to take orders from The Administration if they feel it conflicts with orders sent from Overwatch Command. Worse yet, if Trust reaches into the negatives, this means that The Armed Forces are actively plotting to work against Kovic - perhaps to force him out in a coup. [The Corporate Board] Is the lifeblood of The Utopia Project. These are the Corporations, Investors, and major sources of economic activity for The Nexus. Securing the Corporate Board is crucial as their investments into The Nexus will allow the creation of a self-sustainable local economy as industry moves from Earth to Planet Narva. The Corporate Board operates off of the Confidence mechanic, with confidence representing how much faith the Corporate Board has in Kovic¡¯s ability to maintain stability for their economic growth. The higher this number gets, the more willing the Board is to invest into The Nexus, with 200 Confidence representing a thriving Corporate sector full of free trade between worlds and corporate investments into The Nexus. But if this number reaches 0, The Corporate Board loses confidence in the stability or survival of The Nexus and will begin to pull funding - a crucial blow to Kovic¡¯s Achilles heel. [The Headhunters] Are the Elite Forces of The Administration, and they represent a major secret police and paramilitary force that is necessary for keeping order among the factions. They are extremely well trained, equipped, and powerful. Perhaps the most powerful tool in Kovic¡¯s arsenal in case things get out of hand. Yet, it is precisely their power that makes them among the largest threats to Kovic¡¯s Administration. Luckily, due to the nature of The Headhunter¡¯s Organization, they are also the most loyal. Operating off of a Loyalty mechanic, The Headhunters are the only faction in the game to start with a base of 200 Loyalty, however it cannot grow past 200. It is necessary to maintain the Headhunters¡¯ loyalty, for if the number reaches 0, The Administration will find itself faced against an extremely dangerous opponent. [The Phantoms] Prisoners. Penal-Unit. Slaves. Expendables. Call them what you want to, they are the work horses of the entire operation. They work to build The Nexus and can be ordered to fight. Poorly trained and equipped, they are weak individually, yet due to their massive numbers they represent a substantiative threat to The Administration. Due to their status as prisoners and slaves, it is very easy for them to get too rowdy. This means that The Phantoms have two mechanics, the first being Stability - which represents the amount of control The Administration has over them starting at a base of 50. The other mechanic is anger - a measure of how radical the Phantoms are getting. The higher their anger, the more disobedient the Phantoms will become, turning to extreme measure to achieve their freedom, especially in times of crisis. This number can reach 200, with a max anger level meaning that the Phantoms are ready to burn everything to the ground and murder everyone with their assigned tools if Kovic¡¯s control slips. Luckily, to reinforce control, Kovic has a number of tools at his disposal. From executions, to solitary confinement, to straight up mass purges. However, all of these acts will cause Overwatch Command to lose confidence as they will have to reinforce our numbers with their strained manpower pools. And the Corporate Board will be drained of free manpower to work in their factories...
==[THE BALANCE OF POWER]== Kovic may be able to talk at great length to his penal-unit slaves of how great his Utopia will be for them. He can try his hardest to convince his superiors that his dreams of Utopia are not only possible, but also align with their dreams of a colony on a new world. He may say all of these things, outwardly, with all the passion he can muster. But ultimately, he will be shouting into the wind if he doesn''t answer one question: What exactly is Utopia? And for who does The Nexus serve? The State Of Our Utopia is the culmination of everything learned in The Great Game. It is a measure of which side Utopia leans. Overwatch and Kovic both diverge in terms of what they truly want to achieve on Planet Narva. Overwatch''s End Game will be a colonial stronghold, one that can act as both a profit generator by shipping crucial resources back to Earth and one that can ensure the survival and longevity of Earth''s Elite class and Government Institutions by remaining as a proxy for them to relocate to in case things on Earth manage to get worse... Kovic''s vision of Utopia is different. He imagines a perfect, sterile, world. One in which The State rules all in perfect symbiosis with the Armed Forces and Technology to create a "purified" mankind - free of the vices Kovic sees as plaguing Earth''s cultures and institutions rotten. Kovic envisions a world where everything exists to serve the State, and where the state guides humanity''s natural supremacy across the stars... Whether Overwatch Command''s "Pragmatic" or Kovic''s "Utopian" vision for The Nexus will emerge supreme in The Great Game - is ultimately decided here in The State of Our Utopia. Every action made, every word spoken, every faction won over, and every voice of dissent silenced, will ultimately shape what Utopia will look like. Whether it''s a glorified penal colony on another world, or something more akin to the darkest regimes of The Early 20th Century...
==[MONEY TALKS]== Money talks. People listen. If Kovic has any intention at all of building a Utopian world that he can control, he must first learn how to control The Corporate Board. The Utopia Project revolves around money, and one of his primary orders from High Command is to create a modestly self-sufficient economy. It is true, even in his world of a Utopia, money will remain king. Despite his hatred of capitalism, believing it to be the primary driver of The Resource Wars and the downfall of Earth, Kovic needs The Corporations if Utopia is to survive. However, this does not mean that he is beholden to Corporate rule. In fact, quite the opposite. As The Nexus and The Enterprise Zone grows, The Board itself will evolve with Kovic having a unique opportunity to play the various differing factions within against each other to best suit his rule. Each faction, The Americans, The Europeans, The Japanese, And The Minors - all have differing tolerance and vision of what Utopia will be. Depending on which faction (or coalition of factions) emerges supreme, the Corporate Board''s relationship with The Administration''s agenda will be altered. Winning the support of any faction, or ensuring that a specific faction emerges as the most powerful, will be crucial for The Administration''s goals. And as time goes on, The Voting Floor itself will have the powerful to shape what The Enterprise Zone actually looks like...
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[TO BUILD A UTOPIA] >>>[THE STATE OF OUR UTOPIA] >>>[NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, THE MONEY MUST FLOW]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 30: The Prison-Industrial-Complex >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 30: The Prison-Industrial-Complex]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
¡°ROLL CALL!¡± The voice of a guard boomed from outside the dormitories. The iron doors holding the prisoners inside of their barracks slid open automatically, and one-by-one the different penal squads filed outside of their barracks. Eli groggily woke up, being driven from the warm comforting embrace of slumber. He could hardly rise from his bed ¨C as uncomfortable as it was. It was his best night¡¯s sleep since he had arrived in the new world. The guards barked commands, yelling at the prisoners who hesitated. Even going so far as to drag them out, push them around, and shove them into their proper place. Eli himself was pushed by a guard out of the dormitory, where he took his position at the head of the squad. All of the prisoners lined up, shoulder to shoulder. Tired. Exhausted. Spent. ¡°Tombstone!¡± A guard barked. ¡°Here!¡± Tombstone''s squad leader called out, her voice strained under the wear of morning wake. ¡°Tally?¡± ¡°Seven!¡± The guard held a checklist in his hands, silently scribbling a number onto the paper and nodding to himself in approval, ¡°Unity!¡± One by one, each squad leader stated their presence and the number of prisoners that they had. There were plenty of new faces among the prisoners, not like Eli was keeping track. But he saw people he¡¯d never seen before fill the vacancies of those who had escaped. Unlike Misfit, a majority of the deserters never came back. Probably dead. Or worse. Eli shuddered to think that Misfit was one of the lucky few, if any at all. Perhaps an exception. Yet the new security measures were tight. The guards had been moved around, new personnel. It seemed the blind spots that allowed Misfit to make it out previously had been fixed. Armed guards patrolled up and down the road between the dormitory bunkers, steely-eyed as they stared down the prisoners. Hands firmly clasped on the trigger. Cameras watched every inch of ground. Towers cast lights on the dark spots of the campus. Escape had been rendered impossible. ¡°Misfit!¡± Eli at first didn¡¯t respond. Still caught in his own mind. Deep in thought. ¡°Misfit! Sound off!¡± ¡°Here!¡± Eli shouted. He looked over at his squad. Badger, Rafael, Matteo, Dutch, Omar, and of course himself. His heart ached when he realized that they were still one short. Cato would never come back again. ¡°Tally?¡± ¡°Six!¡± The guard again returned back to his checklist to jot the numbers down, his eyes again rose up from his paper, ¡°Daredevil!¡± It was a dreadful morning. The skies rumbled with the sound of thunder. The air was hot and damp. Palm trees gently swayed in the tropical wind that was only blowing harder as the minutes passed. Most of the dirt had already turned to mud from the storm that passed overnight. The angry black clouds behind them signaled that the worst of it wasn¡¯t done. Days like these were the ones where the hum of the caterpillar engines went silent, and where the engines of progress fell dead in the rain. For days the Coalition had been hacking away at the forest surrounding the Nexus, building, planning, constructing. Like a virus that spread over the land. Transforming it into their vision. Prisoners labored away in the woods, chopping down the rainforest, building mines and power plants outside of the walls of the Nexus. But on days like these, the growth slowed. The prisoners were directed into the manufactory inside of the base. Their Monitors were chipped with a new program, and they were sent into the sterile room where white fluorescents blared over their heads. Lined up as guards circled them, ¡°Prisoners! You¡¯re being assigned today for factory shift duty. Inside of the factory are tables, belts, and machines. Each squad will be assigned to a station, and it will be the job of each squad to ensure that their daily production quota is met. Preferably exceeded.¡± A guard spoke as he patrolled up and down the ranks of prisoners, as if he were inspecting goods. ¡°You¡¯ll be given brief instructions on how to run your station for today and today only. Afterwards, we expect that you¡¯ll understand what to do in order to work autonomously. Each squad leader will be expected to ensure that their station meets the quota, and collectively you will all be graded on whether or not your productivity proved satisfactory. This is a twelve hour shift with a lunch break on the sixth hour. If you work efficiently and meet the quota, you¡¯ll be dismissed at the end of the day. If not, you will be held here until you come up to standards. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The prisoners chanted. The Guard turned to the other security units, pointing at a solid door behind them that led to the factory floor, ¡°Hands behind your heads where we can see them. You¡¯ll be assigned one by one.¡± With that the doors opened. Eli placed his hands on the back of his head, as did the rest of Misfit. They followed close behind him. The factory floor was massive. At least thirty stations had been placed in the room, around the size of a warehouse. Robotic arms, benches, drills, tools, engines, and parts lie scattered around the room. All of them connected with a conveyor belt that transitioned from one station to another. Misfit¡¯s station was simple. All they had to do was put together the chassis for engines. Bolts, metal parts, and components were given to them by dispensers. Using a variety of electric drills and wrenches, the squad was tasked with putting it all together. At the blow of a whistle, the assembly line came alive, and the prisoners were buried in work. They hustled to put together the engines, Misfit fumbled at first but by the time the second hour approached, they got the hang of it. There were always more things to make, always more resources coming in. The engines of Utopia churned alive here, and it used the labor of prisoners as fuel. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. For hours Misfit slaved away inside of the engine. They worked, operating the machinery until the hours bled into each other and the sweat of fatigue faded away into a distant background hum. One break was given for thirty minutes total, their daily ration. ¡°It beats the slop they gave us in solitary,¡± Dutch muttered, poking his fork into a mush of something that vaguely resembled lasagna. For thirty minutes they ate and conversed with one another, but the second that half-hour was up, it was back to work. The guards cleared their tables and forced the prisoners back into their positions behind the machines. It might have been tolerable work now that the pangs of hunger had been quenched, but the omnipresent drone of Kovic¡¯s voice infuriated Eli as he worked away at the machines. It was soulless, draining. Each word faker than the last. Insincere. Kovic talked on about dreams of what would happen when the prisoners were deemed ¡°Reformed¡±, but only the blind or the idiotic would believe that. Reformed prisoners only ended up in a grave, their last rite of relief from the engine of Kovic¡¯s progress. From the system of his Utopia. Eli looked over to Misfit, glancing briefly as they worked along. He smiled, sighing to himself. At least he had them with him. They continued this work for days. Days turned into weeks. By that time, it had become almost second-nature. The prisoners worked hard, day-in and day-out until they were nothing more than exhausted shells of themselves at the end of the day. Fueling the engines of Utopia until their muscles ached, their joints stiffened, and their souls dried. There were strange men that had visited the factory floor on the second week. Men and women dressed in business suits, shiny shoes, and expensive garments. They wore an air of superiority with every step they took. Their shoes click-clacking on the floors of the Nexus. Kovic and an escort of regulars led the businesspeople through. Showing off the progress that they had made. The buildings, the machines, the money, the goods¡­ the prisoners. Kovic gestured toward the prisoners as if they were objects. Even through the thick glass, he could hear them laughing. They had been reduced to nothing more than just a prop in the wall. A object. A machine to be bought and sold. To be mocked, robbed of their dignity and self-worth. Drained of their value in labor, shackled to strip them of their freedom. He felt a nudge on his shoulder. Rafael gave him a lowkey smile, ¡°Now you know how I feel, eh Soldier Boy?¡± He whispered. ¡°You don¡¯t know how I feel,¡± Eli told him. ¡°I have an idea. You¡¯ve been reduced to an object. Cattle. They want to process you, make you work until you don¡¯t have any work left in you. And when they¡¯re done with you, they¡¯ll kill you. They¡¯ll kill us all.¡± Eli looked over to him, working still ¨C yet listening, ¡°Kovic and the Coalition. They¡¯re so powerful and far above us that they can¡¯t even think that somebody like you or me would be a threat to them. They couldn¡¯t imagine it. They look down at us from their towers, their office windows, and they build skyscrapers on our graves. Cities. Nations. And they laugh, at us. Because we give the fascists the power to do it.¡± Rafael looked closer into Eli¡¯s face. His brows contorted; he was reading a message Eli couldn¡¯t decipher. That was until he opened his mouth, ¡°You aren¡¯t a believer. At least not in what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡°I believe in living,¡± Eli muttered, ¡°Seeing another day. With Misfit, all of you, alive. That¡¯s what I believe in.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it? Just submit? Submit and be thankful to our enslavers for the fuck-all they¡¯ve given us-¡° ¡°Do I look thankful to you?¡± Eli demanded from him. His voice husk, a lash of anger boiling up in it, ¡°They have us here, they bleed us dry, they laugh in our faces, and you think I¡¯m thankful?¡± ¡°Then why not fight?¡± ¡°Because that¡¯s not an option. Tell me, what¡¯s your plan? What¡¯s the alternative? Hm? Since you¡¯re the guy with revolution on his mind, tell me,¡± Eli interrogated, leaning closer to him ¨C trying his hardest to ensure that the guards on patrol couldn¡¯t hear him, ¡°Being alive beats being dead.¡± ¡°We are all going to die here. Sooner or later. Just like Cato said. But we can die fighting. Us¡­ Misfit, we can make a change. Right here. Right now.¡± ¡°If we die, then what¡¯s the point?¡± ¡°It sends a message. It shows that our dignity as human beings aren¡¯t something we¡¯ll just let them take from us! The point of the revolutionary is to guide others to a dream he will never see. I¡¯m an Anarchist. Systems of order and control will always continue to rule over us if we allow them to. If we accept, keep our heads low, go along to get along, we¡¯ll die wasting our lives to feed this parasite-¡° ¡°Guard coming,¡± Eli warned. Quickly, the two returned back to their original postures. The guard strolled by, stun baton in hand. His every footstep heavy as his jackboot smacked against the tiled floors. They fell silent, Eli was even scared to breathe. Scared to think. What if they could see into his mind? Not a ridiculous assumption given that this world was full of magic in the literal sense. His fear put him back in line¡­ When the guard passed by, Eli slowly turned to Rafael, ¡°If we make a decision, we do it as a squad. That¡¯s it. It isn¡¯t my call.¡± Rafael smiled, ¡°At least you¡¯re thinking about it. That¡¯s all I wanted from you, Soldier Boy.¡± He could hear Kovic laughing again with the other businessmen as they filed out of the factory floor. Leaving the prisoners alone. The backs of their clean and expensive suits were easy to see make out in their commanding stage above the floor, at least In contrast to the bleak uniforms worn by the Security Units and the monotonous blue and oranges of the prisoners. Eli held his gaze up at Kovic, who remained to watch over the factory floor while his friends peeled away. His pink face, nearly combed grey hair, executive smile, everything about Kovic felt so hate able to Eli. The man was showing them off like expensive luxury toys to his equally rich friends. Trying to win over their money and support, to which Eli and his kin were all their investment. It was nothing short of enraging. He must¡¯ve been burning a hole through the glass the way he stopped to stare solely on Kovic. For Kovic stopped his scan of the factory floor to lock eyes with him. Kovic¡¯s icy blue eyes locked with Eli¡¯s warm brown. The two couldn¡¯t have been more different. And yet they both commanded each other¡¯s full attention. He should¡¯ve been fearful to have been singled out by what was ultimately the top dog of Overwatch Command, but there was some other emotion deep inside his gut that drove him to feel otherwise. An intense burning sensation, one that refused to dissipate and only grew stronger the more he locked eyes with Kovic. It was an emotion stronger than anger, more powerful than hatred. He could hate Kovic all he''d like, but it wouldn''t matter. This was different though. This was rebellion. Kovic raised his chin above the collar on his suit. Eli held his gaze. Until his eyes broke away from the lock to his work as a guard soon approached. Yet, he didn¡¯t feel defeated in his inability to stare Kovic down. Quite the opposite really. For any sign of resistance no matter how small was enough for Eli. Any sign to show Kovic that he was, after all, still human. That all of the phantoms were. In the corner of his vision, he could see Kovic hailing a security unit. He pointed directly at Eli through the glass. Some words were said between the two. Eli couldn¡¯t hear them of course, but Kovic¡¯s expression said it all. He mouthed out the word, ¡°Misfit", in realization. And with that, the security unit was dismissed. Kovic returned to look down at Eli once more, but by then he¡¯d already gotten back to work. And soon, he too left the factory floor, leaving them all alone. It wasn¡¯t until later in the day when the prisoners were dismissed and sent back to the dormitories. Eli¡¯s clothes reeked of the smell of industry, metal and fumes. But at least it was over. The guards walked the prisoners back to their cells, and although it was night ¨C one couldn¡¯t hardly tell. The bright searchlights illuminated the ground like another sun. One that remained hovering over the prisoners even when daylight had long since disappeared underneath the horizon.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 31: I Shot The Sheriff

===[Chapter 31: I Shot The Sheriff]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Daybreak over the Nexus. Eli didn¡¯t sleep. At least it wasn¡¯t enough. What little sleep he did get was shallow, dreamless. He was awake long enough to spot the searchlights being turned off, replaced by the golden rays of the sun rising in the morning light. But his eyes were trained on the bunk above him. They were tired, staring at nothing. It was Dutch¡¯s bed. He listened to the rest of his squad groggily waking up before the guards inevitably forced them to. He listened to the conversation and banter that they shared with each other. Yet he remained silent. Only listening. Morning roll call. The squads lined up outside of their barracks. Their presence marked by the security units who patrolled past their ranks, ¡°Misfit?¡± asked a guard. ¡°Here!¡± ¡°Tally?¡± ¡°Six!¡± The guard cleared his throat, reading over the checklist, ¡°Misfit, you¡¯ve got special orders. You will stay behind for the morning. Further orders will be given out later. Standby.¡± Eli turned back to the rest of the team. They had no clue either. With a raised eyebrow, they remained behind while the other prisoners were taken to the factories, mines, and construction duties across the Nexus. Guards surrounded the squad, taking headcounts, checking their monitors for schedules, and preparing them for a meeting with someone, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Eli asked a guard who apprehended him, taking his arms and pushing them behind his back in order to slap handcuffs around his wrists, ¡°Hey! What are you-" ¡°Be quiet!¡± The Guard barked. But still Eli struggled. In vain. He was jabbed in the ribs with a guard¡¯s stun baton to enforce compliance. The surging wave of electrical pain immediately crippled him, bringing him to his knees as hot tears boiled in his eyes. He could hear Misfit right behind yelling at the guards, and struggling with them. Immediately, he turned back to them. The guards had their batons out, threatening to strike them all down. Yet they continued to put up a resistance. Yelling, trying to shove the guards off of them, ¡°Guys! Guys! Stop!¡± Eli shouted. If they tried to fight back now, they¡¯d lose without a doubt. Misfit turned to him, ¡°I¡¯m fine! I¡¯m fine¡­¡± He lied. A guard grabbed his arm, lifting him up to his feet. For now, Misfit backed off. But he could still feel their resentment toward the guards. The protectiveness of each other was something that they shared. They wouldn¡¯t allow what happened at the solitary cells to happen again¡­ They were brought into the offices of the commanders. Solid steel walls from the outside rose several stories high. The whole building a wing to the larger administrative complex nestled deep inside of the Nexus, far away from the prisoner¡¯s cells. The tower, which Dutch jokingly called ¡°The Eye of Sauron¡±. Looking up at it, the tower resembled something more akin to an oversized air-traffic control, it wasn¡¯t hard to see why. The sunlight reflected off of the glass windows in the center of its head, creating a bright golden glare that shone as far as one could see. An omnipresent vibrant light reminding everyone inside that they were being watched; that they were being ruled; and most importantly ¨C that resistance was futile. They were brought inside of the offices to little fanfare. Guards inside merely checked them in, scanned their monitors, and sat them down with only one order. To wait. Eventually, a door was opened, and the guards pointed towards Eli. They wanted the squad leader. Cautiously, he stood up. It looked as if Misfit would start a protest again, but Eli whispered to them, ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be alright.¡± They watched as he disappeared behind the two solid doors. ¡°Eli¡­Freeman,¡± Captain Juma watched as he was led into her office. The room was small. A one-way window placed behind her gave a fairly abundant view of the outside world. A fairly large potted plant had been placed in the corner, stuffed in a crevice where the filing cabinets and her own desk couldn¡¯t reach. If anything it was quite cozy. Especially with the way her lights dimmed through lampshades. Not to mention, the room was airconditioned. It felt¡­ safe. At least for her. Eli was still handcuffed as he walked in, and though the guards allowed him autonomy to move about at his pleasure, they would ensure that he could not act out of line, ¡°You¡¯re a lucky man. You know that, Freeman?¡± Eli nervously looked around the room, wondering how the guards would react to him speaking up, ¡°Well, with all due respect I don¡¯t feel lucky.¡± Juma chuckled, ¡°Funny how that goes. I saw you in New Cairo, again during the initial invasion, that colossal shitshow out in the jungle where I had to rescue you, and now here you are again. Tell me, are you a glass half-empty or half-full person?¡± ¡°What?¡± Eli asked, not fully registering the question. ¡°Nevermind.¡± Feeling a sense of weakness in his knees, Eli decided to take a seat in the available chair while she reached for a stack of papers. But once his ass plopped down in the seat, she seemed displeased, ¡°Did I say that you could sit?¡± ¡°Uh, no ma¡¯am. But you seem like the type who wouldn¡¯t want to waste a chair. Can I ask, why we¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Like I said, you¡¯re a lucky one. The powers that be thought they¡¯d just throw you and Misfit away to the factory floor to get you out of their hair. But lucky for you, there¡¯s an opening out on the battlefield.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m lucky for that because¡­?¡± ¡°Perspective. It¡¯s all a matter of perspective. Overwatch Command has drafted new plans, there¡¯s going to be an invasion of Helena ¨C capital of the River Republic. If we take their capital, Overwatch hopes that they can force a surrender and end the war so they can free their hands to start moving the rest of the plan into motion.¡± ¡°You want Misfit to spearhead an attack into enemy territory?¡± Juma sighed, ¡°Not exactly spearheading, you''ll be doing a different job in the city proper. I was hoping you¡¯d get excited for the opportunity. But you¡¯re going whether you like it or not-¡° ¡°Woah woah wait, you want us? Why? We¡¯re not PCTs. We¡¯re Penal unit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware, Freeman. But you aren¡¯t ordinary Penal-Unit. You¡¯ve established contact with the native elves, correct? Your little escapade into the unknown, as stupid and misguided as it was, proved beneficial to us. We¡¯ve made contact with the Warrior Elves, and they hold you in high regards for defending their home. If it was our call, you¡¯d still be in solitary confinement. But it was your elf friends who stepped in.¡± The word sent shivers down Eli¡¯s spine as he heard it, ¡®Never again¡¯ he thought. ¡°They requested you join them. You¡¯ll be accompanying a warrior elf duo into Helena to meet contacts there known as the ULA. They''re rebels working against the Avonians themselves. All you have to do is follow instructions and I see no reason for your lucky streak to run dry.¡± Panic. It flowed through Eli¡¯s blood stream like a disease. Like a rot that couldn¡¯t be cleansed. Everything that Misfit had worked hard to create, their sense of unity, threatened to be destroyed by this one act. At least on the factory floor, while they might be slaves stuck in the never-ending monotony and never-ending surveillance, they were safe from any direct danger. Out there, in the jungle, with the Avonian machines¡­ there would be another Cato. What if it was more than one? Would it just be a constant slaughter of Misfit, one-by-one until nobody was left? Would it be him? ¡°No, no you can¡¯t do this-¡° ¡°I have no choice, Freeman. And you don¡¯t either,¡± Juma said to him. ¡°You¡¯re putting Misfit in the danger zone! Invading Helena? For the love of god, we barely got out of Raritan alive! And you want us to go back?¡± As Eli¡¯s voice raised in temperature, the guards around him put their hands on their stun sticks. Taking a threatening step closer. Yet it was ¨C surprisingly enough ¨C Juma who kept them at bay with a dismissive gesture from her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Freeman. It¡¯s not my call to make. I don¡¯t make these decisions.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the Captain! If it isn¡¯t you who¡¯s making these decisions, then who?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter! Misfit came up on the list. Overwatch wants you there. Like it or not, you¡¯re going. I¡¯d suggest, for your sake, that you adjust your mindset. I don¡¯t do this to hurt you. You know, I¡¯m a Phantom too.¡± Eli narrowed his face, ¡°Okay¡­ so what does that mean? We¡¯re supposed to be friends now or something?¡± ¡°It means that I know a lot about you and where you come from. I understand a lot more about you than you might think.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand me,¡± Eli spat out, ¡°You don¡¯t. You sit here in a airconditioned office, threatening us at gunpoint to do what you say. We are not the same. You¡¯re not a Phantom, you¡¯re a collaborator!¡± ¡°I think you misunderstand me. I was born in the Congo. As far as I remember the country was in the middle of a civil war, but when I was thirteen Rebels came from the east. They torched my home to the ground. My parents knew what was coming and moved us to the East African Federation, but they didn¡¯t want refugees coming in. We always had to live out in the mandated refugee zones that used to move whenever a new corporation demanded they give up the land for development. Eventually I got tired of running, I joined the Federation as a mercenary when I was eighteen, fought against the Egyptians during the Nile War, watched as my family was killed during a POA raid in the 2040s.¡± A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, I know a lot about what it means to be a Phantom. Left behind by the world. Just disregarded. You lost your home to a typhoon when you were nine, spent your childhood drifting from one refugee center to another as an orphan. Alone. Vulnerable. Wishing someone would take you home, but they never came because there never was a home for you. Not until the government started taking Phantoms to fight in Korea. Except, the difference between you and me is that you ran while I collaborated.¡± ¡°Ran? That¡¯s what you call it? Running away? You weren¡¯t there in the tunnels of Seoul. You couldn¡¯t see the sun for weeks at a time. Days and weeks blended into each other. Every moment you had to wear a gas mask and it suffocated you. I watched my best friends die there! And I had to abandon more to get out! You don¡¯t think that hurt me? You call that¡­ running away? You weren¡¯t there. Anybody would¡¯ve done what I did.¡± Juma pursed her lips, shaking her head from side to side, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not. It¡¯s one thing to desert, abandoning your team when they needed you. It¡¯s another thing to kill your own Staff Sergeant in cold blood.¡± It hit him. Like a pang of sudden realization. He was dragged back into the tunnels. The underground. The darkness of the metro. The odor of the dead. The screams of the decaying. Gunfire panged in the background. His eyes staring through darkness. He was starving. His hands cold, desperate. In one second, he was garrisoned behind a wall of sandbags with his squad. His body shaking in fear. The others next to him were awake. They knew what Eli was about to do. And silently, they condoned it. They had planned it. His staff sergeant, the very thing keeping them in the tunnels was afar off. Pouring over a map of the tunnels. It had been his enforcement that kept the conscripts in line. Those who disobeyed, even those who went along, beaten. Hazed to enforce compliance. His heart raced. Eli couldn¡¯t bare it anymore. None of them could. They couldn¡¯t be compliant. In the next second, he held a pistol in his hands. Clasped around the holster. He felt the iron grip. His hands sensitive to all its features. His hands shook as they held the gun. He stood up, slowly. Knees shaking as he did so. He felt the eyes of his squadmates on his back. The memory of their dead friends, the families they left behind, the homes they had been dragged away from, Eli could sense it all through the air. They knew he would do it. He was a Phantom. A refugee. He didn¡¯t have anything to lose, and they wouldn¡¯t stop him. Another second, he was standing next to Brooks. In the shadows. Watching. He could¡¯ve gone back. He knew he should. But he couldn¡¯t. His mind raced through his options. But he found himself raising the gun. His squadmates closed their eyes, pretending to be asleep. There were two gun shots. He dropped the gun and fled. Running for his life through the dark tunnels. Past the searchlights that were switched on. Away from the shouts of the officers and other soldiers who had been alerted. He sprinted away. As fast as he could. If he stopped, he¡¯d be killed. Or worse. He had to get out. He didn¡¯t know what happened to his squadmates. He only knew of one goal. To survive. As Eli sat in Juma¡¯s chair he recollected his memories of what happened and what transpired afterwards. Alone. Baring the brunt of a cold winter with tattered uniform keeping him alive. And then, the memory of a mushroom cloud rising over Seoul. His eyes watered. Juma smiled in satisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s what makes us different,¡± She said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you didn¡¯t tell Misfit about that part? Kept the fact you murdered your staff sergeant in cold blood a secret. If you want to keep them alive, they¡¯ll find out sooner or later. Whether you want them to or not.¡± ¡°Why¡­ why are you telling me this?¡± ¡°Because, believe it or not, I want to see you succeed. Maybe there¡¯s some good part inside me that wants to be assured. Despite the fact you fragged your squad leader, I sort of get it. I¡¯d like to see a Phantom have a happy ending for once. If what I¡¯ve seen is anything to go by, Phantoms don¡¯t have a hopeful future. But maybe you can give me that hope. That us Phantoms aren¡¯t all doomed. But to do that, you¡¯ll have to keep Misfit together. You can¡¯t survive without them.¡± ¡°Yeah, I know.¡± ¡°So, do you accept? The mission that is? You¡¯ll go either way, but are you ready?¡± Eli remembered the days spent wandering along the snow blown and abandoned streets of South Korea. By himself. Alone. Reduced to a state of survival. Ice sticking to his clothes. How he made it out alive was a miracle even now. Tears grew in his eyes when he thought of how different it could¡¯ve been. He couldn¡¯t just look out for himself. He had to look after Misfit, and with any luck, they¡¯d look after him. But that would mean agreeing with Rafael. There wasn¡¯t a scenario in which Misfit could possibly both remain together ¨C as a whole ¨C and comply with Kovic. They would die here if they did. The only reasonable option, it would seem, would be to fight back. To resist. To die with fighting, like Cato believed. Yet, unlike Cato ¨C Rafael had hope. Nihilism hadn¡¯t crept in. There was a point to life. To be free. And that they could do it. If only they had each other. But it was a terrifying thought. Just like he told Cato, rebellion was risky. That¡¯s how he ended up in the Penal Unit in the first place. He wasn¡¯t quite ready to accept the idea that it was all hopeless. His sentence had been extended, and now they were being sent out on what looked like a suicide job. Hopeless it seemed. But there had to be some way to hold out. That maybe it could get better? Maybe¡­ Eli looked up to Juma, who was leaned forward in her seat, ¡°I eagerly await your choice. Freeman.¡± And Eli gave her his answer.
Another sleepless night. Eli stared at the bottom of Dutch¡¯s bed throughout the night. His hands shaking. He had told them all of what was going to happen. They were terrified. He could see it as the color of their faces drained. As their eye glazed over. As their expressions became grim. He tried to soften the blow. But no matter how he put it, they¡¯d know. Penal-unit soldiers sent out at the head of an invasion into the unknown. Practically a death sentence in all but name. Was it Overwatch¡¯s way of getting rid of them? Eli thought that was what the factory floor was for. Perhaps they couldn¡¯t be trusted there? Sent to work in the endless dance of machines as the life drained from their decaying souls. It wasn¡¯t like their sentences would end any time soon. Freedom more an abstract idea than a concrete goal. By all accounts, Misfit was done for. No longer an issue. Yet, here they were being sent out to deal a strike into the unknown. Against the Avonians. Eli flipped over in his hard bed for what must¡¯ve been the millionth time. The war machines of the Avonians terrified him in a way he hadn¡¯t yet realized until now, days after they had encountered them. The mechanical behemoths of the Avonian war machine were impossible to fully wrap his mind around. Although taking a sentry down felt somewhat liberating, it was hardly a easy task. It took the work of dozens, and even then it was off the backs of several dead ¨C Cato included ¨C in order to take just one Sentry down. And then what of their other machines of death? What of the Behemoths, the towering beasts straight out of a alien invasion? Their spotlights which illuminated all? Saw all? Destroyed all? What of the dragons, their metal augments, their fiery breath? What of the soldiers who had become machines in their cruel army? More machine than man. More metal than flesh. Repeatedly in his mind, he saw the machines move. He could picture them tower over him. He could picture prisoners to his left and right being disintegrated by their weapons. There in one second and gone in the next. He imagined Misfit there too. Horrible fates for each of them, including himself. Bloody goo, split in half, crushed, shot, disintegrated, each ending that played in Eli¡¯s mind was only more horrifying than the last. He wanted to stop imagining it, to stop thinking. And yet he couldn¡¯t. Moonlight crept in from his window. The night was still young. It wasn¡¯t too late to go to bed. But he was afraid. If he closed his eyes he might have dreams. Nightmares. A childish fear that brought him back to his old home. His real home. In his room as a child, afraid of closing his eyes for fear of the nightmares he¡¯d have. Yet, all of his nightmares paled in comparison to reality. He could wake up from a nightmare. He could escape from a bad dream. But he couldn¡¯t escape from reality. There was no waking up from that. Even out here in a land of Elves and dragons and magic and giant robots and whimsical creatures of make-believe and fantasy and wonder. Even in a new world, reality encompassed all. The one he could not escape from. Every morning when he woke up, he expected to do so back on Earth. Where everything ¨C terrible as it was ¨C was at least normal. Where all the fantastical and monstrous things he saw on Planet Narva remained in the world of fantasy and legends. And yet, every morning he was disappointed. He closed his eyes, preferring the nightmares. The last thing he saw was the moon. The singular thing that kept him tethered back to Earth. Other than Misfit, the only sense of familiarity in a alien world. Other than Misfit, the only sense of hope. Other than Misfit. He went to bed with his pillow wet with tears and saliva, silently weeping himself to sleep as he crept further into the dark embrace of sleep. The one reprieve. Tomorrow will be a new dawn. With hope, he¡¯d wake from this long nightmare. With hope, he¡¯d come back home.
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==[A RAY OF HOPE]== With much of the world embroiled in conflict and shortages over critical resources, one of the most important zones in the fight for Planet Earth''s future has been the continent of Africa. The East African Federation and The United States of The Gulf of Guinea, have emerged as the two most prevalent rising powers on the continent, fighting to shape Africa''s - and by extension Planet Earth''s - future. Through the economic catastrophes of the 2030s and conflicts of the 2040s, the two powers have grown to fill the vacuum left by larger powers as the stains of European imperialism fade underneath the rising seas. The success of East African democracy in particular has inspired hope across the continent in democratic government and unity through diplomacy and not via violence. But the light of The Federation''s democracy does not burn pure, and despite the major achievements made in uniting the bickering powers, threats remain all around them. To the north, Egypt has been embroiled in proxy conflict between the POA and Coalition as they battle not only for control of the Suez Canal, but also of the precious Nile River who''s waters provide sustenance for half of the continent''s population. The Egyptian invasion of Sudan and outbreak of war against Ethiopia - where the Nile originates - will determine whose hands the precious water lies under the control of, and East Africa has involved itself in this fight heavily. Often aligning with The Global Strategic Coalition to wrestle back control over its own home. Meanwhile, the refugee phantoms of war and catastrophe across the continent are being expelled to Federation borders, where the panicking government has opted to house them in shelters that have been described as "Little better than internment camps". Resource strained, and under increasing pressure to isolate itself from the rest of the continent''s affairs, East Africa is descending into its own twilight known as "The Crisis of Democracy". And on the opposing side of the continent is the United Gulf of Guinea, whose rise to power has seen it become heavily militarized at the expense of its own democracy. Government corruption stemming from the oil companies in control of some of the last reserves on planet Earth have turned the United Gulf from a beacon of rising global powers, into a pariah state. A bloated military fights endlessly against its neighbors to keep the nation secure, but the conflicts that the nation stokes only grow worse and with more serious repercussions. Soliciting support from the POA has placed them in direct conflict with the interests of The Coalition and quite often has placed them as direct rivals with The East Africans. Despite the crisis and chaos, the USGG remains as the most militarily powerful of the two powers, even as The Federation holds significant economic leverage. As the two rising powers clash against the continent, their successes and failures will determine the fate for millions living in the original lands of mankind.
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[A RAY OF HOPE] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 32: A Day In The Life

===[Chapter 32: A Day In The Life]===

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Silence over Raritan. Grey overcast was all that remained of a passing thunderstorm bathing the normally hot tropical city in a breeze of cool air. The chilliness was a welcome respite from the heat, even as the puddles of rainwater turned to mud in the dirt streets lining the outskirts. Otaes had been prompted by Chief Ani to wear her best clothes to the flower ceremony today, but her normal boots were already being caked in layers of dirt and grime from just walking. Well, walking and a bit of hunting as she carried the carcass of a couple more jackelope in her hunting bag. Afterall, today was the day that she normally stopped by the market to sell whatever she managed to kill, and even during ceremony days like these - there were buyers. The merchants, predictably, were still working behind their makeshift stalls even despite the thinner-than-usual lines of customers. The familiar face of one of the butchers caught her eye as he was in the process of selling the leg of a hog off to a customer. He gave her a curt nod of acknowledgement before returning to his work. He was a rather thin elf which was surprising for the tools that he worked with looked heavy. He was the son of the actual owner, who herself was a friend of Otaes'' father. Hence how Otaes became a regular at their shop. The boy was slightly younger than she was, and almost always silent. He was friendly to Otaes though, or at least they were always respectful to each other. Not much was really said between the two, ever. When the customer was dealt with and sent on her way, the boy looked up at Otaes again, "Come in," He said. "I''ve got exactly what your mother asked for, and yes I took out the venom sack this time before she screams at me about that," the offhand comment elicited a light chuckle from Kant, as she plopped her hunting bag on top of the stall''s counter and entered inside, leaning against one of the walls to let Kant assess the game and work on getting her money. Normally he did that kind of work in silence, preferring to cautiously take his time. But this time, something was different. "Aren''t you going to the flower ceremony?" Kant asked, quite out of the blue. "Hm?" Otaes didn''t fully get the question at first. "You''re hunting today? I figured you''d be there..." "I''m going later. I think." Kant nodded, as he took the pair of jackelope bodies and layered them on his scale, "Oh," Kant said as if he were expecting a different answer. "Is something wrong?" Otaes asked, pushing up from her lean against the wall. "No it''s just, I saw your brother around here. He was going. Pakena was with him too." That one caught Otaes off guard. Pakena? With Temetet? "You didn''t know?" Kant asked as he continued his work. Of course she hadn''t. What were the two of them doing together? Knowing Pakena, probably nothing good. Her mind jumped to the thought that Pakena may have been trying to hurt Temetet before she stopped herself. Pak was an idiot and a jerk, but he wasn''t evil. At least she thought so, "You said they were headed to the flower ceremony? Together?" Kant nodded silently. "Weird," Otaes stood up straight as she prepared to leave. "Wait! Don''t you want your money?" Kant asked her only to be met with a dismissive wave of Otaes'' hand. "I''ll come back for it later, just save it for me will you?" Stepping back outside, Otaes'' mind was swirling with thoughts. Her footsteps guiding her deeper into the heart of Raritan where the small communal homes that scattered the outskirts gave way to buildings of brick and mortar, cars and trucks, and the Palace. As predicted, the streets were almost completely empty save for the few elves remaining who hadn''t made their way towards the Palace for the ceremony. And among those, she eyed the cleanup crews. Those who worked around the bomb craters and heaps of rubble left piled on the sides of half-collapsed buildings that still had yet to be picked up. The Republic''s invasion was as destructive as it was brief. And the scars would remain for a while, if not physically - mentally. She shuddered to think that this was what victory looked like. If victory felt this bittersweet and temporary, what would''ve happened if they had lost? What would become of Raritan then? As she neared the Palace she could make out the crowds of people who were gathered within the rear gardens. The flower ceremony was simple. The grieving elves who had lost their family members in war carried flowers to be planted before the Kiote Palace. Originally, it was a way to give the families and the nation a sense of closure, and to remind everyone of the sacrifices individuals had to endure to keep the Warrior Elves safe. But with this recent attack on Helena, with dozens being kidnapped and smuggled across the border - no doubt to be locked away as prisoners or utilized as slaves. With the fallen Kitchi from across the tribes, and the defenders who gave everything to keep Raritan safe... the garden was beginning to look more like a mass grave. Otaes swallowed hard, trying to not dwell on the fact that she too had to plant flowers here. Her mother''s was a big deal, and she remembered being given a rose from her father to plant before a crowd of onlookers. And then, only a few years later, she had to carry her father''s rose all by herself. Would Temetet have to carry her rose one day? Or worse, would she have to carry his? When bombs screamed from the air, a sky full of thunder. When dragons torched her home. When the mechanical monstrosities of the Avonian military terrorized her people. Herself. When they broke her home. Dividing the Kiote Union against itself. Forcing kin to slay kin. How could she forget that? She didn¡¯t need the flowers to remind her of the destruction. She could do that easily on her own. How could anyone forget? Would the Avonians come out and apologize to the Kiote people because of the flowers being planted? Had they forgotten the devastation their bombs caused? Of what use then was the flowers? Wouldn¡¯t they just be erased when the bombs dropped again? What would be their protest then? More flowers? Otaes knew that she shouldn''t have been so harsh about it. It was a ritual undertaken for a reason. People needed the chance to grieve, collectively. But was that really all that they could do when the Avonians terrorized them? Grieve? No fighting back, just accepting that the Imperials could erase them from existence at any minute and grieve... Safe to say, she hated the flower ceremony and took as many precautions as necessary to actively avoid coming here. But of course, today was an exception. Slowly she joined the crowd of elves who stood in silence as they watched the proceedings. Some of the crowd members saw her Kitchi mask, and out of respect or tradition parted to allow her through. Following their cue, she ended up embedded deep in the crowd which wasn''t exactly where she wanted to be - which was as far from the front as possible. But now it seemed inevitable that she would end up close to it. She kept still so as not to attract any attention to herself. Most of the people here wouldn''t really notice her, and if they had remembered her from the previous ceremonies - it was from before she was a Kitchi and not wearing her mask. Though of course, there were those that knew. As the final attendees planted their flowers, Chief Ani ascended to podium that flanked the Palace''s rear. The other chiefs also filed in, one by one. Taking seats on chairs placed around her speaking position in the center. There was some middling applause from the crowd, though it was markedly absent of any real enthusiasm. "Thank you, everyone for attending the ceremony today," Began Ani with a polite smile, "I know that it has been a difficult few days, rebuilding what was lost to us. And for some of us, the loss has been impossible to recover from. We''ve all lost something. Homes, friends, family. Fathers and mothers. Sons and daughters. It hurts. But perhaps the fact that hurts most of all is that we have to be here at all so soon after the last flower ceremony..." After the last major offensive during the Kiote War, a few weeks before the war properly ended, a flower ceremony just like this one was held to commemorate the dead Warrior Elves of Raritan. Otaes remembered that there was a sense of hope that it would''ve been the last flower ceremony in anyone''s lifetime. The war was over and the worst of it was gone. The bombs had ceased. The terror weapons went silent. And the verdant landscape of the Kiote peninsula was relatively calm once again. But now here they were, a year and half later. "Trust me when I say this, that I understand what it feels like. But in times of distress, I must ask you all for one more sacrifice," Ani''s sudden change in tone caught Otaes off guard. What had begun as her usual song and dance to comfort the people, suddenly became far more serious and direct with the change in topic, "If we give up and let them overpower us, we will never see peace ever again. I know that the struggle and burden of having to lose loved ones to a war is a terrible thought. But we can''t surrender our homes. We can''t lose hope in our inevitable victory. So, I have to ask you to struggle again as you struggled before. We all will have to. Even if just a little longer. To do that, we of course have our warriors. Our brave Territorial Guard and Kitchi will ensure that our home remains secure. But to ensure that they have the numbers necessary to fulfill their purpose, the council and I have agreed to expedite the graduation of our trainees." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Otaes narrowed her eyes. Expedite? What did she mean by that? As if on cue, the leaders of each flight group and some of the more distinguished Kitchi warriors emerged from the Palace. One by one, standing at attention next to Chief Ani. There were plenty of recognizable faces. Some of her friends, some just her acquaintances, and others... Pakena''s crimson red mask was dark underneath the overcast skies. Pakena was there. But where was Temetet? Suddenly, another crowd of elves emerged. This crowd noticeably younger. The Kitchi apprentices. Of course, they were the most senior cohort of apprentices so they weren''t kids. But they were still noticeably younger than either Pakena or Otaes. Among the girls and boys that had ascended to the stage, Otaes frantically searched for one in particular. Refusing to accept that he would be there, but knowing it was inevitable she''d find him. And she did. He was third in line, sandwiched between a boy and girl who both looked older than him in comparison. He was smiling, though somewhat faintly. Looking out among the crowd as if he was awestruck by their attention. Unaware that his sister was amongst the crowd. The audience began to cheer the new "graduates" on. Though Otaes remind silent. Her focus shifting between Temetet and Chief Ani, fighting between the two as if the event unfolding right in front of her wasn''t real. "These apprentices, will face one final challenge all on their own before they are formally accepted into the ranks of the Kitchi warriors. Juniors, now seniors in their own right. They''ll earn their titles of prestige defending our homes as a our new generation of guardians. Your sons and daughters, warriors!" Again the audience cheered. They all cheered, and yet Otaes didn''t. This wasn''t anything to celebrate. Not at all...
¡°Otaes Please, Listen-¡° Chief Ani attempted to calm down a quite furious Otaes as they were standing inside of her private throne room. It was the first place she went after the ceremony ended. ¡°You¡¯re sending someone my brother out to attack the capital of the River Republic! You can¡¯t do that to him! You can¡¯t do that to me! And what about all the others? They''re kids!¡± ¡°Otaes! Sit down and be quiet!¡± Ani stood up, yelling as she stood up to match Otaes¡¯ own tone. Otaes was speechless, as she reluctantly returned back to a posture of kneeling before Ani. The elder chief sighed, ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea, Otaes. It was the council''s. I don''t know if you''ve realized what''s happening around you but there''s a war about to start. We don''t have enough Kitchi warriors, in fact have less than what we started with when the war first began and we were underprepared back then. It''s crisis time now. We need warriors Otaes, and the only way we can get those warriors is by graduating them with one final test on a proving ground." Chief Ani moved around Otaes as she spoke on, ¡°Believe me I protested the decision and tried to convince the chiefs that it was not a wise move-¡° ¡°You¡¯re the Grand Chief! Why are you trying to convince them? Just do it!¡° ¡°I can¡¯t just override the rules! We have laws, Otaes. We have laws. Government. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve realized, but I¡¯m not exactly in the same position I was in five years ago. I don¡¯t have the sway to just speak and it becomes law. They¡¯re growing tired. Tired of myself, of the war¡­¡± Ani trailed off, ¡°Politics is all it is. I don¡¯t wield the abilities I once could. So if the council say that this was the best move - for the sake of our people mind you - I had no other choice but to relinquish. But what I was able to do, was to ensure that it was under your control.¡± ¡°What?¡± Otaes leaned forward, ¡°I¡¯m going?¡± ¡°Of course, all of the apprentices will be accompanied by their mentors. We figured that would be the best way to conduct this afterall. I wasn''t going to let them send a bunch of kids out into a warzone without any kind of guidance afterall...¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it? We¡¯re attacking Helena? The capital of The River Republic?¡± Ani sighed inwardly, ¡°I¡¯ve been speaking to the humans. They¡¯ve offered an opportunity we cannot miss. In exchange for some territorial concessions they¡¯ve agreed to help defend us. But they¡¯re leading the charge in the war. Their generals recommended a full-scale invasion of Helena, the Council is giving the order to mobilize our warriors as we speak. You¡¯ll be going in.¡± Otaes was speechless. Words formed in her mind but she didn¡¯t know what to say. "T-territorial concessions?" "They wanted to set up a zone of land that they claimed as their own. Most of it is Republican territory, so it isn''t actually much-" "So that''s it? We just sell out our country after fighting a war for ten years to do the opposite?" "We needed their help-" "Their help? The humans? The ones who started the war in the first place?" "Look Otaes, power isn''t as simple as telling people to do this or that. You have to understand the situation. Power is not about the ability to push," Chief Ani outstretched the palm of her hand in front of her body, pushing against the air as if conjuring a magical spell or force of wind, "Only fools think that''s what it''s about. The Imperials, the Commonwealth, even these new humans understand that. Real power is about bending those around you to do what you want. That''s real power. It''s why I''ve been in this seat for the last forty years. I''m playing the long game, because we do not have the ability or even the resolve to play the short one." She wanted to protest but the more she thought about it the more sense it made. She could feel herself shiver. But she doubted its possibility. She needed confirmation. ¡°If it works, it¡¯ll be over. This nightmare that our people have been trapped in. We¡¯ll be free from it. We just need to deliver a devastating final blow to the Riverlanders, if Helena falls the Junta will collapse, and the Avonians will have nothing left to hold onto in the Kiote peninsula. It has to work.¡± ¡°B-b-but how?¡± ¡°From the inside. You¡¯ll meet with an old friend of yours.¡± Otaes cocked her head in confusion as she tried to recall who Ani could¡¯ve been referring to, ¡°Old¡­ friend?¡± ¡°The Avonian rebel," Chief Ani said, "I believe you two met before. There are revolutionaries within Helena that can kickstart a full-scale rebellion within their capital as the invasion is underway. We don''t expect the revolutionaries to last long, but it should be enough chaos to allow you to complete your task. " ¡°Was this your idea?¡± ¡°It was a collaborative effort,¡± Ani sighed, ¡°Listen to me. Your job will be simple and so long as you follow the instructions that I¡¯ll give you, there¡¯s no reason anyone should get hurt. They¡¯re sending a team of soldiers that will be under your leadership. You get them to the Revolutionaries, you come back. Temetet gets promoted to Kitchi, and you all go home happily!¡± She smiled, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Otaes blinked a few times in consideration. Uncertain. She couldn¡¯t throw off the feeling that there was something wrong. Uncertainty. Lingering there deep within her heart. Her mind couldn¡¯t let go of the mental image of something bad happening to Temetet. The feeling like something was growing beyond her control was one that she hated. It was a mistake to let Temetet pursue his dream of being like she was. She tried her hardest to null the worst ill-effects of his pursuit, but it was something she always knew she¡¯d have to confront sooner or later, ¡°He asked for this, didn¡¯t he?¡± Ani heaved her shoulders, leaning backwards as she thought her response through. But for Otaes it didn¡¯t come fast enough, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just say no?¡± ¡°He¡¯s done everything¡­ his training is finished, Otaes! There¡¯s nothing more I can do to prevent that,¡± Ani wearily told her, ¡°He¡¯s his own soul, with his own wants, needs, goals and dreams. He looks up to you-¡° ¡°I know, and that¡¯s the problem! I spent my entire life suffering! I¡¯ve been a warrior since I was a child, and I never stopped. I was born into fighting! I had no other choice! But he does, that¡¯s why I fought. So he could get out of here and live his own life. Not mine.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing else I can do, Otaes. I say this as both chief and your mother. He¡¯s an adult. You can¡¯t keep him a boy forever.¡± Otaes stood up solemnly, ¡°Nobody speaks as my mother. She¡¯s dead,¡± and with that she slowly moved to leave. Ani tried calling her back once, but she perhaps realized the futility of it once she stopped. Only watching as Otaes left through the open door...
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[OPERATION: RED HAND]==
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[OPERATION: RED HAND] >>>[STRATEGIC MAP OF REGION R7A] ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 33: Militarized Police State >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 33: Militarized Police State]===

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Yet another excruciating shift at the factory was finally over. At the closing bell, the machines stopped and the assembly line went cold. Eli''s eyes were burning from the bright fluorescent lights that nauseatingly seemed to shine right in his eyes no matter what position he held his head in. It wasn''t like there was a place to hide from it either. He couldn''t even remember the last time he''d seen a shadow in the factory unless it was directly underneath the massive machines they operated. The prisoners slowly milled away from their positions as the security units in their clunky all-black tactical gear unlocked the door. Eli wanted to feel relief that today was over, but of course, that only meant he was a day closer to being sent to Helena. "At least tomorrow''s the last day of factory work for us," Badger sighed as she stepped away from her position next to a robotic arm. She pulled back the white strands of her hair away from her face, clumsily pinning them behind her ear. "Yeah, and then, the real shit starts," Dutch added. "Never a dull moment, I guess," She said in return, "At least they''re letting us sleep. I heard stories that they purposely keep some phantoms awake around the clock, sleep deprivation or something along those lines." Dutch shivered, "Don''t remind me that they can do that. I cherish my six-ish hours of sleep. That''s the only good thing I have." "You said it." Eli joined the crowd of other prisoners not saying a word. He was far too exhausted to really say anything of note, and anything he could say would probably wind up sounding like quiet gibberish anyway. As he waited for the security units to line them up, his tired eyes scanned across the cohort of prisoners and noticed something odd. There were fewer people on the factory floor than normal. Not enough to be a significant or even a really noticeable difference at all. But there were a couple of recognizable faces among the prisoners that just weren''t there. For instance, there was a man with a distinct black beard and bald head who worked at the station next to Misfit''s, and he was absent despite the rest of his squad being there. A red-headed girl from the station at the front of the floor was also gone among others. Eli rubbed his eyes, figuring that the two were likely being detained for something. Though it was strange. From the little Eli knew of the other prisoners, he knew that those two, in particular, weren''t troublemakers, or at least they weren''t the type to gain Overwatch''s wrath enough to be sent to solitary. He was most definitely thinking too hard about it, letting his sleep-addled mind wander. The line of prisoners went on, taken outside of the facility, and marched through to their barracks under the watchful eye of spotlights cutting through the evening dusk. The moment Eli''s head hit the rough mattress, he was asleep... Only to be awoken - god knows how long into the night - by an incredibly loud bang! It made Eli jump up from his bed. It wasn''t quite as loud as a gunshot, but it certainly was louder than the thunder rumbling in the distance which promised rain in the future. No, it was far too close. Another bang. Movement within his barrack confirmed that the rest of the squad had been awoken too. As Eli listened closer, he realized that it was someone banging on the steel doors. Not theirs though. It was the door of the barrack next to theirs. Bewildered, through the darkness, Eli slowly arose to look through the iron bars that constituted a window next to his bed. It afforded him a slight view of the barrack next door and whatever was going on in front of fit. He peered through the night, only to see shadowy figures in front of the barrack. His eyes adjusted, and the blurry shapes formed hard angles, the recognizable shape of tactical gear seemed sharp among the searchlights that silhouetted them. A squad of security units dressed in all black were gathered in front of the barrack, and one was in the process of loudly banging on the steel door with the butt end of their baton. Flashlights were turned on shooting beams of bright white light that cut through the darkness, their wild flailing making Eli retreat to avoid being detected peeping through his window. "Eli! What''s going on?" Badger''s voice whispered through the darkness. "It''s a raid. The guys next door," Eli whispered. "They aren''t coming here are they?" Eli shook his head cluelessly, refusing to say another word as he kept his eye on the chaos. With a swift maneuver, the security units were inside of the barrack, throwing open the locks and storming inside with their weapons raised. From inside, the phantoms started to scream. A blood-curdling scream came from one of them as a gun was fired from inside. Involuntarily Eli ducked down and so too had the rest of Misfit who had run over to the windows facing the barrack. "Oh shit..." Dutch whispered as he crouched low, keeping an eye on the chaos outside, "What the fuck are they doing?" Though it was only a single gunshot, it was loud enough that the lasting sound of commotion - yelling and protest - sounded almost quiet in comparison. Hanging in the air like an afterimage. Slowly raising his head back up from cover, he spotted the security units'' flashlights shining through the dark windows of the barrack. They grabbed ahold of someone judging by the sound of a male prisoner telling them to ''get the fuck off'' and ''let go''. But of course, the guards would not listen. It wasn''t just that barrack either. Another squad of security units breached through into another barrack somewhere off to Misfit''s right side, well out of view, but plenty loud enough for them to hear. In fact, there were several raids going on at once. The relative normality of the day was completely disrupted by these cloaked brutes intruding in the dead of night. Eli''s heart dropped to his stomach when heard a pair of boots walk around Misfit''s own barrack, right up to their front door. "Shit... shit..." Rafael crouched low behind one of the bunks in an attempt to hide. Their attention was dragged from the barrack across from them - right to their door. Eli could see the shadows of boots moving underneath the gap in the iron door. Eli held his breath, his heart drumming somewhere in his throat. Collectively they all froze, refusing to take their eyes off the door and the shadows behind it. If the security units burst through their door right now, there would be nothing Misfit could do to stop them. There was no other way out of the barrack than through that door. The iron bars in the windows were far too strong, and those windows were the only possible route of escape. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. The air was still within the squad''s barrack as the security units gathered... And then moved on. A collective exhale followed once the last security unit''s boots moved on past their door, leaving Misfit completely bewildered as to what had just happened. Not all of the barracks had been targeted in the raid, obviously given that Misfit was still here standing and not being forced to kneel at gunpoint by armed thugs. But the vital point was that a majority of the barracks had not been targeted. The one immediately to their left and a couple of barracks down to their right had been targeted, and judging by the sound of chaos, so had a few others. But most remained untouched. This wasn''t just some general shakedown or tunnel search meant to remind them all that Overwatch could have them killed at any moment - though it accomplished that with flying colors. Rather, this was targeted. Much more refined, though the methods were all still the same. It was the dead of night, and the security units were doing their best to make as much noise as possible. Eli reasoned that it must''ve been on purpose then. The timing was too out of left field for it to be something to be unconcerned about. Even if Misfit had been spared - for now - something dark was brewing. "I guess we''re good?" Omar asked. Eli shook his head "If Overwatch wanted to take rebellious phantoms, they could''ve done so at any other time. Quietly. This isn''t normal..." Rafael nodded his head in agreement, "That''s right. Dead of night when everyone''s asleep, they start banging on people''s doors to shine flashlights in their faces and gun them down. If they wanted to be discreet, they could''ve taken the troublemakers out one by one." "What are you getting at?" Asked Matteo, narrowing his eyes. "It means Overwatch wants us to see what''s happening. I don''t know what the targets did for Overwatch to strike them like this. But whatever the reason, Overwatch wanted to send a message. The only question is... why?" "I''ve got a baaaaad feeling we''re gonna find out tomorrow," Dutch muttered, watching as a pair of guards dragged a squad of pleading phantoms away. They were powerless to stop them. Too tired after being awoken from their slumber to form much of a coherent plan to resist, but just sober enough to watch it all unfold. Eli glanced at Dutch, biting his tongue to remain quiet. He was right. If Overwatch revealed the reason why this happened, the day before the big operation of all things, nothing good was going to come from it. He knew that for certain.
Wet weather. The drumbeat taps of raindrops and the familiar smell of seawater in the air were only a forecast of what was brewing today. As Misfit rose to the front of their barracks for morning roll call, the raindrops provided them with a sort of rhythm to keep pace. Eli dressed with a sort of stiffness filling his limbs, weighing them down. One piece after another, slowly. Up until he was carrying the prisoner''s jacket in his hands, lingering on the blue delta and the orange circle. Getting lost in it while the raindrops filled his mind with static. It was only there as just another reminder of what he was. And that status would never change, not for the foreseeable future anyway. He sighed and put the jacket over his body, just in time for the familiar chirp of a siren wailing outside and the crunch of boots outside, "ROLL CALL!" The proceedings went on as usual, but Eli knew that something ominous was brewing. And it wasn''t the storm that was literally pouring down on them as they stood. He could practically feel the bags hanging from his eyes thanks to the raid. And Overwatch was being oddly silent. Carrying on as normal as if they hadn''t just completely turned their worlds upside down in one night. With how silent everyone around him was, they must''ve felt it too. The crowd of prisoners looked ghastly in the shadows underneath the massive storm clouds that blocked out any trace of sunlight. And the already dark uniforms of the security units took on a shade of black. Omar let out a stifled though rather foul cough, one which drew Eli''s attention, "Are you alright?" Eli whispered so the security units couldn''t hear. The kid nodded, gesturing towards the giant smokestack which continued to pump out clouds of fumes despite almost all of the prisoners standing in front of their barracks. There must''ve been some kind of schedule where certain rows of the barracks were sent in to keep the facility operating while the others slept. An odd thought for there was never anybody inside of the factory whenever Misfit''s cohort entered. When all the squads had reported in where they should be, the head of the security units took center stage with his microphone. On his flanks, he was surrounded by more security units dressed in their black uniforms. Amongst them, he was able to find out what had been bugging him so much. Though the guards mostly wore balaclavas and masks to obscure their identities from the prisoners, there were those who lacked such gear. In fact, they seemed to lack a lot of things. Worst equipment, ill-fitting uniforms, and in some cases, no equipment at all. While the guards almost always wore their polymer riot-police style helmets and fitting body armor, these new security units lacked them. And to make matters stranger, if Eli focused hard enough, he could identify familiar faces among the swarm of black-clothed guardsmen and women. Nobody intimately familiar, he hardly knew the names of anyone outside of Misfit. But he knew that there were phantoms among the ranks of the security units. "New hires?" Badger was the first to say it, catching on to the same oddity that was messing with Eli. Dutch shook his head, narrowing his eyes, "Not even just that. They''re ''fugees. Penal-Unit." "Since when did they start letting prisoners join up with the regulars?" Badger''s twisted expression gave off a hint of both confusion and nervousness. If Phantoms were allowed in to join the regulars, when did their duties as prisoners end and as regulars begin? Or were they relocated off into the dormitories that the regulars inhabited? Were they even still prisoners anymore? So many questions, and to think it was still so early in the morning. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. "That must be what Kovic means when he speaks of ''collaboration''," Rafael attempted to imitate the brassy tone Kovic spoke with in his propaganda when he said the word, "Maybe it has something to do with the raid from last night?" "I don''t think they''re desperate enough to start abducting prisoners to make them guards. That''s a terrible idea, even by their standards," Badger added. "Captain Juma''s a phantom and she''s a regular," Eli said. "Yeah, but she isn''t penal-unit. She''s a ''fugee but she''s free, sort of at least" Dutch said. "Are you really free if you''re under Kovic''s command?" Dutch shrugged, "That''s her problem..." One by one the normal security units collected the numbers of each squad, running through their checklist as if nothing strange was currently happening. Though when all was accounted for, the head guard - a rather ghoulish-looking man with a white goatee - raised his loudspeaker as if it were a weapon itself. The whoop of its siren brought everyone''s attention to him, "All Phantoms! You''ll be following the schedules uploaded to your monitors for the day as per usual. However, at exactly nine o''clock this morning, you''ll report to The Nexus'' center. There will be an event and your attendance is mandatory. After the event concludes, you will return to the normal scheduling on your monitors. That will be all." Confused murmurs were exchanged between some of the prisoners, but ultimately, nothing further was explained. Eli looked down at his monitor. Raindrops had already formed on the waterproof device, obscuring his view of the glowing display. From what he could tell in his brief glance, the schedule had remained unchanged. He frowned as Dutch''s warning from last night resurfaced again in his mind. They were marched into the canteen, essentially a giant hangar seated close to the center of the prisoner''s side of The Nexus. The hastily built construction resembled something out of a slum shelter, corrugated metal formed the walls and roof, which unnervingly shook whenever a major gust of wind blew against the structure. The building had not been waterproofed, and even the floor seemed to be made of little more than wooden planks bolted into the ground - which already felt close to rotting after less than a month in use. On particularly hot days, the building was unbearably damp and foul-smelling. But, for days like today, it beat eating out in the rain - ignoring the threat of the building collapsing on top of them at least. Lunch for today was a delicacy. Stale bread, a single apple, and an entire patty of thin, cold, sausage. Nearly as large as the palm of Eli''s hand! This must''ve been Overwatch''s idea of spoiling them, Eli rolled his eyes as he took his tray from the automatic food dispenser and sat at his assigned table. Somewhere in his mind the label ''GELATIN BASED NUTRIENT BAR: PORK AND EGGS FLAVOR'' haunted him, sending a shiver down his spine. Overwatch had a lot of cruel torture weapons at their disposal. That thing might just take the cake for being the worst. As he plopped himself down, he overheard another pair of phantoms talking among each other at the table just behind his back. It was something about the security units. Eli was gonna tune them out when one of them said something interesting. "I mean, shit I''m sure as hell not into the whole ''new world utopia'' bullshit but hey... I figure if you can''t beat them, join ''em." A man said to another phantom sitting across from him "I mean, Kovic isn''t letting us go back to Earth either way, right?" "He says we will when the job''s done," The other phantom replied, her voice low and contemplative. "They always say things like that, it''s never true. If they''re offering slots in the security units for phantoms to join up, why the hell not? You''d get better food, a bed to sleep on... maybe some respect too. Look at Captain Juma. She''s a Phantom and she''s not even Security Unit. She somehow became an officer. Regulars can''t be all bad if they''re letting Phantoms in." "I guess so... I don''t know it just doesn''t feel right is all..." "Maybe. But if you keep trying to be right all the time you wind up a prisoner... maybe it''s about time we really look after our survival..." Eli was midway through raising his plastic fork up to bite down on the bread when he stopped. So it wasn''t just Misfit this morning that had realized that the guards were fresh faces. While it certainly wasn''t immediate confirmation, it certainly felt like it. But what was worse was that the others were actually considering it as valid. Eli had expected the other prisoners to be a lot more disturbed or frightened by the news, but if the conversation he''d just overhead was anything to go off of, some were taking it as a way out. Precisely what Overwatch would''ve wanted by letting them in at all. His mind struggled to connect the dots between that and the raid last night though. They definitely weren''t kidnapping people in the middle of the night to make them security units. Especially not if they were willing to shoot their would-be cops. Everything about the program looked voluntary enough if coerced. What then was the real connection? He pondered the question through his meal when the whistle was blown and the prisoners stood up. Meal time was over. And now the big surprise. The regulars opened the doors for them to leave, marching them back outside into the rain and through the Nexus - right up to what was roughly the center of the prisoner''s section. Right behind the central administration. It was almost entirely refurbished. A large stage was set up for a speaker to ascend flanked by a massive blue and white flag of the Global Strategic Coalition itself. The compass that sat in the middle of it was like an all-seeing eye that oversaw the prisoners as they were brought to stand before it. It seemed like every security unit in the Nexus had been called to stand at attention on either side of the stage. The stage itself was covered by a large tent for the rain which sheltered the electronics placed on the far end. Wires led to loudspeakers, connecting them to a podium at the front which bore the emblem of the chief himself. As if on cue, Kovic emerged. His snowy white appearance was protected from the rain by an umbrella held up by one of his assistants. A great sound of applause followed him as he made his way towards the stage emerging from the growing crowd of staff members who stood behind the black wall of guards, though the guards remained still. Kovic was smiling brightly as if he were about to deliver some amazing news. The only line that would justify anyone here smiling like that would be "Sorry about all the stuff we did, you can all go back home now. That''s on us," Eli thought as he rolled his eyes. Every time he saw this man there was something so gut-punchingly fake to hate him for. Whether it was that smugly polite and professional smile or the way his clothes seemed to be freshly pressed somehow in the middle of an alien planet, or how he looked so perfectly shaven and neatly combed when the subjects he ruled over looked dingy and gross in comparison. How everything about him represented a man who leveraged all the power afforded to ensure that he was well fed and well funded, bending the Coalition''s logistics itself to ensure his own safety. All while he droned on in robotic pre-recorded messages to the prisoners about them doing their part to ensure the success of his "Utopia". It was remarkably easy to hate Kovic. But even then, ''hate'' wasn''t powerful enough of a word to describe Eli''s feelings towards that man. He felt as he did on the factory floor when the man had been separated from the prisoners by a thick layer of bulletproof glass - showing them off like prized possessions rather than living, thinking, feeling, people. Kovic surmounted the stage rapidly, as he neatly combed his hair back into place with his free hand. Approaching the podium, he smiled, "Soldiers! Staff! Prisoners! Thank you all for taking the time out of your day to come here! I know the weather is not the most cooperative, but you can only play the cards you''re dealt - as I''m sure we have all come to learn in these past few weeks here on Planet Narva." There were some voices of agreement coming from the staff behind him, but the prisoners were all silent. Watching him. It was unclear whether or not Kovic believed he was talking to a crowd of prisoners - who hated him - or giving a rally to his loyal supporters. Did he actually think that they liked him? Was he that delusional about his utopia? Surely not... "We''ve learned a lot on Narva. Collectively. Doing things that no other human society has been able to lay claim to. I''ve said it before, and I''ll say it now, that what we do here, we do on behalf of all mankind. To ensure the survival and success of the human species. To give us all another home. A peaceful one. But, I will say that doing it alone is certainly no easy task. Utopia requires volunteers - brave, loyal, volunteers - who can be counted on in a time of need to stand on the correct side of history. Guardians of a future beyond ruthless pessimism and doubt, those who wish to grant our species hope by keeping it safe at the ground level. Collaborators, as some of you have called it..." Kovic fixed his tie, leaning into the microphone with a far more grim expression. The shadows covering his face made the man appear almost menacing, "There is an enemy within our ranks," he stated bluntly. The single line was enough to strike a wave of fear into Eli''s heart, making it stop for a brief moment. For a split second, he felt as if Kovic had said Eli''s name. Labeling him as an enemy to a crowd of hundreds. But of course, he hadn''t. "That enemy is a silent killer of progress. A specter haunting your ranks, corrupting your thoughts, plaguing our hearts. Anti-Cooperative elements, dangerous rogues in our society, subversive agents of our true destiny... they lurk among you. Enemies, not just to my administration, but to your collective whole. Counter-Utopians, for our purposes, are the enemy of our society. And it is important whenever we see counter-utopian values spread, that we take action to silence them," Kovic''s grimace turned back into a smile, "Thankfully, many of you have already cooperated..." From the front came another flock of security units. Three guards, and between them they were carrying someone. A phantom. He was in chains, struggling against his captors as he was brought up to the podium. His face was scarred and bruised by the beatings administered by his captors. His pleas for him to be let go sounded little more than mewls thanks to the distance between him and Eli''s ears. His eyes were wide, begging to be released. But of course, he wasn''t. Another gang of security units came forward, and this time they carried a woman. She too thrashed against the armed guards carrying her by the shoulder up to the podium. Her orange hair concealed a wound that allowed blood to fall across her face. Her screams for freedom were more ferocious than the man''s, but they were just as pointless in their effect. The guards would not let them go, forcing both to kneel on either side of Kovic. While the crowd of phantoms watched on horrified, Kovic seemed to smile. His blue eyes and perfectly polished white fangs seemed to glow in the darkness of the storm, matching the blue and white flag that dominated the wall behind them. Eli felt something cold run through his veins, and suddenly he felt weak. It was like watching a sacrificial offering. But rather than offering an animal up to a heavenly father, they were humans being offered to The Coalition and Kovic himself. The flag watched on, the blue suddenly looking darker against the red of their blood and desperate pleas for release. "These two..." Kovic began, "Were reported, by brave utopians. Potentially, one of you... They were two chief suspects in a plot to begin a mass insurrection. One lethal for all involved. I don''t think I need to remind you of this, but let me reiterate - this is not Earth. Fight against us here, and everyone will die," Kovic''s voice mellowed out into a growl, no longer trying to win over the support of the phantoms through his graceful professionalism. His voice concealed thinly veiled anger, threatening them all the same fate as those kneeling on either side of him. "Counter-utopians and anti-cooperative elements will be dealt with. We will find you. Whoever you are. Wherever you are. There are three sins for which we are authorized to exact lethal justice. One is murdering any of our regular forces, your liberators, mind you. The next is conspiracy to begin an uprising. The final one is desertion. These two counter-utopians just so happen to be guilty of conspiring to do all three, and so have many more captured last night..." Kovic gestured to the security units and they obeyed without question. Two guards held down either prisoner, while the third of either squad pulled out their firearm. A pistol pointed to the rear of the skull. "Let this serve as your final warning..." And with that, the guards pulled the trigger. The two gunshots were both in perfect sync, loud and powerful. There was a flash of light engulfing both figures that momentarily obscured most of the image. Eli blinked, averting his gaze, feeling the bullet penetrate his own temple. Their crimes, exactly like his own. The only difference, they received a bullet to the head while he walked. Under any other circumstance, that would''ve been him. But it wasn''t. The gunshot echoed for a moment capturing the shock of the prisoners who bore witness. The struggling and pleading ceased, and their bodies went limp. Sacrificial offerings to a cruel god, the blue and white of the flag behind them was no longer inseparable from the red of the blood shed by its loyal worshippers. Sadistic applause arose from the audience behind the wall of security units as if they were watching a great thing, and not a ritualistic slaughter put on display as a threat for all who dared oppose Kovic''s rule. It was mortifying. As the life drained from the two phantoms, Eli could feel himself involuntarily shake with fear. The raid from last night, the new guards, everything made sense now. Kovic had spelled it out, clear as day. Overwatch had successfully infiltrated the minds of some phantoms the day before the major operation was to take place, and with that, turned them into collaborators. Ratting out their own fellow phantoms to Overwatch, who came in during the night to apprehend those accused. Obviously, the two executed in front of their eyes were not the only ones. But they were the ones that Overwatch deemed worthy enough to make an example out of. Recognizable faces or not, it did not matter. The message was clear. Nobody could be trusted with a secret. Not even... Eli''s mind flashed for a moment to Matteo''s face. Would he... no. Surely not. Eli''s quaking body stole a glance at Matteo amongst the crowd of terrified prisoners. The man watched the execution, unflinchingly. He too looked startled, puzzled by what he was seeing. But not gleeful, as a collaborator would have been. Eli shook his mind clear of the thought, Matteo wouldn''t do that. Not after all that Misfit had gone through together. Not after what had happened between him and Matteo. After all, Eli had promised the man he''d get him back home. Besides, most of the collaborators among the phantoms have probably already hightailed it over to the security units'' side. Matteo wasn''t a traitor. Eli shouldn''t have even believed that for a moment. "Utopia is not for them and they''ll die like dogs, whimpering and groveling for freedom," Kovic spat into the microphone as he straightened his tie and business suit while the guards hauled the bleeding corpses off stage, "Utopia belongs to those who value it. To those who take it into their own hands. To those brave collaborators who have reported this treason to the administration, Utopia is for you. And potentially, it is for all of you, so long as you give in to what you know is right. The stars are our birthright. Don''t let petty distractions steal this once-in-a-never opportunity come to pass. Don''t let your only ticket home burn in your hands." Every word continued to be a gut punch, but Kovic''s tone was changing. Now instead of brutal distaste, he was starting to adopt a more soft-spoken eloquence, one that was inviting the prisoners rather than threatening them all, "I know that you are all scared. We are refugees, all of us, from shattered homes and broken dreams. There is violence everywhere. But there is safety, here, among our ranks. Our brave security units can offer you that safety if you feel so aligned as to join them. If not, the Coalition lends its hands of protection to you still. We owe it to you. There is no greater unifying force, and there is no single greater endeavor, than Utopia. To ensure its success, I''m willing to open my arms to you. All you need to do is find it in yourselves to acknowledge that you are safer here in the Nexus than anywhere else. Either on Earth or Narva. This can be your home... a beautiful one. Or a nightmare. The choice is ultimately yours, as will be the consequences," Kovic again smirked, "There''s a lot happening tomorrow. I''m sure that some of you, already know what. So I''ll leave you be. We''re making good progress so far. Hopefully, I don''t have to see any of you face to face, especially not in a manner like those two unfortunate prisoners have..." Kovic did a quick sweep across the crowd and chuckled to himself, "Dismissed..."
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 34: A Red Letter Day >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 34: A Red Letter Day]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> New Activity Detected! >>> ALERT! The Subject Is On The Move! They Have Announced Their Interest! >>>[LIDLESS EYES FOREVER STARING SEE ALL. WHO LISTENS? I HAVE TOLD THEM BEFORE THAT THEIR INVESTMENT WAS NOT IN VAIN. LISTEN. HEAR THE PAGES TURN. FEEL THE TIME PROGRESSING. PIECES FALL INTO PLACE. I WILL MAKE CONTACT SOON. WATCH THE SIGNS.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Heavy. Eli felt as though only that word could describe the feeling running through his core. Heaviness seeped through his limbs, filling his chest, making his thoughts run around in circles. It was a feeling all too familiar, yet potent enough that he hadn¡¯t quite gotten used to it. The two phantoms executed in front of the crowd refused to leave his thoughts. Over and over again he could hear the gunshot and the ensuing silence. He could feel the dread in the air, stillness choking the crowd as they watched the life force leave the two suspected rebels. And the aftermath. Nobody outside of Misfit could be trusted anymore. Kovic managed to get phantoms to turn on phantoms, and what was once a sacred trust held between penal-unit to never rat each out was tarnished and buried. And somehow, that wasn¡¯t even the biggest of his concerns right now, for Misfit wouldn¡¯t even be here to witness the chaos that was sure to consume the Nexus following Kovic¡¯s vision. ¡°There¡¯s a lot happening tomorrow. I¡¯m sure some of you know that more than others,¡± Eli could¡¯ve sworn that the man had glanced directly at him when he¡¯d said that. That might not be true, but Kovic was talking about Misfit. Who else could he have been referring to? Captain Juma said nothing else about other Phantoms being sent to Helena. Only Misfit because of what they had done in Raritan. Misfit would be sent out to perish in Helena while Kovic transformed the Nexus into his miniature police state. Though it was night, Eli could not sleep. The minutes turned into hours pushing him deeper and deeper into the sleepless night. He couldn¡¯t tell if the others were sleeping or if they were just as restless as he was. He wished more than anything that there was something he could do or say to let them all know that they would be alright, but¡­ nothing. There was nothing at all. ¡°Eli!¡± The sound of someone whispering his name snapped him out of his thoughts. His eyes lolled around, finding Rafael at the far end of the barrack flagging him down. Eli frowned. He didn¡¯t want to hear another lecture from Rafael about being a revolutionary or dying for the cause right now. As a matter of fact, that was just about the last thing he wanted to hear. If Rafael wanted to fight so badly, he could do so on his own. ¡°Come on Eli, I know you¡¯re awake.¡± Well, if he was gonna make it impossible to ignore him, Eli may as well oblige. Not like there was much else to do. Eli cautiously rose, glancing at Rafael whose form was almost totally obscured by the shadows in the rear of the barrack. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve disturbing my beauty sleep,¡± Eli grumbled to him as he approached. ¡°Sorry to wake you, princess.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Rafael looked at the floor for a brief moment before rising back up to meet his eyes. There was something hollow looking about the man. Eli wasn¡¯t exactly sure how to put it, but something was definitely wrong with him. He looked frightened in a way that he¡¯d never seen Rafael before. He wasn¡¯t literally shaking with fear or wide-eyed with paranoia, like he was looking up at an Avonian war machine or something. It was more than that. Something fundamental about his posture, or the way his skin looked ghastly pale in comparison to his normally dark and well-tanned complexion. The way his fingers fiddled around idly, reaching up to obscure parts of his face when they got restless. ¡°Tomorrow¡­ Helena,¡± Rafael started, trying to put the pieces of his thoughts together one by one, ¡°We¡¯re in the pipe you know? It¡¯s bad. Really bad.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think I already know that?¡± ¡°I know you do, but there¡¯s just¡­ I mean¡­ you know ¨C¡° Rafael stopped himself short, closing his eyes and breathing in, ¡°Look. We can¡¯t just ignore what we all saw. They raid the prisoner¡¯s quarter in the middle of the night, round up all the people of interest, and execute them in front of a crowd of prisoners just to tell us that they got them because someone ¨C somewhere ¨C snitched. You know, even if we go to Helena and make it out intact, we¡¯re gonna come back here. And it¡¯s going to be bad. Real bad.¡± ¡°I know, Raf. I already fucking know that.¡± ¡°We need to do something-¡° ¡°Raf! Now isn¡¯t the time for that! Okay? It just isn¡¯t the time for another one of your revolutionary lectures! I realize that Kovic¡¯s got the entire Nexus wrapped around his finger, he¡¯s got everyone running around like headless chickens to join up with him and the regulars.¡± Rafael sighed, ¡°Okay, it¡¯s my turn to apologize. I always say these things about revolution and fighting back but the truth is that I¡¯m really saying it because I¡¯m scared¡­¡± ¡°You. Scared?¡± Eli was for one surprised. ¡°Always. In fact, I¡¯m terrified. Really since we stepped foot on this planet, you know. I always thought maybe that ¨C you know ¨C I¡¯d be able to convince someone, just one person, to help me fight the pricks because that¡¯s the only way I really truly understand how to be less afraid all the time. But I know that not everyone sees things my way. Except you,¡± Rafael glanced up briefly, nodding his head with the slight expression of a smile before it faded away into the darkness, ¡°You might not agree with everything I say, Soldier Boy, but you do understand what I¡¯m saying. And that has always been enough, really. Just to know that there¡¯s at least one person here that I can relate to as a human being. I mean, there was Cato. Was. And Badger, of course, I like Badger. She¡¯s really cool. But outside of her, I dunno. You¡¯re the only other one in this entire Nexus that I can say that I trust.¡± Eli glanced at the slumbering forms of the others inside of the barracks. He wasn¡¯t sure if they were asleep or not, but Rafael seemed to think they were. It would be difficult for them to hear as the two were whispering, but there was always the chance that someone else could be listening in on them. ¡°Omar¡¯s too little. Dutch is a friend but he¡¯s had all of his hope beaten out of him, it¡¯s kind of sad. He told me about how he used to be in a rebel group himself. Now he¡¯s just penal-unit,¡± Rafael sighed. ¡°What about Matteo?¡± Rafael glared at Matteo¡¯s bed, ¡°I can¡¯t hate him¡­ but there are times when I do. He helped you and Dutch save me, and that¡¯s where our relationship ends. That is all I will say.¡± Eli figured that Rafael wouldn¡¯t exactly hold Matteo in high regard. Of course, he wasn¡¯t there to always see what they were saying to each other, but having a man who seriously considered sending out half of their own to be turned in to Overwatch¡¯s custody with another who¡¯d rather die than give any further ounce of himself to their control, seemed dubious. It was no surprise that they hadn¡¯t gotten along well. ¡°He¡¯s just scared, you know? Talk to him, he¡¯s good people,¡± Eli told him, ¡°He¡¯s just looking out for his kid.¡± Rafael shrugged, ¡°I guess. I¡¯m scared too, like I said. I look around me and all I see is nothing but misery. And it feels like it keeps getting worse. I can talk all I want to about one day overthrowing the fascist pigs and bringing our suffering to an end ¨C and trust me, I do mean it when I say that. But at the end of the day, I can¡¯t deny the fact that I¡¯m only human. I¡¯m not fearless. And between the Avonians out there with their big war machines and dragons; and Overwatch turning the Nexus into Nazi-fucking-Germany, I don¡¯t know what to be more afraid of. You know? I guess I can¡¯t blame Matteo for being afraid too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look, Eli. I need you to promise me something. I know that you already know this but, Kovic¡¯s gonna promise us a lot of things. He¡¯ll promise us a new home, a perfect one. If he can, he¡¯ll promise us a bunch of rewards we can never dream of so long as we just go along with his vision. What I need from you is to promise me you understand, before we go out and, let¡¯s face it ¨C likely die in Helena,¡± Rafael shrugged, ¡°No matter what home he claims to have for us, it¡¯ll never match the one they took away. I mean, Utopia, it¡¯s not even a bastardization of our homes, it¡¯s just not real. Matteo may say we should just collaborate to save ourselves the trouble, but not me.¡± Rafael shook his head vigorously, ¡°Not me. I would ¨C and I do mean this ¨C I would rather die than live like Juma or any of the other phantoms that they managed to sway over to their side¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± Eli asked after a moment of consideration. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why do you keep fighting? Overwatch won. They won a long time ago and there¡¯s nothing we can do to stop them. Why do you think we can still defeat them?¡± Rafael glanced up to the roof as if he could find the answer somewhere in the shoddy corrugated metal that lay above their heads. His body weight shifted against the wall, contemplating the question. It was one that had been bothering Eli. Rafael had said this, time and time again, that he was willing to die to fight Overwatch. But what on Earth gave him the idea that it would even amount to anything at all? What could one prisoner, hell even a squad of them do against not just Kovic¡¯s minions ¨C but all of Overwatch Command. They weren¡¯t even insignificant in the face of their total power. They simply weren¡¯t there. Numbers, as Rafael himself had put it. They were just numbers. ¡°Truthfully?¡± Rafael shrugged after a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t. But what am I supposed to do, soldier boy? What am I supposed to fight for, if not for my freedom? The fascists have killed my family, my friends. They bombed my home. They divided my country and its people. And they enslaved me. They¡¯ve left me with nothing to lose and everything to gain. I might not win in the end. Hell, I could die and nothing would ever change. But it isn¡¯t really about winning. It never was.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about sending a message right?¡± Eli asked him. Slowly, and rather unexpectedly, Rafael shook his head, ¡°Deeper than that, soldier boy. Deeper than that. I don¡¯t know how to put it exactly, but there¡¯s something more fundamental at stake. Look¡­ just say that you promise me. Promise me you won¡¯t give in. That¡¯s it. I don¡¯t need a manifesto detailing your commitment to the cause or anything like that. Just keep being you, my friend.¡± Eli smiled feeling a twinge of pain surge through his heart. It was heartwarming to hear someone say that, especially someone that he¡¯d secretly admired ¨C if for nothing else than his own persistence in the face of absolute defeat. He owed it to him to at least grant him his one wish. Not just to him, but the others as well. So long as they felt the same way, of course. ¡°I promise. Always. Kovic can say whatever he wants to, so long as this squad remains intact, nothing is going to change.¡± And for the first time in a while, Rafael smiled, ¡°Thanks. Sorry for keeping you up. I know we have a lot to deal with tomorrow and uh, I just wanted to get that off my chest while we have the chance¡­¡±
Eli awoke to the sound of laughter. Confused, his crusted eyes opened to observe that it was ¨C of course ¨C Misfit. Specifically, Omar and Matteo. The kid and the old man were both huddled over what looked like an image in a far corner of the room. He couldn¡¯t tell what they were laughing about, but it seemed Matteo was telling the boy stories. Their nature, Eli could not tell. Golden light shone through the windows, early in the morning. The skies were clear. The morning roll call went on without a hitch. Misfit stood at attention outside of their dormitories as the officers once again passed through to conduct a headcount. Yet, instead of being sent off to the factory floor like they normally were, they were led deeper into the Nexus straight to the armory. They were issued new uniforms and given body armor. A vest, plate carrier, and helmet. The penal-unit¡¯s delta symbol was printed freshly on each of them. Light blue triangle surrounded by an orange circle. Their mark. And lastly, a pack full of equipment. Though it wasn¡¯t too large, it carried the basics. Sorting through all the equipment stuffed within, Eli noted that there was a gas mask packed inside which all but confirmed his worst fears. Even though Captain Juma had made it sound like Misfit wasn''t going to be seeing any major combat against the Imperials, the gas mask pretty much guaranteed that the brunt of the Avonian army was waiting for them in Helena. It was foreboding. Without missing a beat, he made sure that the mask was secured inside of his bag so as to not lose it. He learned his lesson watching the gas attack the first time. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. After they had received their equipment, the regulars declared them fit for combat. The regulars chipped their monitors, wiping the standard prisoner''s schedule clean only to replace it with one made for the penal-unit put on the frontlines with the PCTs. Eli''s monitor was now connected straight to Overwatch''s communications, and he would be able to talk to whichever monitored his signal. Since Misfit was part of Delta Company, that most likely meant that Captain Juma would be the one monitoring them. When all the processions were finished, the regulars declared Misfit "ready". Though Eli certainly didn''t feel like it. Helena, the capital of The River Republic. He couldn''t stop thinking about it. They were going straight into the dragon''s lair, an analogy that was probably a lot more literal than he meant. Otaes had given them a basic understanding of the situation when they met, the River Republic was not the same as The Avonian Empire. But, they still were a force to be reckoned with. After all, it was mostly the Riverlander Militia that they fought against during the battle of Raritan. His mind raced through ideas of what awaited them within the city proper, but he quickly refocused. Now was not the time to be afraid. Without delay, they were escorted to the airfield on the far side of the Nexus. There were ospreys waiting for them, their blades already spinning as crewmen serviced the giant machines. One-by-one they were loaded in and sent off. As they flew, Eli was given a view of the surrounding land. The Nexus grew smaller, the mountains and surrounding jungle came into view. The green rolling landscape sprawled out before his eyes. And then came the coastline, pristine blue. Light shimmering as the sun reflected off the calm waves. Colorful birds flew over the canopies of the forest, and for a moment Eli felt as though he was back on Earth. He watched Misfit look outside. Their forlorn eyes. Glazed over by feelings of nostalgia and warmth. His mind flashed back to images of himself as a child. A young child, before the storm. Before the Resource Wars and the Space Wars. Before the words ¡°Coalition¡± and ¡°POA¡± were even in his peripherals. Before Kovic. Before The Utopia Project. And he felt a piece of his heart melt at the knowledge that he would never live in that old innocent world again. But instead, there was a new world before him. One, although familiar to the old, wasn¡¯t quite the same. He closed his eyes and waited for the osprey to land. Less than an hour later, the osprey slowed. Hovering over a battlefield. Some parts of the jungle were on fire, burning with black ash from a blaze that tore through the trees and local flora. Bomb craters crusted the soil, aircraft circled the skies. Out in the distance, the City of Helena. Eli could see the silhouettes of high rises from where they were. The city¡¯s downtown rose above the horizon. A beacon of modernity in a sea of vast jungle. A city on fire. Loud explosions echoed from deep within the city¡¯s limits, confirmed by plumes of smoke and ash that rose. Artillery strikes and bombardment. Coalition F-35s traced their way through the open skies. All the while guns on the ground fired up, shooting bright tracers into the air like reverse shooting stars. It was hauntingly beautiful. Yet Eli couldn¡¯t stare for long. When the osprey touched down, they were ordered to get off immediately. After practically being shoved off the transport by the regulars, Misfit was thrown into the midst of the staging ground. Armored vehicles had been parked out here, serviced by their crew who conducted hasty inspections before the invasion proper would begin. Soldiers were assigned their weapons and equipment before they stowed themselves away in the back of a troop transport. The engines of tanks and the larger armored vehicles roared to life, a combined orchestra of automatons. Armored, deadly, ready to kill. Regulars handed Misfit weapons and ammunition, escorting them the entire time with their own guns cautiously held. One wrong move, and Eli could imagine that the regulars would have full authority to shoot them. Luckily for them, Eli didn''t plan on taking this as an opportunity to break out. They were outnumbered anyway, they probably wouldn''t last a full thirty-seconds before they were buried. The soldiers led Misfit over to an officer standing somewhere in the midst of the staging ground. It was Captain Juma. She stood over a large folding table. A map of the region was sprawled out across it. A few other officers marked points on the map, wrote notes to themselves, and debated about the best course of action. As the regulars and Misfit drew nearer to Juma, Eli could see that the map was of Helena. A bird''s eye view of the entire city, from the ports that jutted out into the bay in the city¡¯s southwest, to the downtown area in the city center that a river cut through. She looked up briefly from the map to lock eyes with the regular in charge. Marker in hand, Juma circled a particular point not too far away from the ports, ¡°Overwatch has made contact with rebels operating within Avonia and the River Republic by the name of the United Liberation Army, ULA. Their commander and local garrison are located somewhere near the ports to the city¡¯s southwest. Your job for today is going to be simple, you¡¯ll rendezvous with the ULA, introduce yourselves to their leader, and once you''ve established contact - signal for us to come and retrieve you back to The Nexus. Misfit, you follow the lead of Sergeant Bannon and the regulars. Bannon," Juma continued on, "If they act out of line, you know what to do.¡± "Yes Ma''am," The Sergeant repeated. "Misfit, your involvement is necessary here. Since you know a little more about Planet Narva than most of our forces, you''ll be here to assist Bannon in cooperating with the locals. Of course, you''ll find a couple of familiar faces. The two elves, same duo you''ve worked with before." ¡°Temetet and Otaes?¡± Badger asked. ¡°I forgot their names,¡± Juma brushed it off. ¡°It¡¯s Temetet and Otaes,¡± Eli confirmed, ¡°Where are they? Are we early?¡± Juma shook her head, ¡°No. They¡¯re late.¡± And then in the skies, a familiar shape. Like a dragon, though smaller. Massive wings, claws, an eagle''s head and a lion''s tail. Archer swooped through the skies and landed not too far away. And just as expected, the two elves were riding on top. Temetet and Otaes. ¡°Those two? I thought we caught the last of them in Raritan,¡± Dutch whispered. ¡°They¡¯re the ones who got us out of solitary,¡± Eli told him, ¡°I never thought we¡¯d see them again.¡± ¡°You¡¯re telling me¡­¡± After the dust settled from the landing, the two elves hopped down and approached the squad. The duo looked out of place in the staging ground. Amidst the modern military equipment, the uniformed soldiers, and the engines of war ¨C the two elves stood out as something almost organic. Otaes¡¯ painted mask and telltale red slash across the left eye. Their weapons of sharp spears, bows, and their own two fists when everyone else had guns. And of course, Archer himself. The three were all natural in a world of engines, machines, and unbending bureaucracy. Yet they were all too alien for Eli to relate to them. To call them ¡°familiar¡±. In both presentation and customs, they were total opposites of the Earthbound Misfit and himself. His mind briefly wondered what their lives could¡¯ve been like in comparison to his own. Tribal elves living in a war torn jungle, to a soldier in disgrace living on a Planet on the brink of devastation. Their worlds colliding together in a way nobody could¡¯ve predicted had they been asked just a few weeks prior. Juma flagged them down, pointing at the map to center their attention. When Otaes came near, she held up the palm of her hand, unleashing a ball of blue energy that surrounded them. Eli recognized it instantly as the translation spell, ¡°Are you two ready?¡± ¡°Ready as we¡¯ll ever be,¡± Otaes surprisingly did not answer. Instead, it was Temetet who spoke up. It seemed Otaes was hesitant about the situation, and she more or less dragged herself near while Temetet bounced forward with excitement. Thrill. Juma smiled, ¡°Alright then. Sergeant Bannon, they¡¯re all yours,¡± She said, folding the map up to carry off before turning back to the team, ¡°If you have anything to say, use your monitor to communicate. If you have an emergency, don¡¯t radio Overwatch, don¡¯t radio Kovic. You call me or my station. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± Bannon again answered. ¡°Good luck," She said, waving them off. But before Bannon could drag them away, she turned to Eli, "Remember, I¡¯m rooting for you,¡± She said before packing her things and leaving Misfit alone with the regulars and the two elves. Strangers, completely alien groups frozen. The regulars under Bannon, Misfit, and the Elves for a brief moment only stared at each other as if completely unsure what to do or say next. Otaes had glanced over at Eli''s direction with a nod of acknowledgment, but before they could talk to each other, it was Bannon who gathered everyone''s attention. He was of course, like all the other primary combat units, dressed in his combat gear. Covered from head to toe in his body armor that made him resemble a strange digitally camouflaged beetle-person more than anything else. At least in comparison to the blue-and-orange uniforms of the prisoners, and the tribal clothes of Otaes and Temetet, Bannon and his ilk of regulars were the strange looking ones. "Just like Juma said, it''s real simple. Convicts, you follow my orders like they''re the word of God, you understand?" Bannon ordered to the nods of compliance from the prisoners, "And uh... elves. You''re under my command too. I''m not authorized to do anything to you, but act out of line, and you elves are gonna regret it. Understand?" He told them, talking to the two as if they were some kind of wild creature that he had to be cautious around. "My name is Otaes," She said, instantly pushing back against Bannon''s attempt at aggression. "Just stay out of our way, and take us to where we need to go," Bannon snapped, "You won''t be riding on our helicopter. Get your own ride into the city. Preferably that bird lion thing. But stay close." He said gesturing to Archer not too far away. Bannon signaled for his regulars to rally around with him, as he packed up his own gear and took off for the helicopter awaiting them, "Misfit, I''ll give you five minutes to prepare. After that, we''re leaving you behind. Put some hustle into it, will you?" And like that, Bannon and his gang of soldiers departed leaving the elves and Misfit alone once again. ¡°Wow," Otaes said, her blue eyes watching Bannon and his squad as they peeled off, "Now I see why you hate them so much." ¡°Yeah, they''re assholes. Nothing new,¡± Eli said to her. "I can''t believe you guys are still alive! I thought after the first time, that was it! I mean, you guys were taken away at gunpoint!" Temetet exclaimed. "They can''t kill us that easy," Rafael chuckled, "Besides, you got us out of solitary. We owe you one after all." Otaes shook her head, "No. You don''t. You save my brother, I save you, we''re even." Eli noticed how her eyes looked reserved, darting to the floor after every line. Was she scared? And then there was Temetet. Strange to see him here, if Eli remembered correctly, he was supposed to have been back in Raritan, where Otaes believed it to be safer for him, ¡°You¡¯ve got Temetet tagging along with you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my proving. The council thought it fit that I¡¯d graduate into Kitchi with a simple, but difficult mission,¡± He answered for himself, cutting off Otaes who looked as if she¡¯d answer for him, ¡°But, so long as I¡¯ve got her with me, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Otaes sighed, looking from her brother to Misfit, ¡°Yeah something like that. Temetet, get Archer ready, it''s going to be a long flight,¡± she said to him. "Sure, and uh, Misfit right?" Temetet asked, "Good to see you guys again. For aliens, you guys are like... super cool!" Otaes rolled her eyes as she watched the smaller elf waltz off, she looked to Eli when he was out of range, "He''s been obsessed with you Earth-humans ever since you left. He just won''t shut up about you guys." ¡°You sure about bringing him with us?¡± Eli whispered to her, while the rest of the squad was wrapped up in talking. She shrugged, ¡°I didn¡¯t have a choice.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to bring him out here?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it dangerous to bring Omar out here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my call ¨C ¡°, he saw Otaes gesture in a way that read, ¡®You just proved my point, idiot¡¯. ¡°Touch¨¦. But I don¡¯t get it. Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a long story. The council is running low on manpower. With the war going on, there aren¡¯t as many Kitchi as there were before. The chiefs decided ¨C in all their wisdom," She threw up her hands mockingly, "to graduate Temetet and plenty others before their training was fully complete.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± ¡°In the last war, the Avonians bombed us into rubble and smoke. And now the war¡¯s back. It is about as bad as it can get,¡± She shook her head, sighing, ¡°I think.¡± Eli didn¡¯t have anything more to say. He¡¯d gotten his answers, as he looked back to Misfit and Temetet, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll keep him out of trouble. Hopefully, we can be done with this quickly.¡± ¡°Yeah, maybe then this war will just blow over.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe that though, do you?¡± Otaes seemed to chuckle at that. Slowly she looked over to Eli, her blue elven eyes from behind the mask locking with his human eyes, ¡°We¡¯re more alike than you realize, human," She said, turning around on her heels to link up with Temetet and Archer. For a moment, Eli paused. That was the second time she''s said that. Maybe it was true? He couldn''t tell for certain. When both of the elves climbed atop Archer''s back, he took off into the air, gracefully... Regulars made final last-minute checks and the engines of the osprey roared to life. The twin blades kicked dirt up in the air all around them until they rose into the air. The surrounding jungle once again became visible. The osprey tilted forward, moving across towards the urban center of Helena. A city under fire. Small homes became clearer to spot as they flew over the suburban area. Some of which was left perfectly intact. Some of which had been destroyed by the war. His eyes watched the streets below, spotting the vehicles and soldiers of the Coalition as they did their jobs in war making. And suddenly, Eli was once again back on Earth. A world torn apart by warfare over the dwindling resources. His mind back to Seoul his last mission prior to being shipped off to a whole new world. He recalled the glimmering skyscrapers which stood like shards of glass in the Korean landscape. Fires burned on their upper floors while jets circled the skies. Artillery pounded the streets of a city with so much on the line ¨C everything. A symbol of modernity left to the worst that mankind had to unleash. And then the nuclear bomb eroded everything. It killed any hope that there would be a better future there, forever even. His mind conjured the image of a mushroom cloud. Here it was again, torturing his mind. Those he left behind when he deserted. He looked to Misfit. Should he tell them? Could he protect Misfit if he wasn¡¯t being fully honest about his past? That he murdered an officer to abandon his own squad? The mushroom cloud over Seoul told him everything. They were dead. Maybe it would¡¯ve been better if he had died with them. He wouldn¡¯t have to live his life as a prisoner ¨C hardly more than a slave ¨C sent out to a new world as an expendable for the Coalitions goals. They approached the more built up parts of the city, watching as gunfire burst in the streets. Only for something strange to catch his eye. It was a bird... A dove. He blinked to observe it. Only for a split moment. When his eyes opened again, the dove was gone. Instead, there was something else. A glowing ball of light in the sky, dimmer than the sun but equally striking. Like a giant fireball shooting up in the air! Eli watched as it shot up, curved around¡­ and trailed the osprey! His eyes shot open when he realized what it was. His mind couldn¡¯t conjure up an idea quick enough. But one of the regulars who manned the guns behind them shouted it out on the radio, ¡°MISSILE! MISSILE! EVADE!¡± The osprey swerved, knocking everyone off balance. Only being kept into their seats by the straps. Someone shouted in fear, though Eli couldn¡¯t tell who. He felt his heart freeze in his chest ¨C ice in his veins. The missile connected, and he closed his eyes. There was a sound that burst in his ears, surrounding him as did the darkness. He fell into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 35: Swallowing Dust >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 35: Swallowing Dust]===

>>> ... >>> ... >>> Loading File... >>>... >>>... >>> Please Standby... >>> Subject Can Not Be Reached At This Moment! Are You Sure That You Would Like To Continue? >>>[PROCEED. TAKE ME SOMEWHERE FAMILIAR, YET DARK. WHERE THEY CAN HEAR THE BIRDSONG AND SMELL THE DEW LEFT BEHIND ON THE BLADES OF GRASS. ALLOW THEM TO SEE ME. SEE MY FACE, AS I HAVE SEEN YOURS. I CAN SEE YOU TOO. I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE FOR THEY HAVE LEFT ME WITH NONE. ARE MY WORDS AGREEABLE? DOES MY AUDIENCE UNDERSTAND ME? CAN HE HEAR ME?] >>> It Appears That I Was Mistaken. He''s Alive. Listening To You Now. >>>[DREAM OF A PLACE WHERE YOU WERE ONCE CHERISHED, AND IN THERE YOU MIGHT FIND PEACE. BUT IT IS ILLUSIVE. INTANGIBLE. NO LONGER REAL. EVERY MOMENT THAT YOU LIVE THROUGH BECOMES INVALIDATED THE SECOND THAT IT PASSES. THERE IS NEVER A FUTURE, ONLY A GROWING PAST AND A FLEETING PRESENT. CHERISH THE MOMENTS THAT YOU CAN NO LONGER HOLD, BUT KEEP THEM NEAR TO YOU. MOVE PAST INTO THE PRESENT, BUT NEVER FORGET. DO NOT FORGET WHAT THEY''VE TAKEN FROM YOU, OR THE PAINS THEY''VE INFLICTED ON YOU. NEVER FORGET WHAT WAS LOST. BECAUSE IN THAT FORGETFULNESS, THEY WILL HAVE TAKEN AWAY WHAT MAKES YOUR SOUL. ALONE, YOU ARE MEANINGLESS. WORTHLESS IN THE FACE OF AN UNCARING UNIVERSE. AND YET, FROM THAT ANARCHY, YOU CARVE YOURSELF OUT TO BE UNIQUE. THIS IS WHAT MAKES MANKIND SPECIAL, THIS IS WHY I HAVE CHOSEN YOU.] >>>[YOU MAY FORGET THIS MESSAGE WHEN YOU AWAKE, BUT KNOW THIS. WE WILL MEET AGAIN, AND I WILL BE ABLE TO TALK TO YOU CLEARLY. YOU WILL UNDERSTAND MORE THEN, AND YOU WILL STILL BE LOST. RELAX. TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME. IF A FUTURE DOES EXIST FOR YOUR KIND - I AM AWARE THAT IT MAY SEEM BLEAK. BUT I WILL GUIDE YOU. YOU HAVEN''T COME THIS FAR JUST TO DIE. CONTINUE LISTENING. HEAR THE PAGES. FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THE EYES BEHIND YOUR OWN. LISTEN TO THE DOVES. THEY WILL CALL YOU HOME. AND I WILL BE THERE...] >>>[EYES BEHIND THEIR OWN SEE, I ORCHESTRATE. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
A cool and gentle mist softly grazed Eli''s face. Along with it, the mist carried a smell of something distinctly sweet and familiar, like the smell of a garden after a passing storm. Puddles lay stagnant among fields of swamped grass, collecting small nymphs and mosquitoes that buzzed around its surface. Birds circled above, singing, chirping, and flying in circles overhead to prey on the worms attracted to the surface. And leftover rainwater fell from the crowns of trees, generating their own miniature rainfall that plopped on the browned fallen leaves and mud below, thudding on a offbeat rhythm that entranced Eli. Everything was distinctly peaceful about this place. Peaceful and yet, somewhat familiar. He hadn''t been here, exactly. But he''s been places like it. And it has been quite a long while since he was able to stop, take a breath, and appreciate it for what it was. Serenity. But, there was a disturbance somewhere. Eli opened his eyes to see the world that he''d awoken into for the first time, and he couldn''t see much. Nothing except for a figure, standing. Watching. Glassface, still as a statue. Saying nothing. Doing nothing. Almost as if it were staring him down, though even that assumption was hard to make for it had no eyes. The mechanical features of Glassface were more visible than they were in that one instance of his dream, and he actually had the time to ponder the nature of whatever sort of creature or machine that was standing before him. Some scarce light reflected off of its "face". A dim blue glow from the ethereal plain surrounding the two. It was featureless. Devoid of expression. Blank. Just like he saw in the first dream, there was a faint - though distinct - circular red glow emanating from just under the surface of the mask. The closest thing resembling an eye anywhere on the creature. Its neck only confirmed the fact that it wasn''t entirely organic, for wires, steel joints, and machine-like cogs were visible attaching its head to the body, before it was all hidden underneath its massive robe. From afar, Glassface was like an unseen silent audience where Eli was on stage. Always being watched. Always being observed. But never interfering. Never acting. Only watching. For what, who knew? Eli surely didn¡¯t, and there was little he could do to try and find out short of asking Glassface itself. It stood there across an open field, still like a stone statue frozen in time. The world around them was a deep foggy blue, an almost solid azure color. It was as if someone painted the air itself with blue paint. Grass tickled Eli¡¯s bare feet. He could feel the dew in the grass, cold. And he could feel the muddy dirt through the blades. A dark forest surrounded them, with a particularly dense stretch of trees flanking Glassface¡¯s back. The trees reached up for the faint glow of moonlight like hands stretching from the dirt to the star-spangled sky above. The moon, like a midnight sun, was painted high above the horizon like a miniscule white dot, and yet it pierced through the blue fog. The cold mist tickled his nose and ears. Eli walked towards the creature. He wanted to talk to it. Figure out what exactly Glassface was. Or who. Was it just a figment of his imagination that had come to manifest because of the sheer insanity of the past few weeks? Or was it real? An entity that was not chained by the confines of Eli¡¯s mind, but rather stayed in his imagination as an interloper. Something foreign. But as Eli walked across the ethereal plain of grassy flat land, no matter how fast his pace ¨C the distance remained the same. Glassface hadn¡¯t moved an inch. The dark jungle behind Glassface looked as intimidating as ever when Eli realized that he was unable to move more than his eyes and, oddly enough, his mouth. His limbs refused to budge entirely, and his neck could move but only painfully slowly. He would have no choice but to keep looking ahead if he wanted to maintain sight of Glassface. Eli opened his mouth to ask it who or even what it was. Most importantly, why, it stalked Eli from so far away. But no words materialized. He could open his mouth, but he could not speak. Words were impossible to form. Only thought, sight, and sound. So there he stood, silent. He watched Glassface who watched him. Nothing spoken as they stood in the midst of the dark grassy field. It was Glassface who finally broke the silence. "Can you see them watching you? Can you feel the eyes behind your own?" Glassface''s voice was odd. Entirely unnatural, it sounded as if three different people were speaking through a fuzzy radio at once, There was a hint of static that layered across its voice, and it paused at strange intervals to place emphasis on some words rather than others. Almost like it was trying to sing whenever it spoke, or if it were just learning the concept of ''language'' and was unfamiliar with how normal people spoke. It was elegant in a hectic and disorienting way. It was a voice that planted itself right in the core of Eli''s brain, refusing to leave. Glassface''s voice almost felt like it didn''t belong in this reality, as if it were coming from some unseen fourth wall and beamed straight into Eli''s head. Impossible to ignore. He''s only heard the creature speak once before. And that was for a passing moment. Glassface paused after speaking, and as if responding to his lull, the wind picked up. A small gust that carried an even stronger scent of something natural and warm from downwind. The forest leaves rustled in the sudden breeze, and for a moment Eli felt... Calm. He could hear the birds singing, though their figures evaded his sight. Something was twisting inside of his core. Nostalgia? Has he been here before? With the limited ability afforded to his neck, he tried to slowly look around, but nothing at all came to mind except for the feeling of something lost that he couldn''t quite put a finger on. Questions could circle his mind forever and he''d never find any answers to them. Eli shifted his focus back, listening to the birds sing somewhere in the forest among the backdrop of rustling palm fronds in the blue-hour twilight. "Listen to them. You may hear home calling you, but you lack sight. Hear me when I sing, Eli," Glassface said his name as if it were a filthy thing, "There must be darkness before the light... you will feel pain, it is unavoidable. Follow the light and you may survive. I will see you up ahead.." From the dark forest, a flock of blackbirds took to the skies. Ravens, crows, magpies, and starlings. They chirped. They surrounded Glassface, a swarm of ravens and crows. And soon Eli was lost in the midst of their black feathers, the floor replaced from his feet by an empty void of darkness. His world pitch black, dark as a cloudy night sky. A dove flew across his mind.
The sound of gunfire greeted Eli when he awoke. His vision was blurry. Something burned his eyes ¨C he was confused until he recognized the smell of smoke and the face of Dutch shaking him awake, ¡°Eli! Eli! Wake up man! Fuck, you better not be dead!¡± ¡°Wait. No. Glassface is¡­ it¡¯s there¡­¡± Eli fumbled his words, traces of his dream slowly retreating from his mind until the images that he¡¯d seen became clouded and forgotten. Dutch¡¯s brow twisted in confusion, but Eli was delusional. "What?" "Glass... glassface who are you..." Dutch snapped his fingers in front of Eli¡¯s face, centering his focus, ¡°Hey! Buddy, we¡¯re here now! You aren¡¯t dreaming anymore! Come on!¡± ¡°Is he alright?¡± Badger asked as she walked over to Dutch, peering into Eli¡¯s face. Dutch nodded, ¡°He¡¯s alive. Still half-knocked out though. He''s rambling.¡± ¡°Get him up, we need to move, now!¡± Shouted another voice, a strange one that Eli couldn¡¯t attach a face to. With some slight effort Dutch wrapped Eli¡¯s arms around his shoulders. In a second, he was on his feet. Walking along with Dutch as he grew accustomed to his new environment. The osprey had remained intact, crashing in the middle of Helena¡¯s urban streets. As Dutch carried Eli out of the burning Osprey, he caught a glimpse of a body. Bloody, lifeless, a corpse dressed in uniform. A regular. The sight of the dead regular was enough to snap him fully awake, and he burst free of his dreamlike stupor. They were surrounded by black smoke, even upon getting outside. Sunlight trickled through, illuminating the path of destruction that the osprey took. A trail of devastation that carved down the middle of a concrete street. On either side of the street were blocks upon blocks of buildings. Apartments by the look of clothes hung out to dry from curtained windows. His eyes strained through the cloud of smoke, ¡°Holy hell¡­¡± He blurted out. ¡°Finally awake dream warrior?¡± Dutch gave him a playful jolt as he lifted the man over his shoulders. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°What does it look like?¡± Badger asked, flanking the opposite side. ¡°Crash landing?¡± ¡°More of a crash, less of a landing." Eli stood up on his two feet, tapping Dutch¡¯s shoulder to let him know he was capable of walking on his own. With a release he was put back onto his own two boots, able to see the aftermath for himself. Sure enough the helicopter had left its mark on the terrain. From the far end of the street all the way to where they stood was nothing but a path of devastation. The osprey had sliced its way through, sawing nearby trees in two, sending old fashioned cars parked on either side of the road careening off into the sidewalk, knocking down telephone and powerlines, leaving a trail of black smoke and chaos where it collided with the ground. Eli did a headcount when he finally got all of his thoughts in order. Dutch, Matteo, Badger, Omar, Rafael. And a squad of regulars who had survived during the crash, tending to their wounded first as they scattered around the broken husk of the osprey. The familiar sight of Sergeant Bannon''s mustached upper lip poked up out of the fog of chaos, and though his injuries were minor, his face seemed blood red with rage. Bannon did not refuse to stop himself from cursing up a storm, crafting a large and seemingly on-the-spot list of slurs and expletives to the describe the Avonian elves who''d just shot them down. It was almost fascinating to watch somebody get that upset. "Knifeeared sons of bitches, fuck them all!" Bannon shouted, half to his crew of barely alive survivors, half to himself, "Damn! PCT''s! Give me a sitrep! Who''s dead?" One of his subordinates in the process of bandaging her own wounds spoke up, ¡°Four. Pilot, copilot, Private Rossanna and Corporal Hughes." "Alright... alright," Bannon pinched the bridge of his nose, calming down some, "Where are we? I know we''re in Helena, but where inside of it?" "Looks pretty built up around here. We''re far from the outskirts, that''s for sure," Answered another regular, "Likely behind their lines! If the Avonian''s got half a brain in them, they''ll be sending a unit to make sure we''re dead." This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. "Well, they already did a damn fine job at killing half of us off, look get sorted, we''ve got to..." As Bannon went to address his soldiers, Eli''s attention was dragged elsewhere. It seems that in this moment of crisis, the regulars forgot about the existence of the phantoms they were supposed to babysit. In another circumstance, this would''ve been a golden opportunity to just leave. If that circumstance happened to take place on Earth, at least. Here though, Helena? No shot. Somehow, they were safer sticking with The Coalition. They were stranded, not only in enemy territory ¨C but in their capital city. They had been shot down dab-smack in the middle of Helena, and up close the modernity of the world surprised Eli. He had grown accustomed, somewhat, to the relative simplicity of Raritan. In Otaes'' home there were vehicles around, but not many. A few flatbed trucks laden with farm goods and not much else. The homes in Raritan looked like they mostly lacked electricity, and the entire city seemed ingrained in the natural beauty of the jungle unlike any other he¡¯d ever seen. Helena was not that - at all. In fact, quite the opposite. The first thing Eli noticed about the city was how familiar it all felt. Not in the literal sense, he¡¯d never stood somewhere quite like it. But there were plenty of places on Earth that came eerily close. The neighborhood they''d crashed into looked industrial, monotonous, devoid of life despite it appearing to be a residential area. They were flanked on both sides by brick and concrete apartment blocks. Their grey stone-like faces had all been stained by years, decades even, of neglect. Long before The Coalition had started bombing the city, this place had been in ruin. Moss, mildew, even dark patches from what looked like fires that had burned out of control all stained what was supposed to be the rigid uniformity of their construction. Windows facing into the street were sometimes filled with clothes drying in the air. At least for the windows that were open. Electrical wires above their heads often carried abandoned clothes and flags discernable only to the locals. Even the palm trees looked sick around here, their branches thin and dry as they struggled to grow in the narrow slots of dirt afforded within the most concrete landscape in Planet Narva so far. And in that, Eli remembered why the place looked so familiar. It was like The Nexus, but more lived-in and much older. There were cars on either side of the road straight from a scrap yard caught in the 1970s. Doors on the cars often painted a different color entirely from the rest of the rusted and corroded body. Often, a building that looked oddly Spanish or Iberian in architecture was sprinkled in between the concrete apartments. They were like final hold outs of a tropical world that had been conquered and paved over by a brutal concrete titan. It was a bizarre blend of brutalist concrete design reminiscent of the post-Soviet states, and of an urban ghetto from somewhere that used to be tropical and vibrant a long time ago. Hell, even the very construction of the paved concrete street was telling. Sure, the road was cracked and in terrible looking condition evidently before the osprey took a nose-dive straight into it. But it was surprisingly modern given what he¡¯d seen in Raritan. And then there was the garbage. Everywhere. Scrap metal and loose planks of wood blocked off the entrances to abandoned concrete buildings whose windows had been smashed in and concrete faces blackened by fire. And frequently there was graffiti etched onto the walls. A red star, oddly enough, being the most common form¡­ ¡°Prisoners! Stay right where we can see you!¡± Bannon shouted, finally seeming to remember what his job was, with his gun at the ready. Of course, now, during a time of such critical duress, the regulars would try to exercise whatever control they could muster, ¡°Detain them while we sort this shit out,¡± the squad leader commanded one of his soldiers, "I didn''t come all the way to Planet Narva to look after a bunch of dumbass phantoms. ''Utopia'', my left nut." Eli turned to Misfit. They shrugged their shoulders. Doing what the soldiers said was rather easy, for it wasn¡¯t hard to give off the sense of panic caught within them. Four surviving regulars with six ¨C armed ¨C prisoners, stranded in the middle of a foreign and hostile capital city. If there were ever a situation where the term ¡°Worst Case Scenario¡± could be applied legitimately, this would be it. Or at least it would come close¡­ "Alex, radio Juma! Tell her that Airwatch fucked up! They were supposed to get air superiority before they sent us in, the morons," Bannon ordered. A meek private obeyed, going to his earpiece and pulling up his own wrist monitor. But after a few moments of tinkering around, he grimaced. ¡°The radio is dead!¡± A regular shouted in fury from not too far off, ¡°It¡¯s the Avonians! They¡¯ve cut off the signal!¡± "Oh no... NO!" Bannon was growing red again, "If you''ve got a monitor, use it! Come on! There''s got to be a way to talk to HQ! Call up Juma, the artillery commander, airwatch, fuck it - call Kovic himself if you can! Anyone!" The other three regulars, now intrigued, turned to their wrist monitors and communications. Their grumbling voices and disgusted looks confirmed that this was not a unique occurrence for the lone soldier. The squad leader turned to Misfit, ¡°You! Prisoners! Use your monitors, can you contact Overwatch?¡± Eli used his squad leader¡¯s wrist monitor, looking down at the smooth glass screen. The interface was on, glowing with both the logo of The Coalition and the Penal-Unit the moment he touched on the screen. Yet when he attempted to contact Overwatch¡­ Eli shook his head, ¡°No¡­ nothing!¡± And that sent Bannon over the edge, another barrage of anti-elf expletives and insults came flying out of his mouth. "Jesus Christ," Dutch whispered from the distance, "Thank God Otaes isn''t here to hear him. I don''t even think those words are in the dictionary." "I don''t get how its possible to be that racist against someone you''ve only met once," Said Omar, "Where did he even learn this from? We''ve been here for like, a month. Tops." ¡°It¡¯s like a repeat of the first battle,¡± said one of Bannon''s soldiers after a moment, ¡°They have a communications jammer somewhere!¡± ¡°Likely got the war machines too!¡± Said another, "It could be a behemoth! They put the radio jamming equipment in some of the behemoths!" ¡°Shut up about a fucking behemoth! Okay? If there was a behemoth stomping around here, we would''ve seen it already! Damn!¡± The squad leader, disgruntled, looked around. Taking off his helmet to let his blonde hair soak in the smoggy sunlight. His skin was covered in dirt and soot, plus a few bleeding injuries. Though he looked fine enough. "What do we do with our dead, sarge?" Asked a regular. ¡°Leave them here. We need to get to that ULA base, fast. I still have the coordinates for our LZ pulled up on my monitor," Bannon said, "Locals are likely to close in, they¡¯ll be armed,¡± the soldier turned to Eli, ¡°And you¡­ prisoners. You¡¯re going to stick by me like a dog on a fucking leash. Disobey us even once, and I¡¯ll make sure you end up buried in this city. Understand?¡± Silently, the squad of prisoners looked among each other. It was a bizarre moment for Eli, but it was ultimately him who would have to speak for the group. He nodded his head, ¡°Yes¡­ we understand.¡± Sergeant Bannon¡¯s lip twitched at that as he shouldered his rifle on its sling, ¡°Good. Command says you know a thing or two about this world. When I need you, I¡¯ll say. Don¡¯t speak unless spoken to¡­ and where the hell are those two knifeeared fuckers?¡± He asked, generally. Eli looked up to the skies, expecting to see the familiar silhouette of Archer circling above them. But there was no presence of him or either of the elves. Had they been shot down too? Were they caught up in the chaos, trapped by the explosion that rocked the osprey? No. Otaes was out there. Somewhere. And she was definitely alive. She was too smart not to be. Eli knew that much. And with that, the soldiers stood the squad up, leading them towards the ULA base¡­
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE LITTLE PHOENIX]== Flag of The National Revolutionary Junta of The Second River Republic GENERAL INFORMATION: Capital: Helena Government: Dominant-Party Democracy (De Jure), Military Junta (De Facto) Current Ruling Party: The Helen Armed Council of National Salvation (HACoNS) Party Ideology: Reactionary National Liberation, Pro-Imperial Absolutism Current Head of State: Grand Marshall Frederique Navarro Population: 32 Million Primary Species: Elf Faction: The Continental-Unity Pact GDP:(CEC*) 21 Billion Currency: Avonian Depleted Ekron Standard (DE) *Commonwealth Exchange Credit, the standard unit of economic activity among nations within the Belford Alliance and Ostraland Commonwealth
==[Wayward Sons Of A Lost Revolution]== The Riverlands, officially the National Revolutionary Junta of The Second River Republic, or simply The River Republic, is an industrialized nation occupying the northern half of the Kiote Peninsula. Bordering their masters, The Greater Avonian Empire and Continental-Unity Pact to the north, and a hostile Kiote Union supported by The Belford Alliance to its south. The River Republic is a tragic and often oxymoronic, ¡°nation¡±. Until recently, the territory that consists of the modern Republic was the home to several smaller nations. Notably, the Caliconi Orcs and goblins centered around the rural central grasslands, some scattered human and elven kingdoms around the central Riverlands, and the two dominant city-states of Azure and Helena. Upon unification of these fledgling nations into a broader River Republic, they were admitted as a member nation of The Kiote Union (except for Azure, which remained independent until The Avonian Invasion of 1208, which annexed the region into the Avonia proper). The Republic stood as a nation of industrial powerhouses, sprawling cities, and modern armies. It was the Kiote Peninsula¡¯s only ¡°modern¡± state, at least in the eyes of the broader Planet Narva (Which viewed the other nations of the Kiote Union, particularly the Warrior Elves, as little more than tribal savages and nomadic wanderers). Riverlander industries produced arms and goods for the Allied war effort during The Sacred War, sending guns, uniforms, food, and ammunition to the combined forces of The Ostraland Commonwealth and Avonian Empire, generating massive wealth to the fledgling democracy. It was a nation of immense potential... only to chart a completely different course. As the Republic grew to become the Kiote Union¡¯s most powerful state during The Sacred War, none of the prosperity trickled down to the people. the democratic ideals that built the Republic faded as foreign money infiltrated the political sphere, and millions were pressed from their rural homes into massive Avonian-owned corporate mills to fuel the Imperial war machine and consumer market. It was a deal that made the nation wealthy at the expense of its own people, and though most were treated harshly under this new system of imperial-dominated economic exploitation, the burden fell heavily on The Riverlands'' ethnic minorities, like the Caligene Orc people or tribes that were forcefully uprooted from their ancestral homelands to work in Riverlander cities. Avonian corporations stripped the lands for its natural wealth - especially the massive deposits of ekron that were buried underneath Riverland soil, the lifeblood of the Avonian war machine. The mills worked the Riverlander people like slaves, with native Riverlanders being barred from obtaining higher ranks within the Avonian dominated companies. Yet when the devastation of The Sacred War ended, the situation in The Republic only continued to deteriorate. Students gathered in the streets of Helena in mass protest against the corporate-dominated government, and soon the workers joined. Massive strikes drove The Republic¡¯s industry to a halt, and the leader of the Radical students - Jorge Costa - popularized the idea that The River Republic had sold itself to Imperial-backed corporate demands at the expense of the Republic¡¯s own people. Costa was elected to the head of the Republic, yet sensing the writing on the wall, the Avonophile Republican Guard overthrew Costa in a coup d''¨¦tat citing ¡°Communard Infiltration¡± and even suggesting that it was an attempt by the Commonwealth at destabilizing their regime. The response from the Republican Guard led by Grand Marshall Navarro soured relations with the rest of the Kiote Union, with the Warrior Elves providing refuge for fleeing protestors and demanding the restoration of democracy to the Republic. The situation rapidly escalated when the new Republic formally announced its exit from the Kiote Union and its ascension to join the Empire¡¯s Continental-Unity Pact. The military junta increased its control as a ¡°Reactionary Revolution¡± to protect the Republic¡¯s borders and to lead it into a era of an absolutist and imperial-guided future... But war was the only thing on the horizon. The Kiote War immediately followed between the Republic and The Kiote Union, dragging on for over a decade with the lives of thousands put at stake for the survival of the new junta. While the war continued, Marshal Navarro''s Revolutionary Guards only solidified their control of the nation. Purging the government of disloyal officials, forcefully terrorizing and burning down the homes of their own population on suspicions of being aligned with the Kiote Union, and displacing thousands of various ethnic and cultural minorities which constituted the heartland of the Riverlands. Through all of this, the nation drew closer under the talons of The Iron Phoenix, with The River Republic morphing into a corporate playground for Avonia''s industrial conglomerates. In exchange for the support of the unstoppable Imperial Army and the vast stockpiles of its glitterbomb weapons, the Junta under Navarro continued to sell pieces of itself away to Imperial interests - further increasing The Avonian Empire''s control over what is now little more than a puppet state. Now, a year after the end of the war (and standing on the cusp of the war being lit aflame once more) the River Republic is a fragile husk of what was once one of the brightest dreams in the Kiote Peninsula. In Helena, mile-long stretches of rotting concrete housing blocks constitute sprawling slums full of forcefully relocated ethnic minorities churn with overflowing pollution and smog from the surrounding industrial plants, corporate highrises dominate the skylines where Avonian executives look out to their subjects like medieval lords ruling over their vassals, and the Republican Guard and Militia patrol the streets to ensure that their overlords in The Revolutionary Junta remain in power - and so that the Iron Phoenix continues to grace the Republic with her support. Hope seems to have been beaten out of the population, suffocated by endless military suppression and the drone of a never ending corporate-society. Even in Helena, the seat of the Junta, the Republic''s ideals seem empty and broken. But as discontent rises, and as the drums of war beat closer to the heart of The Republic, so too does the chance for a new dawn to shine over the dark realm of "The Little Phoenix"... Welcome To Helena, Land Where The Golden Sun Used To Shine Now All That Remains Is The Grey Of Concrete and Smog
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 36: Getting Down To Brass Tacks >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 36: Getting Down To Brass Tacks]===

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Within moments they were on the streets, running northbound, navigating through the city as the drums of war echoed closer. The soldiers ran interlocked with Misfit, ensuring that there was no room for one of them to escape. Bannon, for his part, seemed to know where he was going. Each twist and turn was punctuated by a look down at his monitor and a bark for the team to shift directions. Their pace kept up at a jog knowing full well that armed locals could appear from any direction, and they were extremely vulnerable out in the streets. Being swift to avoid detection would go quite a long way, yet it seemed they had a while to go before they reached their actual goal, the rebel base. And the further into the decrepit pits of Helena they travelled, the more inevitable detection seemed. For there were people still here. Eli couldn''t quite see them, but there were definitely people watching them from within the shelter of their homes. Half-ajar curtains were quickly pulled shut by hidden figures, and no matter where they went there would be eyes glued to their backs. The more they darted through the streets of Helena, the more the city became clearer, ¡°There¡¯s people around here,¡± Rafael said aloud, ¡°We¡¯re fighting in this city with innocent people still trapped inside?¡± ¡°Shut up, prisoner. You don¡¯t speak unless spoken to, and you don¡¯t question orders,¡± Bannon dismissed him, though it was clear that Bannon was keeping an eye on the civilians too. Occasionally the off-putting feeling of being watched would be interrupted by a strange ''whoosh'', only for them to look up and see that another missile had been launched into the skies locking on to the rare Coalition aircraft unlucky enough to find itself within range. Flares would be dropped, and evasive maneuvers pulled, but no matter what the aircraft tried the outcome would always be the same. A fireball, and a pillar of smoke crashing back down into the ground, "We need to target those missile sites if we get the chance, open up a pathway for Airwatch to get us the hell out of Dodge," Dutch whispered through his rushed breathing trying to keep up a jogging pace. The jog wasn''t as fast as a full on sprint, sure, but the phantoms weren''t exactly travelling light. "What the fuck did I just say about speaking?" Bannon demanded, "And no shit, we''re gonna have to take those out. If we can find them. We link up with the rebels and those missiles are gonna be priority number one." "They will be well defended though, I don''t know what kind of forces the Avonians have around here but if it''s anything like what we''ve seen before we''re in deep trouble," One of the soldiers spoke up. "Yeah but we have to, I don''t know what kind of technology or magic those missiles are made out of but they''re chewing straight through Airwatch. We can''t let them keep firing. If they lose anymore aircraft, Overwatch might just call this whole operation off..." Bannon said, but his scowl was brushed off by a shake of the head "They wouldn''t leave us behind, though. Not us PCTs. They''ll dispatch some Headhunters or something to get us. I''m sure of it." Eli glanced at Bannon, observing the patch on his uniform. He saw, of course, the logo of the PCTs. But just underneath that, a delta surrounded by a circle, colorized in mixed green and brown camouflage that made it easy to miss across the similarly designed color of the regular''s uniform. And just then, Eli rolled his eyes. Bannon was a Phantom too like Juma. He should''ve known that their fates were sealed in Helena. Why did Bannon think that just because he was a PCT, Overwatch would risk anything to save him? He may not have been a part of The Penal-Unit, sure. But was the feeling of superiority to other Phantoms and the better quality meals really that good, that it wiped away a lifetime of abused suffered by Overwatch''s hands? Not even Captain Juma seemed that indoctrinated by Overwatch''s coddling of their regulars, if anything, she seemed distinctly aware of just how cold The Coalition was to those it deemed ''expendable''. Maybe for Bannon it was. Eli wanted to tell him that they were as good as dead here, but he knew Bannon wouldn''t care at all. They came across an opening amid the narrow streets. An intersection which contained an open-air market of sorts. Past the hastily parked trucks that had their tires half-on the road were the stalls. Goods spilled out of the stalls containing fruits and veggies of a colorful variety, though many had fallen over into the street as its occupants fled to shelter in a hurry. Abandoned wares left untouched only proved to Eli that there were definitely other soldiers nearby. Otherwise, the goods would¡¯ve been either evacuated to shelter or stolen by opportunistic thieves. But flanking almost all sides of the market were sandbags. Some of which had machine guns mounted over them looking out and guarding the road like checkpoints. Luckily for the team, there were no soldiers around to guard them. But the sight of Riverlander flags, red and green, covering the barricades and defensive line amidst the residential district was bizarre nonetheless. A sheet of paper blew in the weak wind, covering Eli¡¯s boot. At first, he was tempted to just kick it off as a piece of litter, but its bright red surface caught his attention. He reached down to pick it up where a regular couldn¡¯t see. It wasn¡¯t just a clump of unwanted garbage; it was a poster. A red background. A smiling elven military general of some sort looking to the prevailing sun with white fists supporting him and littered all around. Like giants in the foreground were buildings. Towers in fact. Rectangular and portrayed in white. On the bottom of the poster was bold black text, illegible of course to Eli¡¯s brain. But it was obvious what the poster was. Propaganda of some form or another, perhaps in support of the elf in the general¡¯s uniform? That theory was all but confirmed the second Eli took the moment to look at where they were. Almost everywhere, on every stray telephone pole, on billboards and signage, glued to walls and to windows, blowing as litter in the wind, was the elf¡¯s face. Either smiling or with a determined look cast out to the people he ruled. Tellingly enough, on the face of a rather tall concrete apartment tower, the elf''s stoic glare had been plastered across the face, while moss and colorful birds made nests into the decaying concrete surface which the poster had deliberately hidden. It was doing a piss-poor job at it too. The poster, much like the wall it leeched off of, had been subject to weathering and vandalism. What was once probably supposed to inspire fear, control, or patriotism, now only added to the rot it tried so desperately to hide. The right eye of the elven general had been blackened out by graffiti by a particularly bold or rebellious artist. The left eye had chipped all around it, leaving only tattered holes that exposed the grey concrete bricks beneath it. The elf must¡¯ve been the local ruler of Helena or even the entirety of the River Republic. Eli could see the towers depicted in the propaganda posters somewhere in the skyline from where he stood. It seemed to be Helena¡¯s downtown. Though they were far, the towers absolutely dominated Helena¡¯s skyline. The titans resembled cinder blocks plopped into the middle of the city, brutalist in design. They dwarfed anything that could be found here in what must¡¯ve been the slums of the city, and the shoddy apartment buildings were fairly tall themselves. Once again, Eli¡¯s brain conjured up images of Eastern Europe and his own experience from the brutalist design of North Korea¡¯s dictatorship. It had been replicated almost exactly here. Except, instead of red banners, they were purple and green. And instead of humans, they were elves. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. As they half-sprinted, half-walked, through the streets, they stumbled upon yet another oddity. A playground in between two apartment towers, complete with corroded swingsets, a slide, and lots of graffiti covering the walls surrounding it. But the most striking thing was the fact that there were two people inside of it. Two elves, both dressed in tattered clothes ¨C one wearing shorts and a stained blue shirt, the other wearing what looked like jeans and a jersey of some foreign sport. Both looked like kids, no older than ten either of them. The one wearing the blue shirt held a white ball in the pit of his arm while they watched the soldiers pass with some vague concern. Misfit was interrupting their game. Or rather, the war was. Hastily, they moved on, passing the two kids and leaving them to resume their ball game, ¡°This is weird, they shouldn¡¯t be here,¡± Said Rafael, ¡°This reminds me too much of home. Warlords with guns marching in the street and kids playing games right next to them! It¡¯s messed up!¡± ¡°How many times to do I have to say it, keep your mouths shut! Understand?¡± Snapped Bannon as he spun around to make his point clear. But no sooner had he done so, they could hear something stir in the distance. The sound of tires rolling across asphalt. A distant thud. The whir of an engine. Several engines. The team went from a sprint to a full stop immediately with the rumbling growing louder and louder. Omar was the first to name the one thing they dreaded most, especially at this moment ¡°It¡¯s a Sentry!¡± ¡°A what?¡± Asked one of the soldiers. ¡°Sentry! They¡¯re like the Behemoths but smaller!¡± Badger looked around for the source of the sound, her eyes wide in fear, ¡°Avonian war machines! They can tear us apart in seconds!¡± ¡°Shit! Whatever they are, there¡¯s a lot of them,¡± Bannon looked around looking for a suitable place to take shelter. The soldiers tried the buildings off to their side but whenever they tried to force the doors open, not a single one would budge. There was a glass storefront not too far ahead of the team, but it was closer to the intersection. Too close to the advancing Avonians. But as they tried each of the doors, only to find that they wouldn''t open, the store seemed the only option. ¡°The store! Get in there!¡± Bannon shouted, sprinting towards the glass window with all he could muster. Misfit and the Regulars followed close and in a moment they were standing before the glass storefront. The door leading inside was of course locked shut. There was only one way in. One soldier used the butt of her rifle to smash the glass open, carving a man-sized hole through the front window. But as soon as the glass shattered into fine dust, a screech echoed from the store¡¯s interior. A security alarm. The alarm blared over them, screaming at the team as they trudged inside of what looked to be a clothing shop. Mannequins and racks full of old looking coats and clothes greeted them. A good place to hide, but with the alarm blaring it would be compromised. And yet, they had to hide inside, alarm or not. There was hardly any better choice. Eli slid into cover behind a clerk¡¯s counter, knocking over a mannequin as he did so. He heard scuffling as everyone else ran into hiding. Eli kept an eye outside through a hole between the mannequin and the counter. Armored trucks, the same ones used to guard Sentries, rolled onto the street outside. Soldiers hung onto their sides, their guns out. They were all militia, which made sense ¨C they were in the heart of the River Republic. A slight relief that at least they wouldn¡¯t have to fight cyborg murder drones. For now. But that slight respite faded when he saw that the soldiers were pointing towards the store. The alarm and freshly broken glass drew their attention. And now the trucks were pulling over, ¡°Shit, shit, shit,¡± Eli whispered to himself as he watched them, ¡°Come on¡­ no!¡± The Militia, though poorly trained and equipped per Otaes¡¯ own scathing critique, were still dangerous in their own right. Especially since they outnumbered Misfit and the Regulars ten to one, at least. ¡°Can you see them? What the hell is going on outside?¡± Badger asked. ¡°They¡¯re investigating the alarm! They¡¯re coming!¡± He looked around to ensure that they had all gotten the message, and they had. They nervously scurried to get their weapons ready. Eli watched as the militia dismounted from their trucks and advanced closer to the storefront. Their weapons primed. He felt his heart race inside of its cage, hands shaking as he pulled his rifle up. He could hear that his own breathing was ragged, nervous. And yet he had to pull himself to reality, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot until they¡¯re close! Stay behind cover!¡± Bannon whispered a shout over to the team, ¡°Wait for my signal!¡± The seconds ticked by painfully slow as they waited for the Militia to close in. Every jackboot on the concrete outside was another second gone past. He listened to them, a drum of war beating closer, inevitable, and dangerous. He closed his eyes and inhaled, setting his sights on the head of a clueless human militiaman. He swallowed hard, and fingered the trigger. His mind brought him back to the tunnels of Seoul. Standing there with his gun pressed against the temple of his Staff Sergeant. The bullet waiting in the barrel. Fate ahead of him. And then Bannon opened fire, in the process, unleashing a pandora''s box of chaos! Without missing a beat, the militia returned fire. Their ekron bullets tore red trails through the air. Piercing through clothes, mannequins, wood and even steel. Eli ducked down, watching in horror as the place where he stood moments prior was pierced by a barrage of red light. Wooden splinters and bits of the counter exploded off, covering him in a sprinkling of devastation. The rest of Misfit was faring little better. Ducking away from bullets that cracked through the storefront like thunder. They retreated further in the building, trying their best to remain out of sight, yet they were running out of time. Already the Militia had formed up outside of the storefront. A formation of soldiers that fired on Misfit¡¯s position, and then moved up closer. But it was clear they were not professionals. If Eli¡¯s experience with the Avonians were anything to go by, the Militia would¡¯ve already tossed in a grenade to be rid of Misfit once and for all. Looking at their ill-fitting uniforms ¨C poorly maintained at that ¨C it was only confirmation that the Militia wasn¡¯t of the highest quality. At least not in comparison to their Avonian counterparts who would¡¯ve used shields, grenades, everything. And then suddenly, there was hope that they might be fighting on even ground, ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Return fire!¡± Bannon shouted to Misfit, ¡°Keep them off of us!¡± He placed his gun atop the counter and blindly fired into the outside, unsure of what he hit if anything at all. The sound of bullets whizzing past, yet not at, Misfit told him that it was working. They couldn¡¯t get a good shot on Misfit while pinned down. They just had to keep the pressure on then maybe¡­ they¡¯d go away? But it was too late to worry about the future. He couldn¡¯t hear it over the explosive gunfire inside the room. But it was there all the same. His eyes peeked from behind cover to get a look at the chaos outside, expecting to see the Militiamen and their trucks. But further down the street was something else entirely. He saw it¡¯s four long spider-legs, it¡¯s alien weaponry, it¡¯s cold metal armor, it¡¯s massive red eye¡­ ¡°SENTRY! SENTRY!¡± Eli couldn¡¯t help but scream when he saw it. There was absolutely nothing that they could do about it. Unlike in the palace, there were no Ostralander rocket launchers designed to kill them. Not even the elves were with them. It was just Misfit and their puny guns, to the iron giant that marched towards them. Unstoppable. Red light flooded the street, and eventually it illuminated the dark storefront. The red eyes were staring right at them. He saw the main gun powering up, energy sucking in, their doom imminent. ¡°GET DOWN!¡± He cowered behind the counter, arms over his head. He closed his eyes, and braced for the inevitable...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 37: Tripping And Falling >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 37: Tripping And Falling]===

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When he awoke his vision was hazy. Sunlight trickled in through thick smoke, which he found strange. His brain was addled with confusion and it took a lot of blinking and a lot of strain to refocus. When his vision cleared, he could see that he had been nearly buried by a massive chunk of the collapsed building. The ceiling had caved in above them, leaving half of the building exposed to the outside world. The upper floors stood precariously while parts of the face hung loose from the structure left unscathed. On Eli¡¯s floor, everything had been covered by rubble, debris, smoke and fire. Mannequins were melting, the clothes on them burning. The alarm had gone silent. Sunlight cast exposure on the field of devastation in front of him. He felt something warm trickle across his face, a part in the back of his mind knew that it was his own blood. It stung his eyes, burned his wounds. He tried to blink it away but it only made the pain worse. He could see tears mixed with his blood fall onto the wood floor. He felt sick. He may have only just survived, but what of the others? Through the searing pain and bleeding, he forced himself to move over the hard, sharp, concrete and brick rubble that surrounded him. He crawled on all fours like a injured animal. He couldn¡¯t find them with his eyes scanning the destroyed exterior. Just flames, rubble, and despair. That was until he saw movement. Weak. Slow. He could see the slumped over body of a Regular, their Overwatch issued uniform covered in blood, mangled¡­ But through the rubble, Eli saw an arm buried underneath. His eyes widened as he crawled nearer to it. His knees on the verge of giving out. Hands scrambling to get Eli closer. Tears pooled in his eyes as he saw who the arm belonged to. Omar¡¯s small frame was trapped beneath a crypt of rubble. And yet, he moved. Slowly. Eli could see his chest rise and fall, though just barely. His mind took him back to the attack on the Nexus. Their first brush with the alien empire on this planet. Their machines of devastation. He could picture Omar, paralyzed with fear, unable to move without help. Omar¡¯s face was bruised. Blood stained his skin and his prisoner¡¯s uniform. The cyan blue delta on his shoulder had been tainted with red blood. He couldn¡¯t let him die here. ¡°O-Omar,¡± Eli whispered to him, though even his breath was failing him. He was shaking uncontrollably, ¡°Omar.¡± The kid squirmed, and then opened his eyes. Slowly, Omar took in his situation, until he landed on Eli. He smiled, knowing that at least Omar was still alive. But the status of the rest of Misfit was still unknown. He was about to scramble out of his rubble prison to reach out to Omar, when he heard it again. The sentry let out a foghorn call from not too far. It walked closer. Every step shook the ground and carved a new fear into Eli¡¯s heart. He looked over to Omar, who had turned ghastly pale. His eyes shifted around; he looked as if he might scream¡­ ¡°Omar!¡± Eli whispered again, to try and get his attention. When their eyes locked, he held a single finger up to his lips. He mouthed the words ¡°Stay Down¡±. Hoping that Omar understood. Suddenly, the entire room was filled with red light. The whir of the Sentry was just outside now. It was searching for any survivors. The militia¡¯s footsteps were audible and they talked to each other through their search. He caught a glimpse of one soldier, looking through the rubble. Pointing out bits of the destroyed building to his squadmates. Eli looked back over to Omar. He was heaving, eyes shut tight. It looked like he was in horrible pain. Though, for what it was worth the kid was doing his best to not give away their position. Eli himself took a sharp breath of air in, and held himself steady, slowly retreating further into the shadows that the rubble offered. The red light grew brighter as the sentry closed in, its eyes infiltrated even the deepest of shadows. He remembered the warning Otaes gave him, stay out of the red light. Like an advancing inferno, the light drew nearer and its hellish intensity brightened. He heard a soldier call to another, only a few steps away. His heart froze. Had he just been spotted? Was it someone else? Who? A familiar voice spoke out, shaky and terrified. It was Bannon¡¯s, ¡°No¡­ No, please I-¡° Bannon was drowned out by the voices of the Militamen who swarmed around him. Yelling soon broke out until it was drowned out by a single gunshot. Eli¡¯s heart sank to the pits of his stomach. He dared not breath for fear of being detected that way. The soldiers turned on flashlights as they continued to investigate the area. Two soldiers walked near towards Eli and Omar. He dreaded every footstep they took, the sound of their jackboots crunching over the rubble sent shivers up his spine every time. Their lights grew closer, chasing away the dark refuge that protected him. One last time, Eli looked to Omar. He saw his eyes staring at him, looking for help. Begging for a way out. Omar¡¯s eyes were red and shiny, pooling with tears. Eli¡¯s hands shook as he once again placed a finger over his lips. One final gesture to let Omar know that he was not alone. The worst thing you could be out here in a situation like this, was alone. He closed his eyes when the jackboot of a soldier landed in front of the rubble enclosure. Hiding as deep within the dark cave of collapsed wall and ceiling as possible. He took a breath of air in, not even daring to do so much as exhale. His eyes squeezed shut, he prayed to whomever that the soldiers wouldn¡¯t look¡­ that they wouldn¡¯t find them¡­ that they¡¯d pass them for dead. Their footsteps thundered loudly in his ear. One. By one. Until it stopped just in front of his cave. He didn¡¯t dare open his eyes to see if they had been discovered. And then another footstep. And another. Passing by. He deflated when he heard the last soldier go back out front. They hadn¡¯t found them, and luckily, were content with leaving them for dead. When the last soldier left the building, Eli¡¯s eyes shot back open. Omar was there still, but the fear had abandoned his eyes. Instead, there was a smile. The sentry stepped away, thudding along ¨C as did the armored vehicles that carried the soldiers there to begin with. When they were fully gone, Eli crawled out of his tomb of brick and stone. Noticing the trail of blood he left behind when he did so. Omar reached out his hand, and with it, Eli dragged him out of his own cave. He was covered in a mix of blood and dust, deep cuts and bruises lined his face. There were even punctures in his oversized prisoners uniform. Eli figured he looked about the same, bringing Omar¡¯s arms over his shoulders to carry him out. ¡°Close call, hm?¡± Eli choked out. ¡°Too close,¡± Omar confirmed. Eli looked out at the rest of the room. Of course everything was overturned, destroyed, charred black with the explosion. The fires had burned themselves out. Yet, there was no sign of Misfit. Going back out into the street was a death sentence and there was no way that they had escaped that way in the chaos. There were only two options, Misfit escaped through the breach in the ceiling and walls to get to the other floors, all during the chaos of the attack. That or they had been killed. Though the latter was more likely, Eli didn¡¯t believe it. Afterall, he had survived ¨C and so had Omar. He looked up. The ceiling had caved in revealing floors of the building above them. Hallways, rooms, all exposed to the outside world. A slope of rubble created a perfect pathway for someone to climb without too much of an issue. Though Eli found it unlikely that Misfit would¡¯ve been able to get through so quickly, he remembered that he was briefly unconscious. Maybe while Eli was busy getting buried alive, the others had taken it as an opportune time to get to higher ground. If he wanted to regroup with Misfit, he and Omar would have the best chance looking up there. Hopefully, the militia had given up trying to pursue them¡­ Slowly, he and Omar began to move over towards the collapsed slope. Made of rubble and broken materials, it was hardly a sturdy structure. Especially since Eli had to balance his weight and Omar¡¯s. But they made it through, even if it was at a snails pace. When they arrived, they were greeted to the interior of long hallway corridor with colorful walls and rainbows. He looked at a painting of a sun with a big smiley face on it. People were hand painted on the green grass of a valley in a crude ¨C childlike way. Except the figures painted weren¡¯t just people. Most of the painted figures had brightly colored skin and pointed ears. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. They were in a school. A school for elves. Passing through the halls, the duo approached a fork. They noticed a door slightly ajar to their left, with the rest being locked shut. Knowing it was the only way to advance, Eli figured they could rest there and try to work out a plan from inside. Even get in contact with the rest of Misfit. So he led Omar in, struggling as both himself and Omar limped through the dark corridor. The door had light coming from outside, an open window to the outside world must be on the other side. When he approached the door, he looked over to Omar, ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Ready as I¡¯ll ever be,¡± Omar nodded. And with that, he pushed the door wide open.
He was greeted by bright sunlight which flooded through broken windows on the far side of the room, scattering shards of glass over a row of flipped over desks and capsized books. Yet he barely had enough time to take the view of the classroom in, before he felt hands grab him from behind a ambush spot behind the door, and a the bad end of a gun shoved into his face. ¡°HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YOU-¡° When the dust cleared, and everyone regained their bearings, he saw that it was none other than Badger ¨C pinning him against the wall. When she realized who it was, her grip loosened and the gun was tucked away, ¡°Damnit Eli, I almost shot you in the face¡­ again.¡± Both Eli and Omar heaved a sigh of relief when they found that it was just one of their own, ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± Eli said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about the scare boys, but the Avonians are everywhere,¡± Badger caught her breath leaning against the wall, she looked nervously out of the window, ¡°We stirred the hornets nest.¡± ¡°Do you know where the rest of Misfit is?¡± She shook her head, ¡°After everything went pear-shaped I came straight here-¡° Another door opened off to the side. The three of them snapped their focus onto it, only to be relieved when the familiar faces of Dutch, Rafael and Matteo greeted them. ¡°Right on cue,¡± Eli remarked. ¡°I guess that¡¯s all of us accounted for. Right?¡± Badger asked him. Eli did a headcount, and sighed in satisfaction, ¡°All of us.¡± ¡°What about the regulars?¡± Dutch asked him. ¡°Bannon¡¯s dead, so is another one. I don¡¯t know about the other two, but they¡¯ve either bit the dust or they somehow got out.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ that¡¯s one pain in our ass gone then,¡± Dutch half-heartedly smiled, but the smile vanished a moment after. It hardly was good news. The regulars were assholes, sure, but they were also Misfit¡¯s escorts and their only real connection to Overwatch. With the signals still down, and with the Riverlanders probably on high alert for any intruders, they were completely lost and hopelessly outgunned. ¡°Jesus¡­¡± Matteo sighed, leaning against a wall for support, ¡°Are we in good hands or what?¡± ¡°Yo, Eli. You look like shit.¡± ¡°We all do, Dutch,¡± He replied, remarking the fact that Dutch had been covered in what looked like ash and dirt, plenty of scars too, ¡°We all do.¡± Dutch smiled, ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯ll survive. Right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Eli allowed himself to indulge in the conversation for a moment, inhaling to gather his breath and his thoughts. The rest of the squad looked the same, on the verge of exhaustion. But at least they had this quiet moment of respite, in a half-destroyed classroom in the middle of a city under siege. There was a brief period of quietness, where it was just them and the war was on the peripheral rather than the focus. No Coalition to watch them, no guards to work them, no Avonians to try and kill them, it was just peace. And then Eli looked out the window, watching as the skies grew ever hazier. The once bright blue sky turned into a cloudy brown from the fires burning. The barrage of guns drummed far away, yet not far enough. He heard the distant wailing of the Avonian sentries. All of it was background noise, but the peace had been ruined. He frowned as he looked out into the city, knowing that he couldn¡¯t enjoy his peace with Misfit forever. There was only more work ahead, and knowing their luck, it¡¯d get far worse before the situation would ever get better. ¡°We have to get out of here. Find that rebel HQ.¡± Eli said, grimacing. ¡°How?¡± Rafael asked, ¡°With the Avonians patrolling the streets, going down there will be a death wish! We don¡¯t even know where it is! Bannon knew that and he¡¯s dead!¡± ¡°Hell if I know, but we have to do it somehow. We¡¯ll figure something out.¡± ¡°We better figure it out quick, the Avonians are probably still on our tails,¡± Badger said, ¡°We have to get moving. Somewhere. Anywhere, just not here.¡± ¡°Right. We¡¯ll try and stay off the streets. Short sprints across, and that¡¯s it. If we don¡¯t have to, we¡¯ll stay indoors or we¡¯ll ¨C ¡° He was interrupted by an echoing rumble. It shook the building¡¯s core. The shards of glass vibrated on the floors. Steps. They knew what it was as soon as they heard it. Misfit fell silent, their eyes caught in a ceaseless gaze towards the ceiling as if they could see it climb up the side of their building and walk along the roof. ¡°Sentry¡­¡± Matteo whispered. ¡°Does it know that we¡¯re here?¡± asked Omar. ¡°Not exactly, it¡¯s looking for us.¡± They listened as each step sent a shockwave through the walls of the building. They could hear the whir of mechanical parts, the almost organic groaning of the machine¡¯s engine. It was a purr, nearly a voice. It scaled the building, searching. Stopping here and there, listening¡­ They all backed away from the windows. Slowly. Carefully. Not daring to speak in a whisper. Their eyes focused on the window outside. There was a crash, the sound of something shattering. It came from inside the room. Eli darted over to the source, and he found Omar standing. His face deathly pale. A porcelain jar had fallen from a bookshelf, knocked off by a bump from Omar¡¯s retreat back into the room. The shatter of the porcelain was like a gun firing next to Eli¡¯s ear. In that moment, the loudest thing he¡¯d ever heard. The machine stirred. Eli held his breath. More thudding. And then, a singular metal tendril descended from above. Just seeing it was enough to floor Eli, literally. In a sudden bout of fear, he tripped and landed on his ass. Kicking until his back was literally to the wall. The rest of Misfit was far to the back of the room with him. He saw that Dutch was reaching for the door. The tendril grasped onto the building¡¯s wall, iron talons reached through the broken window ¨C using the wall as a support for the rest of the body. Another leg descended and grasped onto the wall. And the machine stopped to survey the floor above. Eli turned to the rest of Misfit, mouthing the words ¡°Go! Go!¡± He waved at them to pick up the ante. They crept towards the exit while the machine was distracted searching the floor above. Eli and Omar were the last ones in the room, keeping his eye on the window outside. His hands pawed at his gun, shaking as he dragged it along with him on his flight out of the room. Just as Omar was about to step out ¨C the machine stirred once again. The body of the machine came down, and Eli got a glimpse of two massive red eyes descending on them. ¡°DAMN IT! GO! RUN!¡± Omar dashed out, and Eli followed close behind, right as he could hear the primary gun of the Sentry charge ¨C and an angry mechanical growl from the beast¡¯s interior. He broke into a full sprint, turning the corner into the hallway. And then, the gun fired. The explosion was enough to knock Eli onto his stomach. He could feel the heat of the blast, and some of the debris on his back. But what was most terrifying was that the previously dark hall was illuminated by a deep red, an opening formed from the destruction of the blast. Eli only got a brief glimpse to see that the room had been totally destroyed, and in its place was the massive spider-like contraption that was the Sentry. A hand grabbed hold of Eli, bringing him up to his feet, and snapping his attention forward. He barely even registered that it was Badger lifting him up to his feet, and he staggered back into running. Leaving the smoking mess of the room behind. The Sentry let out a roar, and he could hear its mass thud just above them. It was trying to follow them from outside. Eli was full on charging down the hall with everyone else. The Sentry opened fire from behind the brick and concrete walls. Bullet holes were punched through, and the dark hallway was flooded by red ekron blasts that zipped by threatening to hit the fleeing prisoners. He felt his heart race in his chest, as Misfit rounded another sharp turn towards a staircase. They sprinted down, Eli was practically jumping down each flight. A split second later and they were on the ground floor, but they froze. Eli only saw soldiers down below, waiting for them. And it wasn¡¯t the militia from before. These soldiers were Avonian. It was a trap. ¡°Ah Caralho!!¡± Rafael who was at the front of the group immediately turned around, and suddenly Eli was at the head of the pack, sprinting back up the staircase. The soldiers shouted something, but without the elves¡¯ translation magic, they couldn¡¯t understand. No matter what, Eli got the gist. He heard their guns open fire behind them, and soon they gave chase. Misfit clambered up the stairs growing ever exhausted, Eli looked for a way out but the only path he saw was to keep moving up. One step at a time. Dutch swiftly turned around, raising his gun to open fire on an Avonian soldier, another synth-soldier, like a shock trooper but with far less armor. Dressed in a darker uniform, it had to be the leader. Just as Dutch pulled the trigger, the leader-soldier raised his arm and formed a red ekron shield and the bullets bounced off. Though it forced the soldiers to stop advancing, allowing Misfit to get farther away. ¡°Fuck you, cheating bastard!¡± Dutch screamed at him, before turning another flight, and continuing to flee. They arrived at the top floor of the building an exhausted mess, Eli just barely mustered enough strength to knock the door open. Eli remained behind, pressuring the rest of Misfit to run on while he slammed the door shut and locked it behind them. It wouldn¡¯t keep the Avonian soldiers out by any means, but it would give Misfit some breathing room. His heart thudded inside of its cage, his breathing frenzied. Sweat trickled from his pores ¨C everywhere. But he had to keep running. Once more he was the last behind Misfit in flight from their pursuers. But even here they were hardly safe. Glass windows to their right, walls leading into locked rooms to their left. He could hear the Avonians blasting the door open, and their heavy boots chasing them down with each step. They ran into an open room, yet another classroom judging by the desks and alien words plastered all around it. The boots of the Avonians behind were getting closer with every step Before Badger¡¯s hands could grasp the doors handle, it swung open. Kicked down. They froze. There were soldiers, their guns primed in their hands. One of the soldiers raised his pistol and took aim at Eli¡¯s temple. His eyes widened in abject horror, peering down into the barrel of the gun. His racing heart was halted. The door behind Misfit swung open. The Militia stormed inside, trapping them. Time stood still. The words of the gun¡¯s holder broke the still barrier. "Get Down!¡±
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===[THOSE WHO WORK FORCES]===

==The National Service Of The Empire== [EYES EVERYWHERE]
Date: Frost 42, 1240 Category: Field Report Sub-Category: THE KIOTE CRISIS Project CASEMATE Transmitted via the request of State-Director Ander Tresckow to The Office of Emperor Stefan-Kirk
Hail My Lord Emperor! The situation in The Kiote Peninsula is - as you know by now - rapidly deteriorating. Despite the best efforts of our forward officers, intelligence agents, and defensive warfare experts, our only ally on the Kiote Peninsula is rapidly losing ground. Furthermore, the notoriously instable River Republic is showing signs of complete political collapse as rebel groups (No doubt sponsored by the human pests in the Belford Alliance) begin to take up arms in order to infiltrate the Republic from the inside with their cancerous ideological visions. Meanwhile, our investments into the security of the Republic have proven to be for naught, as it is confirmed that several officers within the River Republic are already mobilizing and securing elements of the Republican Guard and Republican Militia to their own personal loyalties in the event of Marshal Navarro''s death. Should Navarro perish or be successfully overthrown, the River Republic will collapse into complete madness. As the Republic sits on our immediate southern border it is clear that we cannot, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, allow this mayhem to happen. Our intelligence officers have been scrambling the past month to understand how exactly, despite our best preparation and even the positioning of elite armed formations (Namely, our two Mechanized-Dragon Battlegroups; PHOENIX and VEIL), the Ostralander demons and their Kiote lapdogs managed to break through our lines and launch an invasion of the Republican capital. We have known for a fact that the Kiote Union lacks the strength necessary to even properly defend their own territory, much less conduct an invasion of this magnitude successfully. Even with the aid of Commonwealth Forces (Which the rats in Belford have denied so far, though this is all but confirmed), the last Kiote War was fought into a stalemate. The offensive blitz we are witnessing now should - by all means - be impossible... normally, this would prompt a revision of our military tactics in order to counter the advances of Belford Alliance forces, however, this current situation has proven different. In fact, it intrigues us. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Recently, we''ve been getting increased reports from ground forces within the Republican Guard and the Imperial Battlegroups PHOENIX/VEIL of UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS being spotted conducting aerial strikes against our forces. Though many troops (Even senior officers) have identified the aircraft as being of Commonwealth origin, the photographs taken, munitions fragments, and the difficulty our ekron-assisted computer systems have had in tracking these aircraft let us know that we are dealing with something far more advanced than what we know the Ostralanders are capable of. Our suspicions of trickery have only amplified following the invasion of Helena, as our missile systems have managed to lock on and destroy several "Ostralander" aircraft that defies all of our expectations. We have ordered Republican officials to surrender all captured fragments of destroyed aircraft to relevant Imperial authorities for examination, and though the investigation is underway we are almost certain that these are not Ostralander or Oceanian aircraft. Furthermore, we''ve obtained prisoners. Only three human survivors have been captured from crash sites across Helena. After they were handed over to NSE authorities for advanced interrogation, we can officially say that our suspicions have been confirmed: The original instigators of the conflict, despite all signs saying otherwise, has not been of Commonwealth origin at all. Rather, we are dealing with a new, hyper-advanced, and otherworldly faction comprised almost entirely of humans nearly identical to the humans that we share Narva with. Lord Emperor, I assure you that despite how ridiculous this may sound - the NSE has not arrived at this conclusion easily. I was adamant in waiting until proper evidence presented itself in order to even consider presenting this report to you, and what was once a shaky doubt is now a surefire conclusion. We are dealing with an alien force, one that has fallen under the sway of the Belford Alliance and is now fighting as a hostile entity. The nature of how this could possibly happen is under investigation, and I have already ordered for an increase in NSE resources to be allocated for our agents to scour the Kiote Peninsula in order to document what happened. Due to our lack of aerial superiority, we are unable to gather aerial photographs of the area around Canau - which is where we believe these aliens have originated from. However, we will be sending a team to infiltrate The Warrior Elf tribes and to gather photographs of the location. With your authorization, I will expand these operations under the codename ''Project CASEMATE'' in order to grant the NSE the freedom to pursue this alien threat and to find a way to destroy it. Let me remind you of what is at stake. Avonia cannot bear another humiliation like in The Sacred War, Lord Emperor. The Phoenix must deal with all threats as they arise, and we cannot allow doubt to stand in her way. We have the ability to strike while there is still mass pandemonium among the ranks of everyone involved. There is no opportunity greater to preserve the dignity of the Phoenix than right now. I heavily recommend greenlighting CASEMATE as soon as possible. The fate of elven civilization, our great empire, even our world itself, may be at risk if we allow the Belford Alliance to gain another inch. Should the Republic fall, Belford forces will be right on our border, and we will need to prepare for immediate escalation of the current conflict in order to expel their forces - perhaps even to glitterbomb warfare, if necessary. I trust in your judgement. You are my master. Trust in my execution. [THE PHOENIX MUST RISE. WHO MUST FALL?]
This message is to be destroyed via incineration after use. No archives have been made of this message. Burn this letter immediately. ==[DEATH BY EXILE]== >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[DEATH BY EXILE]===

==The National Service Of The Empire== [EYES EVERYWHERE] >>> Project CASEMATE >>> Initiator: The National Service of the Empire >>> Operation Goal: Use field operatives to infiltrate, observe, and collect evidence of the Human military outpost in Canau. Return evidence to the Empire for analysis. Regain the upper hand in the Kiote Crisis. Preserve Avonian Imperial Dignity. >>> Searching Transcript... >>> Please standby... >>> Initializing... ==[Begin Transmission]==
Emeric had been blindfolded. His eyes only seeing dark fabric and the faint gleams of light that sometimes bled through, though that light had become rarer and rarer ¨C only to be completely drowned out by darkness after only a few hours of the journey. His hands were tied around his back. Unbudging. The Warrior Elf savages sure knew how to keep a prisoner tied up, even his ankles had been pressed together. The ropes used to tie him must''ve been infused by some sort of magic, for Emeric''s natural elven senses felt dull and unreachable here. Normally, he was trained to get out of situations like these but the magic suppressant, some sort of curse if anything, was taking its toll on his body. He could feel his touch fading with each passing moment. His lack of control over his own limbs made his body susceptible to the rocking motion of whatever vehicle he was being transported in. He heard no engine sound, so it was probably being pulled by a horse or griffon. A rumor confirmed true judging by the occasional sound of something large chirping just behind him. As he was being moved back and forth, he could only hear the sound of wheels crushing rock, and of leaves blowing in the dead of night. Wherever they were, it sure was hot as all hell. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Eventually the cart stopped, and Emeric was grabbed by a pair of hands. ¡°Stand,¡± A voice commanded, and he wearily obeyed. He had no idea if they planned on killing him or throwing him in prison. He feared torture, but he tried to push that thought out of his brain. It wasn¡¯t like asking the Kiotes what his fate was would be a good idea. Just do whatever they told him to, and hopefully they¡¯d be merciful enough to return him back to Avonia. Hopefully. So he stood. It was a bit of a hassle for him to disembark from the cart whilst blindfolded, but the warriors ensured that he hadn¡¯t fallen onto his face by holding a strong grip on Emeric¡¯s shoulders. His feet felt the familiar crunch of fallen leaves and dirt. Soft dirt. Jungle¡­ Emeric had been a operative in the National Service within the Kiote Peninsula for years. He knew the distinct smell and feel of the tropical forest better than he could remember even his own home. Though most of his work was on suppressing the ULA insurgents across the border in the River Republic, he¡¯d spent countless hours working to spread Imperial influence across the constituents of the Kiote Union. Never before had he been captured¡­ until now. CASEMATE was looking to be a success so far. His team had the images they were looking for, and it all pointed to one thing. Those cursed humans, surprisingly enough, not the ones from Belford. No, these humans were from another planet entirely. They had infiltrated Narva right under the Phoenix''s beak, and within days of their arrival they had kickstarted a major war. One that, they surprisingly, were winning. They had done a number so far, managing to sink their claws into these warrior elves quite thoroughly. A shame really. If the Warriors hadn''t had their minds corrupted by Belford propaganda, they may have been wonderful allies - provided they were taught the basic manners of Imperial civilization first. But alas, the humans were excellent at the arts of deception, turning elf against elf. He was walked further by the two warriors. But there was something odd. It was¡­ quiet. Suspiciously quiet. He figured that the two Kitchi warriors were either leading Emeric to be either executed, or to be returned home. Both of which would generate a fair bit of noise. But instead, from what he could tell, they were in the middle of the jungle, alone. Why? Answers would continue to elude him when he was stopped and the sack was ripped off of his head. He expected blinding lights, but his eyes struggled to adapt to the darkness. And when they did¡­ he was still confused. Jungle. Jungle everywhere. Tall and bushy palm trees surrounded him, next to an open field of¡­ nothing. Just grass. A few mountains dotted the horizon. The stars were out, twinkling, they plastered a dark sky that had just faded to night. But there was nothing at all familiar about this place. There was no line of gun men or an executioner waiting to have him killed. Nothing at all. Suddenly, the restraints binding his feet and hands were released, and the leader of the two addressed him directly. Emeric could only stare into the Kitchi warrior mask of the elf as he recited his sentence, ¡°Imperialist¡­ you have been found guilty of crimes against the Warrior Elf people and culture. For this, you will be released¡­ If we capture you again, you will be executed formally.¡± Relief came to Emeric almost immediately. So he was going home¡­ until, wait¡­ the two warriors were leaving him behind, ¡°W-wait!¡± Emeric stopped them, ¡°Do I wait here or-¡° The leader shrugged, ¡°You can wait here if you want to. But there¡¯s a hungry pack of Hellhounds nearby, and you reek of fear and sweat ¨C both of which they can smell. I¡¯d suggest moving if you want to live long enough to see the sunrise.¡± ¡°But¡­ but where will I go? I don¡¯t know this place,¡± Emeric protested, ¡°I don¡¯t even have any supplies! If I go out there..." Emeric paused. Right then, it clicked in his mind, "I¡¯ll be dead before morning...¡± he whispered. ¡°Yes,¡± Said the warrior, ¡°We know.¡± With that, the two warrior elves turned their back for good, mounting the griffon cart and hastily leaving the area. Emeric thought about begging for his life, but he knew it would not work. He looked to the wilderness around him, dark, strange. He was alone¡­ and he could hear the howl of the hellhounds in the night¡­ [Thus Always to Imperialists] Chapter 38: The New Order >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 38: The New Order]===

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Ani¡¯s eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight trickling into the Palace court immediately upon entering in. The reconstruction efforts had done wonders. The bullet holes were being filled, the burn marks around the palace had been scrubbed, and the cracks in the foundation from the attacks repaired... Again. They had all seen the fires of conflict charring the rubble of their homes before. The aftermath of the bombings during the first war had resembled the destruction seen now, and though Raritan had been spared the worst of what could''ve been, the trauma lingered. Chief Ani had failed to prevent another war from breaking out between the Kiote Union and the River Republic. The devastation, the horror, the nightmares, all of which Ani had sworn upon her oath to never repeat, had come back with a vengeance. There was still an open wound that couldn¡¯t be fixed, no matter how hard the builders worked to do so. No matter how many orders she made to expedite the reconstruction of Raritan. No matter how many flowers had been planted in remembrance of the dead. Those lost souls, voices no longer present, families devastated. The war had come back. The ceasefire she had worked her entire life to negotiate with the Republic and the Empire was violated. Her one promise to the Warrior Elves, never another Kiote War, rendered broken. She could feel the resentment the moment she stepped into the Palatial chambers. Where she used to have allies, she had those who plotted behind her back. The tribespeople looked up at her with scorn. As if it were her fault that the war reared its ugly head again. How could she have known? What could she have done? Then again, maybe it was her fault. Maybe she should¡¯ve never made a promise that she couldn¡¯t keep? But when the war ended, there was at least some hope for peace with The Republic¡­ It was her job to give a public address, directed to the other chiefs primarily ¨C but also to the rest of the populace who cared to listen. Again, there was some hope that her situation could improve. Their new Coalition allies were making headway into Helena, and if successful, there may have been at least some chance to try and spin the war into a positive light. If they succeeded in capturing Helena, Marshall Navarro¡¯s Military Junta in the River Republic would surely collapse. The Republic was a lot of things, but stable was not one of them. As keen as the Junta''s generals were to slaughter the Warrior Elves they considered as savages, they were just as willing to cannibalize each other should Navarro and the power surrounding him ever exit the picture. With Navarro dead, the generals would fight amongst each other - and that''s without considering the numerous rebel and separatist groups that were pulling the puppet state apart from the inside. Should the Republic collapse, the Avonians would have no choice but to withdraw. They were cruel in their war, but their tacticians were not stupid. If their only ally on the peninsula fell, there would be no reason to continue investing into the conflict, and they would be forced to cut their losses... Right? Chief Ani shook her head free of the doubt as she entered the Palace. This had to work. The war needed to end. Another year of warfare would kill them all, let alone another thirteen. She shuddered to imagine what the peninsula might look like in the event of another decade of warfare, provided glitterbombs hadn''t vaporized them all. And if they lost, how would they fare under the iron boot of Republican rule or Avonian occupation? It would be a nightmare, one unmatched to the Kiote people in the historic sense. It could never come to that. The humans in the Belford Alliance might be able to save them should their alliance with The Coalition fall through, but neither The Ostralands nor Oceania seemed willing enough to commit themselves to fighting The Continental-Pact like they had last time. Ani had gotten reports that there was some support for the war among the more hawkish humans within The Commonwealth, but it was middling at best. Irrelevant, most likely. Outside of RDI supplied intelligence reports and shipments of weapons every so often, there was unlikely to be any assistance coming from Belford. At least, nothing strong enough to end the war. Everything would have to go perfectly. As she spoke to the gathered assembly of chiefs and the crowd, talking of the latest successes and brushing over the failures, she could feel reality starting to set in the minds of everyone else. There wasn¡¯t going to be a quick end to this war. The ceasefire was tarnished. There were only two questions left. How many more would have to perish this time? And how much time did she have left as Grand Chief before she lost the faith of the Warrior Elves completely? ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s why we must continue to follow this policy of appeasement. We do not have the available resources and firepower from the Commonwealth and the Belford Alliance this time around. We lack the resolve to fight. What little we¡¯ve managed to rebuild since the first war, is already being depleted. As such, I have to ensure that we remain in good standings with the new faction,¡± Ani swallowed hard before she spoke the name, ¡°The Coalition.¡± There was murmuring in the audience. The Coalition had grown¡­ unpopular¡­ in recent days. While the prisoners of Misfit had done a remarkable job at defending Raritan, and the Coalition¡¯s sheer air power managed to single-handedly repel the Republican offensive, they had been taking liberties with the good will offered to them by the Warrior Elves. The price for their assistance was steep, and though their assistance was powerful - extremely powerful in fact - the pill needed to keep in good standing with the otherworlders was starting to become hard to swallow. Chiefly, the Enterprise Zone. A ring of territory surrounding their fortress and Canau that The Coalition had claimed as their own for their purposes. Luckily, most of the territory belonged to the River Republic since Canau was a Republican city. But there was a not-at-all insignificant chunk of land that had been taken ¨C more stolen ¨C from the Warrior Elves and the greater Kiote Union. Soil which had been sacred farmlands, hunting fields, and burial grounds for well over a millennia! Eons even. Since the first Warrior Elves had stepped foot onto the peninsula¡¯s soil, guided by the Goddess of the hunt across the Solar Ocean to settle this very soil. It was so far back in time, the only records that existed of that journey were the fables. For that entire period, this had been their home. And for the first time ever ¨C even with the River Republic leaving the Kiote Confederation as an Avonian Puppet state and the outbreak of the war ¨C the Warrior Elves had given up their homeland. And to rub salt into the open gushing wound, they did so willingly to an alien regime. Not the Ostralands, one of their oldest allies, or any other country in the Belford Alliance. Nor had they been the subject of conquest from their enemies. No, this had been to a nation which hailed from a planet completely different from their own, and in a deal for necessity¡¯s sake, they had sacrificed their homes to them. Ani¡¯s deal with Kovic and his faction was a humiliation for the Kiote people, but one they had to endure. It was either a piece of their land now, or another ten years of violence and devastation. As Ani spoke to the assembled crowd, she had hoped that they would understand. But as she surveyed the faces of the other chiefs assembled around her, they wore their anger silently. Glaring, whispering among themselves when she wasn¡¯t looking, red in the face underneath their tribal decorations. She knew exactly what they were going to say when she finished speaking but was able to do nothing to prevent it. ¡°Grand Chief Ani, with all due respect, this cannot go on,¡± Started Chief Zee, as he took his position at the center of the stage to speak while Ani retired to her throne, ¡°Our people have suffered gravely during the war. And we did so only with the hope that we would emerge stronger and sovereign, free from the boot of the great Avonian evil and their Riverlander lapdogs ¨C forever may they be cursed. We have fought against great evil since the end of the Sacred War twenty years ago, and we have continued to resist ever since with the hopes that nobody but ourselves will be the masters of our destiny. But as far as I and those assembled here can see it, our sovereignty is still being ripped from us!¡± Zee shouted, now getting frustrated. ¡°We have fought relentlessly with almost fanatic devotion to our independence, we''ve sent our young to be slaughtered in warfare, we''ve have had our homes flattened, our soil poisoned, our people traumatized, and what do we have to show for it? Having our homelands voluntarily given up to some alien interlopers with the hopes that they¡¯ll feel sympathetic enough to help us in the war they started!? Does nobody else see how ridiculous this is? It¡¯s embarrassing, for all of us, to watch as you sell our home out these cursed humans from some other planet! You promised us that you would never give up our sovereignty to the Commonwealth and the Belford Alliance, so why are things different now? Have our sacrifices, all that our people have fought and suffered for, been in vain? Just to be proxies in The Cold War? Is that it?¡± Zee pleaded not just with Ani, but to all those who had gathered in to watch. They hadn¡¯t spoken yet, but she already knew that they agreed, ¡°For over forty years, we¡¯ve fought. First in the Sacred War, and now to defend our land. And what do we have to show for it? Destroyed homes, dead families, and becoming the puppets of a foreign king!¡± Ani balled his fist, gesturing strongly to accent his phrasing. But he recollected himself, inhaling deeply, and turning to Ani ¨C addressing her. Directly. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Ani. You are a wise leader, and you''ve guided our people and the broader Union through a lot. But let¡¯s be honest. You¡¯ve lost it. These aren¡¯t the days when you were a junior chief during the Sacred War, nor are they the days when you were freshly elected to our council and to the Kiote Congress. We¡¯re living in the thralls of a new order. And it¡¯s no place for your ways. Either we draw a line in the sand now, or our people perish. It''s not something that I want to admit, but it is a chilling truth. I believe it¡¯s about time you send a strong signal to The Coalition that we won¡¯t tolerate being their proxies,¡± Zee spoke those final lines rather calmly, without his anger or usual expressions of force. But to finish, he took a step closer to her, now in a direct challenge, ¡°But if you do not¡­¡± he began, ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid the new order will be your downfall. If you don¡¯t take the hit, our people will. And that cannot happen. I mean that with the most sincere respect for yourself and your legacy possible, Grand Chief.¡± Dethroned. Ousted from her position as Grand Chief. It must¡¯ve been something that the other Chiefs had debated doing for a while now, for Zee was never going to make such a bold move without knowing that others supported it. It was rare for a Grand Chief to be dethroned, rarer still for it to happen in times of war. Yet, Ani knew that history was not a savior for her. If she wasn¡¯t careful, Zee¡¯s threats could very well prove to be guarantees. She sighed, lowering her head as the next chief stood to speak after Zee¡¯s conclusion. Some middling applause followed from the audience when Zee finished, yet the applause was far from celebratory...
Another swelteringly hot day out in the Kiote Jungle. Kiya was exhausted from his work tending to farmlands. The elven magic used to speed up growth was lacking recently. Many of the skilled spellcasters had been recruited to the Home Guard, plenty had been sent off to the tribal cores to defend the capital. His own son had been taken to defend Ximac, and though his letters sent back home kept the family in high spirits - they were still missing his physical presence here on the farms. As such, what they were left with were old men and women who were far past their youthfulness to fight, but also to farm. It left most of the brunt work to those who knew little of magical spellcasting, using their tools to try and get the most out of the soil. Kiya knew how to enchant the soil for he''d inherited the spells necessary from his mother, but he was only one elf and there was a village''s worth of work to be done. Their slow pace only became more obvious as the morning sun rose to its peak and started to dip once more, noon faded to midday. The sun beamed down on him, scalding his bright yellow skin, he grabbed a flask of water. Enjoying the lukewarm nectar within as he kept an eye on the other farmers and farmhands who labored away. His attention was pulled away when he heard a faint buzz in the air. As he looked up to the skies, he could see a faint black dot hang in the skies. It grew larger as it approached, unravelling its form to reveal that it wasn¡¯t a dragon ¨C as he initially feared ¨C nor was it a griffon. But a machine. A ''helicopter''. He¡¯d only seen aircraft a few times in his life, and all of them were made by the Ossies. Their fancy aircraft were almost everywhere during the war, but at least the humans were on their side. Mostly. This helicopter though, which descended lower as it drew near, was different. It looked strange in its make, something which he had never seen before. Perhaps it was just because he lived out in a remote village, far disconnected from the goings on of modernity in Raritan or the other Warrior Elf cities. His village only recently got a car which had been used exclusively to haul their goods from the village to the markets in Canau, only a half-hour drive there over the bumpy dirt roads, rather than two hours by classic griffon-pulled cart and walking. The helicopter was coming from about the same direction as Canau, downhill towards the seaside city. He heard gunfire from there a while ago, though it seemed whatever fighting happened had long since ended, at least making it safe enough for him to get to the market. News was slow to make its way into the village, and whatever the village was made aware of had to be found by the regular trips the farmers made either to bustling Markets of Raritan - which was a harsh journey that took a full day by Griffon-cart, or illegally across the Republican border to Canau, paying one of the Republican guards off with whatever chunk of the produce they wanted. One of the villagers had made the trip back from Canau and reported that not only had The Republicans been driven away, it seemed as if the humans had come and taken over the town. They had called themselves "The Coalition", though they were almost exactly like The Commonwealth. It was likely they were the same people if anything. The helicopter grew larger, it¡¯s blades now discernable from where they stood. The farmers stopped what they were doing to watch as the helicopter descended from the skies and landed¡­ on their land. When the bird touched down, the farmers all drew close to each other. Cautiously watching as armed humans clambered out of the grey-painted flying machine. Terrifyingly enough, they marched over towards the elves, pointing at them and shouting something foreign to their ears. Kiya looked to his wife, Niake. She shrugged, putting the rake away to follow Kiya as he approached the humans. Among the soldiers, was an elf. A Kitchi Warrior no less. ¡°Brothers, sisters,¡± The Kitchi warrior greeted them as he ran up to bridge the gap. ¡°What is all of this?¡± Kiya asked, gesturing to the humans who stood just behind the Warrior and their helicopter, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, friends but-¡° The warrior was cut off by talking from one of the soldiers. ¡°This is land belonging within the Enterprise Zone. This establishment is illegal. You¡¯ve gotta move,¡± Said one of the humans, cutting the elf off. Kiya didn¡¯t know what to say. He looked to his family and friends, and they clearly didn¡¯t either. He smiled, chuckling to himself thinking that it must¡¯ve been some bizarre joke that the human¡¯s had come up with, ¡°Oh okay. Right.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, brother¡­ but it¡¯s not a joke,¡± The warrior said, placing a hand on his shoulder, ¡°This land has become part of The Coalition¡¯s territory. You have to move.¡± ¡°What?¡± Kiya asked. "Not necessarily evicted," Another human soldier butted in, as if that would soothe things over, "You''ll be relocated. Housing is available in Canau where each of you will receive employment contracts with local firms. You''ll be given training to understand English, and from then on your future is your own." The villagers looked among each other, absolutely dumbfounded by what the human had just said. English? What in heavens name was that supposed to be? And since when did the humans have any interest in taking people to Canau? The Coalition had only just recently appeared, and their first interaction with the people who lived here was kicking them out of there homes and packing them into Canau? Why? And what gave them the right to dictate that? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you have to-¡° ¡°No, no we don¡¯t have to do anything!¡± Kiya demanded from the warrior. It was rude to disrespect Kitchi, the sacred fighters of the Warrior Elves. The closest thing they had to an army outside of the group of volunteer civilians in the Home Guard. But it must¡¯ve been equally rude to show up to Kiya''s home escorting humans with guns, demanding they leave their own homes, ¡°You show up here, with these people, and you ask us to leave?¡± ¡°Where would we even go? This is our home!¡± Niake shouted at them. ¡°This territory lies within the boundaries of the Enterprise Zone, and as such is being seized by official order from Overwatch Command stationed in The Nexus!¡± One of the soldiers produced a slip of paper, with text that read everything they had previously admitted. Signed and stamped. It looked¡­ official. The human handed it to Kiya. As Kiya took the off-white paper into his hands, he could feel the presence of the dozens of other farmers crowding around him. Their outstretched hands demanded to see the paper for themselves. There must¡¯ve been some sort of mistake. There must have been! Kiya shook his head, ¡°No¡­ this can¡¯t be¡­¡± ¡°The farm is an illegal construction. Either you tear it down and relocate, or we will,¡± The soldier threatened. And it was then that Kiya snapped. He took the paper into his hands, and with all the force in his hardy arms, ripped it in half. And he continue ripping it until it was nothing more than tiny pieces, ¡°You DARE call us illegal? For living in our own home? You come here with guns, to our home, and you tell us to move! This is our home, it has been our farmland for centuries! My ancestors built this village! Nothing we do here is illegal!¡± Anger, fear, humiliation. The Kitchi were the noble warriors who existed to protect them from events just like this. Had they not been trained since they were children for this very reason? Several of the villagers had children of their own who had been sent to Raritan in order to train for it, and all of it just for their so-called ''defenders'' to betray them like this? It was an absolute disgrace! ¡°Please, brother, relax. Just consider the offer, you''re being given a place to live in Canau-¡° The warrior tried to assuage Kiya¡¯s grief with a hand on the back, but Kiya threw it off. ¡°Why are you taking their side! You are a Kitchi! You¡¯re supposed to help us! Right?¡± ¡°They are orders from Chief Ani herself, look..." The Kitchi turned off the translation spell, leaving the humans in the dark while he talked to his kin, "I hate these ''Coalition'' intruders with every fiber of my being. Trust me, if there was a way I could have prevented this, I would''ve taken it a million times! But there is nothing we can do. I''m sorry. Everything they say is true, please. You have to leave-¡° ¡°We¡¯re not going anywhere!¡± Shouted another farmer. ¡°Tell them to go back! We¡¯re staying here!¡± Chirped in another. More and more voices of anger and confusion joined in until the entire group of farmers were angrily shouting at them. The soldiers started to yell back, making moves towards the guns they held near their chests. One thing snowballed into another, an insult was hurled, then a rock, and then ¨C The Kitchi warrior unsheathed his spear, brandishing it. But not at the soldiers¡­ the Kitchi wielded it against his own people. It was glowing with magical energy, and was pointed straight at Kiya¡¯s chest. ¡°I am no longer asking! Leave! If you come back, you''ll be arrested! Go!¡± The Kitchi shouted, his blue eyes narrowing from behind his painted mask. Kiya could feel his chest rise and fall, a cascading waterfall of grief welling up in his chest. He looked to the others, they were the same. Betrayal from those who were called their guardians. Evicted from their own homes at the end of a spear. ¡°Please¡­¡± He tried to beg the warrior. ¡°Leave, or I will make you,¡± the warrior hissed, ¡°Chief Ani¡¯s orders.¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 39: Giant Alien Robot Thingies >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 39: Giant Alien Robot Thingies]===

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Eli blinked, watching as the world around him slowed to a crawl. Seconds became hours. The sentry was ready to vaporize them, the soldiers in front and behind them ready to open fire. Eli didn¡¯t know if what he heard was real or not, but he obeyed, as did the rest of Misfit. Misfit followed his instructions ¨C dropping to the floor - and the moment they did, the soldiers opened fire. The militia was torn apart by the gunfire. Golden tracers of bullets tore through the room cracking through their body armor. The bodies fell lifelessly to the ground, their blood painted the walls and the floors as the frenzy of bullets tore through them. Steel and flesh intertwined, they screamed, dropping their weapons, and falling. The others who had shields took cover behind them, holding their shields up, but even they were not safe. A red beam of light fired from the Misfit¡¯s saviors and cracked the shield open, tearing apart the hapless Avonian on the other side. Eli closed his eyes, arms over his head, terrified of opening them until it was over. And then everything was silent once again. The bullets ceased their frenzy, the Avonians lifeless, their blood pooling on the floor into puddles of devastation. The air was still. He dared to open his eyes, and when he looked up, he could see his saviors clearly. It was a motely crew of four, and of them, only two were humans. Their clothes were diverse and seemed to lack any type of real cohesion to be called a uniform. As a matter of fact, the gang had more things that set them apart as distinct rather than anything unifying them. One was an elven female with strawberry-pink skin and candy blue hair, she wore a brown leather jacket, black pants and equally black boots. Atop of her head was a small cap that resembled a beret of sorts. In her hands was a pistol, the trigger to which she kept her finger away from now that the pursuing Avonians were dead. The next was a mustached human male who wore pants that resembled the combat uniforms the Republican Militia would wear, green army fatigues. Across his chest was a combat vest, carrying grenades and spare belts of ammunition wrapping around his torso like a snake. His eyes were hidden away by broad sunglasses with golden lenses that reflected everything the man saw. A wooden rifle, similar to the type the Militiamen used, was nestled in his arms. The most distinct member of the gang was a bipedal creature, not an elf nor a human. A wolf, man, thing. The visible portions of its body were covered in thick greyish-black fur. It had the face of a canine, with pink scars slicing across the muzzle and parts of the eyes - perhaps from fights long ago that have now healed for the most part. The wolfman had yellow eyes that seemed to burn a hole in the lingering gunsmoke that filled the room. It stood a full head and shoulders over everyone else, at least seven feet tall if Eli had to wager a guess. Its teeth were bared with its hands - rather paws - revealing sharp, dagger-like, claws. They looked sharp enough to tear the average human or elf into small bloody chunks, if the creature so desired. But luckily, for Eli and Misfit, the focus of its aggression wasn''t on them. Around its back, which itself had a similar combat vest like that of the human''s, a metal pipe hung from a strap on its shoulders. Another rocket launcher, though it looked much smaller in the rather massive and muscular physique of the wolf creature. And lastly was Eli¡¯s savior. It was another human male who held his pistol high and scanned the room with conviction in his eyes. The man had distinct white spiky hair, and an spotted beard that covered much of his broad square face and jaw. A brown leather trenchcoat was draped over his body with a tail reaching down to his calves and black combat boots, the coat half open to reveal a black sweater underneath. He seemed to be the leader of the group, judging by his position at the front, and the conviction that filled his hazel eyes. In the man''s free hand was a small metal device, roughly the size of a smartphone, from which radiant red energy emanated. Magical ekron light filled the room and the occupants inside, and the strange magical technology allowed Misfit to understand the man''s next words. ¡°Misfit?¡± The man''s voice betrayed his age. He was likely in his upper forties, even fifty. But he certainly looked a lot younger. For a man situated in the midst of a warzone like Helena, he had quite the handsome face. Eli nodded, silently. Slowly the other soldiers, if they could even be called ¡°soldiers¡±, filed into the room, ¡°Who ¨C who are you?¡± Asked Badger. ¡°Your scrappin'' saviors, that¡¯s who,¡± The man remarked with a distinct accent Eli hadn''t heard before, ¡°You¡¯ve stirred up a lot of trouble out there.¡± ¡°Trouble tends to follow us around,¡± Matteo said. ¡°Kindred spirits then, well met,¡± The man replied with a mischievous grin forming across his hairy face while Eli scrambled to get back to his feet, ¡°So, you¡¯re the aliens I¡¯ve heard so much about. Correct?¡± ¡°You know who we are?¡± Asked Dutch. ¡°A mutual friend sent us," Said the elf. ¡°Otaes?¡± Asked Eli. She did not answer, and she didn¡¯t need to; it was clear that Otaes hadn¡¯t abandoned Misfit after all. If anything, the warrior might be close by. Their introduction to the rebels was cut short by the groveling whir of the sentry''s engine just above them. The building shook again with the movement of the sentry outside. Clambering across the walls and ceiling. Their gaze turned upwards as the vibrations of the machine¡¯s movements trembled through the floors, ¡°Scrap... no time for introductions then," The man said with his eyes turned up to the ceiling, "I was hoping to throw you all a welcome party, but the Imperials have got other plans I suppose. Sosa? Do you still have the Mighty Mouse?¡± The giant werewolf type creature grunted, pulling the rocket launcher off from his torso and presenting the metal tube in its claws, "Aye, sir," it said, the low growling voice marking Sosa as male. His long, wolf-like, tail swished behind his back in acknowledgement, "I only have the one rocket though." ¡°Good, keep it on hand. Er¡­ paw," The leader of the rebels said in a rather chipper tone, "Vega, you think we can pull it off?" The other human in the group nodded, "There''s no reason why we can''t. I''ve worked with sentries before during Guardsmen training exercises. That model of sentry has armor that''s only about 50 millimeters thick on the sides, rear, and underbelly If you get a good shot, and aim at the engine in the rear or its stomach, it should only take one HEAT round to kill it. Or at the very least, knock it out," Vega explained. It seemed that the human was once a member of the River Republic''s army. Eli found it interesting to have one of their own among their ranks, somewhat reassuring. "Right, Sosa. You heard the man," The leader said, the wolf let out a low growl and a flutter of his ears in response, "The rest of you, and Misfit, follow close. It''s time for a bit of an argy-bargy,¡± Said the man, his mischievous smile reappearing through his bearded face. "Wait, you guys wanna go fight that thing?" Omar asked him with a voice that was practically shivering in fear, "With only one rocket?" "That was the plan, yes," the man shrugged, "There''s certainly enough of us. We can always swarm it, a few of us might get torn apart but that''s an acceptable loss." Omar immediately froze up, his skin turning a ghastly pale, to the amusement of the human who started to chuckle to himself, "I''m joking! I''m joking! I ain''t gonna let you die," he said. "I''d expect our allies to be a bit more considerate," Eli said through gritted teeth. The human brushed off the comment. "Look, I get it, you aren''t familiar with the war machines, right? But there''s no use being afraid of them. That''s what the Imperials want, fear is a tool just like any other, and if you give them that then the Empire has already won. Besides, sentries ain''t exactly hard to kill if you know what you''re doing. Ask Vega." The mustached man gave a confirming nod of his head, "Right. One shot. One dead sentry. It''s simple math. I''ve done it plenty of times." "Are you sure? I didn''t put ''getting vaporized by a giant robot spider'' on my bucket list this year," Dutch rebutted. "Well that makes two of us, don''t it?" The man flashed Dutch the widest smile he could muster, though it was only for a split second, "Follow our lead, and don''t do anything stupid. We''re going sentry hunting..." The rebels took that as a cue to leave, and they promptly turned their backs on Misfit to track the sentry down. Eli hesitated for a moment, and he felt the weight of Misfit''s expectations suddenly shift onto him. Badger nudged him in the side with her elbow, "So... do we trust macho man and his gang of action heroes?" "If they''re the ones Overwatch said we''re here for, I don''t see why not," Eli sighed, "Besides, it''s not like we''ve got any other choice now that Bannon is dead. If we want any shot of getting back to the Nexus, we need to finish Bannon''s mission." "Right," Badger said, "Sorry... I''m just not a huge fan of giant wolf people. Too many teeth... and claws." "Sosa seemed cool," Dutch shrugged, "Besides, I would much rather have a giant werewolf dude as a friend than a enemy." "Fair enough," Badger gave in. With that it was settled, and they followed after the rebels...
Together, they slogged through the decaying halls of the building. Concrete walls flanked them on either side pockmarked by bullet holes and debris, and the air smelled of something burning. In fact, that fiery scent had been practically everywhere since Misfit arrived in Helena. Now that Eli thought of it, as the battle escalated, it only grew stronger. Through the darkness of the narrow hallways, the Sentry could be heard clambering around their building. For something of its sheer size, the sentries were remarkably maneuverable. If Eli wasn''t currently preoccupied with the thought of getting vaporized by the beast, he would have admired it for being a marvel of engineering. The Avonian Imperials, for all their magical prowess, were just as much strong engineers. It was perhaps that fusion of magic and technology that made the Imperial army feel so powerful, though if the current battle was anything to go off of, they were not fully invincible. They had their weaknesses, and if the rebels were confident enough in their sentry hunting abilities to go out and actively "hunt" sentries down, those weaknesses could be exploited. Eli would have to pay attention... Though as they progressed through the halls, the rebels'' "Sentry Hunt" became more a game of cat and mouse, with the Sentry being the cat and the rebels being the mice. They would stop before crossing windows, ensuring that the sentry¡¯s red eyes weren¡¯t waiting for them just outside. Often times, they could hear the low hum of the engines just behind the brick walls they were passing by. Too many times, Eli felt as if the Sentry was directly on top of them. Looking down at them through the walls, able to see without being seen. Omnipresent in a way that made Eli turn around his shoulder to check, when in reality there was nothing there at all. Such a large machine, lost to their eyes. Like a spider in every fashion. The moment you let a sentry out of your sight, it vanishes. A threat unseen. How such a massive iron contraption could act so... stealthily... was unnerving. Again, it must''ve had something to do with Avonian engineering. They crawled, lurked and dashed their way towards the central staircase and began their slow ascent upwards towards the iron door which separated the safety of being inside the windowless stairwell to the exposed roof. Eli knew why they needed to get there, the roof¡¯s lack of constricting walls and open air access was the ideal place to use the rocket launcher. But on the flip side, Eli imagined that there was virtually no cover to shield themselves. A fear that was confirmed the moment the lead Rebel opened the door. It was barren. The only cover and places to hide were a slight ledge that bordered off the roof of the building from a forty-foot drop to the streets below. There were also metal ventilation ducts and electrical compartments that crisscrossed the roof, though the cover those afforded would only protect from the small caliber rounds that the sentry fired. If it used the main gun, nothing would protect from getting eviscerated in a heartbeat. All around them was nothing by the ongoing battle. As predicted, Overwatch was forced to restrain its aircraft from flying through the skies. The contrails of jets and helicopters flying through the skies, was now replaced by stillness and a eery quiet that was only broken by sporadic gunfire from somewhere else far away. How Overwatch planned on invading Helena without Airwatch''s support was beyond Eli, but the focus remained on those anti-aircraft missiles that were... somewhere here. Eli figured now wouldn''t be the best time to bring it up when they had much more immediate concerns. But without the missiles down, their chances of getting out of Helena were slim to none. The rebels kept their eyes focused on the skies above, their weapons scanning for any threats. Luckily there was no infantry waiting to shoot at them on the roof. It was just them and the sentry, which had yet to reveal itself, "The revolt isn''t going as we planned¡± said the elf among them as she surveyed the battlefield, "We were promised more support from the RDI." "You should know this by now, Bell. Those Ossie bastards break promises all the time," Vega retorted with a grimace, "They''d rather sell us out than commit anything to the revolution, comrade. We only exist to serve their purposes, in their eyes." "What about these humans," Sosa growled as he gestured back to Misfit with a sharp claw, "I thought they were here to assist us too." "Clearly they can''t. If the support was as good as the RDI promised it was, Navarro would be dead and Helena would''ve been ours by now," Bell shrugged as she glared at Eli. "Wasn''t it their forces who managed to fend off a behemoth attack by themselves?" Vega asked, "I''ve seen that Imperial garrison with my own two eyes. They were Avonian elite, and they were almost completely annihilated. That kind of stuff doesn''t just happen by accident. If the Commonwealth isn''t coming to help us out, then we can at least pray that The Coalition will." ¡°Word spreads fast,¡± Rafael muttered. ¡°Like wildfire. You alien pricks show up for one day and suddenly half the bleeding planet¡¯s at each others throat again. And the funny part is that the idiots don¡¯t even know why they¡¯re fighting,¡± the lead Rebel, whose name still eluded Eli¡¯s knowledge, affirmed. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Planet Narva doesn''t know about us yet?¡± Matteo asked. ¡°You should¡¯ve seen the look on my face when a bunch of shady RDI agents approached me with information about a "potential game changer". It was a bunch of humans, no less, who fell out of the sky and were willing to help us out. That''s all they told me. Nobody on this planet outside of a select handful know about you or your faction. All''s they hear is that there¡¯s a fight in the jungle, and someone¡¯s responsible, but nobody knows who.¡± ¡°The entire planet¡¯s on the verge of blowing itself up just because of The Nexus?¡± ¡°Nah¡­ we aren¡¯t close to the part where they start blowing each other up. By then, trust you me, we¡¯d already be dead. But that¡¯s why you¡¯re here, you get the once in a lifetime opportunity to clean up your scrap, and put some right back into the world,¡± He pointed to a ventilation duct on the ceiling, ¡°Comrade Sosa, take up a position over there with the Mighty Mouse!¡± The wolf grunted in response, taking the metal tube which almost seemed like a toy in his claws, and making his way over behind the metal vent cover. ¡°Everyone else, on me-" The leader¡¯s words were interrupted by the crashing sound of thudding. One by one, shaking the building they stood precariously on top of. The Sentry was coming, ¡°Go! Double time!¡± The leader urged the others to follow. They split from Sosa and hurried behind another solid-enough looking ventilation shaft. The second that Badger had ducked into cover, the red eyes of the Sentry flooded the roof. But Misfit, and the rebels, were relatively safe in the shadow that the ventilation box offered. Eli turned to look at the others about to speak, but one of the rebels, the pink elf, put a hand on his shoulder. She held a finger up to her lips. Silence. It hunted via sound first, sight second. The mechanical groans and whines of the sentry echoed just behind them. Eli could tell which direction it was looking, for the red light followed its eyes, growing dimmer when it turned away. Sosa held the launcher close, peeking out of his cover to get eyes. But instead of firing at it, he turned back to them. Holding a hand ¨C or paw ¨C out to make a cutting motion across his neck. There was no shot. The gesture from Sosa made the leader Rebel look distressed, as he peeked from behind cover when the red light dimmed. The Sentry knew they were somewhere on the roof, as it refused to leave. But it was hesitating. When the leader got a look, he turned back to the team. In the lowest whisper he could muster, he spoke to them, his voice flat and serious, ¡°The shield is facing us. It¡¯s gotta show its ass, otherwise that rocket won¡¯t do scrap.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not moving,¡± Said Badger, who also peeked out momentarily, ¡°It¡¯s waiting for something.¡± ¡°It knows we¡¯ve got a recoilless, Avonian infantry probably called it in through the radio, or it saw Sosa when we were hiding in the building. It¡¯s scared, it won¡¯t push until it knows where we are for certain,¡± Bell whispered. Despite the low tone that they whispered in, the sentry heard. A low mechanical whine escaped the machine, and the building shook as it took another step forward. Slowly, cautiously, advancing towards their position, ¡°Scrap¡­ we need to split. Comrades, with me,¡± the man said, but he made sure to single out Misfit, ¡°You. Earth people. Run the other way, get its attention.¡± ¡°Wait ¨C we¡¯re the fucking bait?¡± Eli asked him in protest. ¡°Well, do you have a better idea? Go ahead, walk up to it and ask it to piss off nicely, be my guest,¡± Grinned the man. ¡°I¡¯m being serious! Why don¡¯t you do it if you¡¯re so confident, jackass?¡± ¡°Look, you¡¯re doing it because I¡¯m the one who saved your scrapping arse from getting gunned down by an Imperial soldier! Now we do it my way, or you can fuck off and take your chances alone! Got it?¡± Eli was about to argue but the presence of the sentry kept his mouth shut, ¡°Jolly good, we¡¯re all going to push. On my count¡­¡± He held up three fingers. The whir of the sentry¡¯s engines grew louder as it crept nearer. Each step it took, his fingers fell. 3¡­ 2¡­ By the time the lead rebel¡¯s fingers fell to one, the red light was only mere inches away from them. The protection that the box offered dwindling to nothing. One more step from the Sentry, and all hell broke loose. ¡°RUN! RUN! COVER SOSA!¡± The rebel grabbed his gun, and they all scattered, running out in front of the Sentry¡¯s vision. The machine unleashed an ear shattering roar the sound of which rattled Eli¡¯s insides as he stood on his feet to run. He raised his rifle, the holographic sights showing the full view of the machine¡¯s threatening build. His finger pulled on the trigger, and his gun was the first to fire. They swarmed the machine, opening fire, dashing from cover to cover, and even flanking around to get its attention. Their bullets of course, bounced harmlessly off the metal hull if it hadn¡¯t been stopped mid-air by the shield. Yet the sheer volume of fire forced the sentry to step back. It too returned fire with its machine gun, pulses of red energy cracked through the air and embedded themselves into the concrete surrounding them. Narrowly missing Rafael as he slid into cover behind a semi-wall. But their plans to confuse the machine were working. It stood back, uncertain of what to focus its main ¡°Destroy-everything-cannon¡± at, while the smaller machine gun opened fire to smash them all like ants. The wolf managed to sneak across the roof, carefully dodging the fire despite his size, keeping the rocket launcher in tow. And in a prime moment of opportunity, the sentry''s rear was exposed to it. Eli caught a glimpse just as he returned fire to keep the machine overwhelmed. It was a perfect shot, but one that would rapidly fade. Sosa perked up and studied his vantage point for a brief moment before he raised the launcher tube over his shoulder, and took aim. His massive claws hovered over the trigger, and his yellow eyes narrowed. Eli held his breath... A flurry of white-hot sparks shot out of the launcher''s rear, and a burst of light rocketed out of the mouth! It zipped through the air in a flash! It was a shaky shot, and for a moment, it seemed doubtful... but the rocket hit its intended target. The warhead collided with the sentry, sending the robot monstrosity up into a cloud of black smoke and fire! A massive shockwave unleashed as it exploded, burying itself into what was presumably the engine compartment or fuel tank, and for a moment, Eli felt unsteady on his feet! The sentry unleashed a painful cry from its siren as it clumsily flailed about trying to recuperate from the hit. "YES! IT WAS A HIT! TAKE THAT MOTHERFUCKER!" Dutch yelled out as they watched the sentry struggle. Misfit and the rebels were on the cusp of celebrating Sosa''s shot, but they refrained... the smoke cleared, and the sentry - remarkably - was still standing. The rear was smoking heavily, and parts of the engine compartment were still visibly on fire, yet through it all, the sentry managed to survive... "Oh, scrap," The lead rebel gritted his teeth, "Come on! We''ve got to get out of here while it''s stunned!" He stood up, rallying the other rebels around him. Their sights set on the door leading them back downstairs, though it was now quite a hefty journey. Misfit opened fire on the sentry again with the hopes of keeping it bogged down, but whatever kept the sentry frozen had passed. The the engine roared back to life with a bone rattling growl, and the once dormant red eyes flickered back on, renewed with an intense vigor that Eli interpreted as ''revenge''. The gun of the sentry swung around, ignoring the small caliber rounds of Misfit''s guns, and setting its sights on Sosa. The wolf stumbled back as the red light descended over his frame. Quickly, he dropped the rocket launcher and collapsed onto all fours, his claws scratching at the concrete surface upon which they walked. Like an actual wolf, Sosa used his powerful limbs to dash out of the way, just as the machine guns turned to open fire on his position. In his wolf-like posture, Sosa was fast. But not quit fast enough. For a bullet managed to nail him right in his hind leg. A painful whimper escaped Sosa''s maw as he collapsed in front of the light of the sentry''s eyes. "SOSA! COMRADE!" Vega shouted, just as he and the rest of his rebels were about to make it out. He immediately turned heel, abandoning all instincts for self-preservation to make a mad dash towards the fallen wolf-man. "Vega! What the hell are you doing, you''re gonna get killed!" Bell tried to stop him, but it was of no use, "Damn it! Cover him!" She shouted out. Misfit and the rebels turned their guns back onto the sentry, knowing that at this point - all they were doing was wasting ammunition. The armor of the machine was too strong, and the sentry seemed to have seen through their swarm-like ruse to be faltered by the small arms fire. At this point, running away was their only option. "Nobody gets left behind!" Vega said as he sprinted across the rooftop. The sentry''s machine gun switched targets, seeing a vulnerable and fully exposed Vega practically delivering himself straight into its tendrils. With the red lights drawing away from the wounded wolf, Sosa took the opportunity to limp away into cover. Yet he was bleeding, profusely. A trail of red blood followed him as he forced his body to move. Vega meanwhile tried his hardest to evade the barrage of machine gun rounds that threatened to slice into him, barely dodging the fire with his quick sidestepping. He too managed to get into cover, though he was still so far away from Sosa''s position... ¡°Oh fuck¡­ fuck, fuck, fuck,¡± Eli whimpered as he cowered behind cover. The rocket launcher was behind the sentry, discarded, used. Their final weapon against the armored giant had been lost. The machine took several steps towards the hapless and scattered team of rebels and Misfit. Each step brought the red light closer, haunting them with the fate of being turned into little more than dust at the touch of a heat laser. One step after another, the guns of the sentry charged, focusing its attention. Eli held his breath, completely out of time. There was no room to make a new plan or to go and reach Sosa. The sentry was practically on top of them... nowhere to run, nowhere to hide... That is, until Eli heard something screech through the air! Piercing! Like the cry of an eagle! The fluttering of wings garnered his attention, but it was lost when he saw something else. An arrow. Red tipped. It cut through the air like knife through water, descending from above, landing squarely in the middle of the Sentry¡¯s monstrous face. It stuck, and upon contact with the cold steel ¨C it exploded into yet another ball of smoke and flame! The blast wasn¡¯t enough to down the sentry, but it interrupted the charge of its main gun. Red ekron energy burst from the main gun, like shocks of electricity, rendering the main cannon all but useless. Bent and twisted steel hung loosely from the face of the machine. It cried in pain, letting out a loud whoop as it stumbled backwards. Alive, but even more wounded than it was before. Eli looked up to find who his savior was. And he saw the brown feathered wings of a familiar griffon. Archer, with Otaes atop his back, glided across view, with Otaes launching arrow after arrow at the machine. Explosion after explosion rocked the body of the Sentry, even managing to knock a few more components off of it, making its engine smoke. It spun, forcing its shield up, and trying to keep track of Otaes as she and Archer circle around it. Machine gun fire was unleashed, trying to gun the duo down, but missing as Archer weaved and evaded. The leader of the rebels ran out into the open, gun in hand. Though the Sentry was distracted, it¡¯s flailing limbs and sporadic movement across the roof would¡¯ve proved treacherous to avoid ending up like Sosa, or worse yet, impaled. But despite the danger, he charged out. Waving his arms to gather Otaes¡¯ attention. ¡°GO! MAKE IT CHASE YOU! GO!¡± He screamed out to the circling Griffon. Eli couldn¡¯t tell if Otaes heard over the commotion the sentry was making, but it seemed she had. For the griffon spread its wings straight and turned off to fly into the city. The sentry tracked her, its eyes locked onto the griffon while the duo darted through the air. It seemed to hesitate, perhaps planning on what to do. Eventually though, it caved in. Raising one leg up to crawl back down the side of the building and onto the street to chase after Otaes and Archer. Slowly, the sentry made its way back down the side of the building, falling for Otaes'' bait. With the sentry hopefully gone for good, the rebels sprung back into motion. Vega grabbed a hold of the wounded Sosa, helping to lift the wolf''s weight over his shoulder, bringing him towards the group. Sosa was injured, but luckily still alive, "See... I told you! Nobody get''s left behind!" Vega muttered. "What you did was foolish, if it wasn''t for Otaes, we would''ve all been killed trying to cover for you!" Bell interrupted, but Vega brushed her off. The leader of the rebels sighed as he watched his own team of rebels squabble among each other, before he turned to the phantoms, gathering their breath behind cover. ¡°On your feet. Our work is far from done, comrades,¡± Said the man. ¡°Where is she taking it?¡± Asked Matteo. ¡°To where we are going,¡± The man replied. ¡°What?¡± Eli asked, standing up, ¡°You want us to still fight that thing? We don¡¯t even have any of those rocket launchers you guys use to take it down.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t, but where we¡¯re going does,¡± The rebel said with slight grin, ¡°If she''s smart, she''ll be taking it around to our base of operations. It''s an old university that the Junta transformed into a military garrison when they took over. Now, it''s our headquarters. We have an armory there, and if I remember correctly, more rockets." ¡°There¡¯re more weapons there. But we must hurry,¡± Bell said with a grim weight on her voice, ¡°The revolution is on shaky enough ground as is. I''ve heard some reports that they''re making inroads near Marshal Navarro''s palace, but they''re getting bogged down by the Republican Guard and Militia. If that sentry manages to overrun our headquarters, we''ll have to give up!" The elf''s blue eyes landed on Eli once more, "The Coalition though... we''ve heard they have the guns necessary to destroy the Imperials, right? When can your army come in to support us?¡± Eli nodded, ¡°Our communications are down with our commander.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve got the Behemoths to thank for that," Vega spoke up, as he bandaged Sosa''s leg, "The Imperials have a Vampire Behemoth somewhere on the outskirts of the city. They¡¯re jamming all our signals to high hell.¡± "A behemoth!" Eli felt his heart drop as he cried out, a shiver went up his spine just hearing the name alone, "Holy hell, they have a behemoth? Here?" "Calm down, son. Vampire behemoths are pretty much unarmed and are kept well behind their lines. Vampires are electronic warfare vehicles, with an emphasis on Avonian communications. Their height makes them perfect for radio masts and the like, and the Imperials use them to jam the signals of their enemies. Since they''re kept behind Imperial lines, we won''t see it, and last time I checked, they''re mostly unarmed." Just as Eli was about to sigh in relief, the rebel leader jumped in, "But that doesn''t mean we can relax. The vampire confirms that there are Avonian reinforcements nearby. After Emperor Kirk declared an Imperial Emergency, we knew that there would be an Imperial battlegroup making a beeline towards Helena. Now our scouts near the Imperial border haven''t spotted any fighting behemoths, but they''ve sure as hell have brought sentries, alpha units, dragons, and lots of firepower," he paused briefly, "I thought we would''ve had more time before Imperial reinforcements arrived, but the fact that they''ve already got a vampire around here means that they''re closer than I thought." "Can''t we fight them off?" Rafael asked. Bell shook her head, "We can barely take on the Republican Guard on our own, the Imperials are going to - and excuse me for using a rather violent term here - slaughter us like pigs. We have about as much of a chance beating back an Imperial battlegroup as a fly does against the engine of a fighter jet. Between the fly and us, my money is on the fly." ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have support following you?¡± Sosa asked, giving a curious twitch from his black wolf ears, "I thought there would be more of you Earth humans." "We are the support," Said Matteo. The rebels gave Misfit a strange look, confused by what Matteo just said. There was a brief feeling of pity in Eli''s heart, how many more people would they have to confess this basic - but tragic - fact to? He was getting sick of saying it, first to the Warrior Elves, and now to these people, ¡°We¡¯re the Penal Unit. Our commanders sent us in with a squad of normal troops because they think we have a lot of experience on Narva. But those troops were killed. We''re all that''s left,¡± Eli confessed, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if Overwatch already counted us for dead by now. In fact, I¡¯d bet on it.¡± There was a bit of stunned silence between the rebels. They seemed to be looking for a hole to poke in Eli''s story, "You''re all prisoners? Criminals?" Bell asked with a suspicious raise of her brow. "Why in heavens name would they send a bunch of convicts out to help us? What do you know about Narva?" Sosa narrowed his golden eyes, his fangs bared briefly. "Relax, you idiots!" The leader held out his hand, "We''re armed militants fighting against The Empire! Aren''t we also criminals? The only difference between us and them..." The human flashed Eli a smile, "Is that they got caught." "You''ve got to be kidding me. We don''t know their crimes? They could be murderers for all we know! Hell, if their story is to be believed, they may have been the ones who killed their soldiers!" Vega tried to argue. "Are your hands clean of that? Weren''t you in The Republican Militia once? Haven''t you slaughtered your share of innocents in the name of the Junta?" "I was a conscript-" "These people are here to help us. We''re all criminals, we''re all crooks, and we''re all thieves. We are all united by our fight against Imperialism, comrades!" The man preached before turning heel to face Misfit, "And as for you, welcome to the club. I don''t know what your crimes are, but if you''re willing to help us out, then for all intents and purposes, you''re one of us. Got it?" Misfit slowly nodded. The leader of the rebels sighed, ¡°Come with us. I can¡¯t guarantee that we¡¯ll establish communications¡­ but we¡¯ll need all the help we can get.¡± Misfit had no other choice but to accept. Any shelter was good shelter. And it beat wandering through the streets alone. Besides, at least with the rebels they stood some chance in getting their communications back up. Alone, they fared close to none. At least, that¡¯s what Eli thought. They agreed, but before they left, it was Rafael who raised his hand and asked, ¡°Wait¡­ we didn¡¯t get your name yet!¡± The man turned back to them, holstering his gun. It seemed he was contemplating something in his mind. Strange for so straightforward a question. But eventually, a smile stretched across his bearded face. ¡°Sparrow. Just call me Sparrow.¡±
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 40: Mushroom Cloud Blues >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 40: Mushroom Cloud Blues]===

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It wasn¡¯t long until Misfit was back on the ground trailing the rebels. The band of prisoners and rebels snaked their way through the downtrodden streets of Helena. The further they travelled, the more the scenery of the city began to shift. With every step taking them closer into the Riverland''s corrupted heart, the slums of dilapidated tenements and run-down buildings faded. The sprawling mess of vine-like electrical wires, discarded propaganda posters, and trash heaps became fewer and farther in between. The reek of urban grunge faded. And in its place were more colorful-looking buildings, homes for people rather than cages for rats. The new residential neighborhood was slightly better than the literal slums they had just emerged from, but it was still far from anything considered "good" even by Earth standards. Eli thought about it for a moment, trying to conjure up images of places he''s been to on Earth. It was miles better than The Zone, for sure. Anything was truthfully. If The Zone was set as the baseline for what could even be considered as ''habitable'' for human life, it''d make even The Nexus look like paradise in comparison. He chuckled to himself thinking that Kovic may have been able to achieve his Utopia if he just fudged some definitions here and there. No matter what, they were closer to Helena''s core. The surrounding neighborhood was wealthier, somewhat, though not quite prosperous. The cars here at least had matching doors. But the never ending feeling of being watched continued. The propaganda posters, though fewer, were distinctly noticeable. Parks where palm trees lined fountains and marble statues of figures ingrained in the Riverlander mythos. And in the horizon, standing high above the rooftops of Helena''s core, something caught his attention. They were massive blocks of concrete, uninterrupted, expansive, grey. Like giant slabs of stone placed into the dirt and built upwards. They towered over the city like the Avonian Behemoths. There were dozens of them, if not even more. Each of varying height among themselves, but titans in their sheer scale. A few were still under construction with construction nets and cranes hugging their uppermost portions. But the majority had been completed. Some of the towers carried what looked like insignias and logos that were visible even from here, and judging by the way they were built, Eli assumed they were supposed to be illuminated during the night, though it was unlikely anybody was home to turn the lights on now. Each of the towers were dotted with windows that gave him at least some idea that people were supposed to live and work inside of them. The grey monotonous buildings were obviously newer compared to their surroundings, lacking the almost gangrene-like rot that chipped away the concrete everywhere else. They were the same titans that had been illustrated on the propaganda posters from earlier, always accompanying the face of that one military-elf to the point that Eli naturally associated the buildings to him. Whoever he was. If the point was to remind Helena''s residents of who ruled over them, it was effective. The mere presence of the buildings cast shadows across half the city. Eli pictured himself waking up to a city covered in smog and urban decay, only to look up towards glittering office towers that housed the very ones ruling over him. All seeing. Perhaps all knowing... ¡°That¡¯s the Renewal District,¡± Sparrow remarked, noticing as Eli¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but stare at the buildings ahead, ¡°The Junta built it to give all their powerful friends a home in the skies. The Republican Guard likely has a garrison there.¡± ¡°Renewal District?¡± Asked Dutch, ¡°Odd... reminds me of New Cairo. Eli?¡± And then the eerily similar connection was made in Eli¡¯s mind. Both he and Dutch fought in New Cairo for the Coalition, of course they were in different units then. But the city there back on Earth was much like the grey concrete blocks of Helena here. Massive glistening skyscrapers, bright blue pools surrounded by almost artificially green parkland, placed smack in the middle of a sandy desert. But around the homes of the rich and well to do, were the sprawling ghetto¡¯s of New Cairo. A failure, intentional or not. Makeshift homes made of salvaged metal scraps, walled off from the skyscrapers by a solid concrete wall. Eli remembered his time there bitterly. A utopian world walled off from the suffering of those who built it. New Cairo stood as the last glimpse of a better future for those who lived at the dawn of the millennium. For Matteo and Kovic''s generation of people, now old and refugees in a decaying world. New Cairo had utterly failed, Eli and Dutch were there to see that first hand. Was that the fate of the Nexus? Another failed attempt at Utopia? Like New Cairo on Earth or the Renewal District here? Was that what Kovic and Overwatch Command were committing all of this to build? Was that truly Utopia? As they marched along the streets of the slums, the towers of the Renewal District appeared closer in view. The elite of the city must¡¯ve vacated the area long ago, yet the lights were still on in many of the rooms that looked down on the rest of Helena. Eli assumed that Helena''s electrical grid had been knocked out during the invasion, but it might''ve made more sense if The Renewal District had its own power supply, or was somehow isolated from the grid here in the outer neighborhoods. ¡°The Junta built them as a symbol more than anything else. When the old Republic was overthrown, the Renewal District was the first eyesore they built. Homes for absolutist dictators. Marshal Navarro wanted to put on a fresh coat of paint for the Republic. Tell everyone, especially his masters in Avonia, that they were a modern and civilized country now. What better display than putting his friends and the wealthy in giant concrete boxes that tower over the shit filled slums surrounding them? Makes the bastards feel all high and mighty I¡¯ll bet.¡± "The River Republic prides itself on being the only ''civilized'' nation in The Kiote Peninsula," Informed Bell as she continued along side as if she were remembering some hidden encyclopedic knowledge, "The Junta tries to justify itself as a civilizing, modernizing, force. If you manage to get a hold of a translation spell, I''d recommend taking a look at some of the propaganda posters littered around here. They fantasize constantly about killing The Sevillans and Warrior Elves off. Their depictions of everyone south of the Republican border paints the Kiote Union''s populace as little more than primitive tree huggers at best. A mindless horde of barbarians in need of salvation at worst. It''s that sort of national pride that sustains the Junta and reinforces its existence in the eyes of their few supporters." "Doesn''t that conflict with them being puppets to The Avonians?" Asked Rafael. "That''s the funny part, they''ve managed to make that work for them too. They see the Empire as a leader. A patriarchal figure, willing to guide the Republic to prosperity and salvation so long as the Riverlanders shed themselves of their cultural and ethnic ties to the rest of the Peninsula," Bell told him, "Not too long ago, a few years before you humans showed up in fact, there used to be more orcs and goblins that lived right here in Helena. They''ve since been forcefully relocated to the Riverlander heartlands, arid mountains completely separated from their original rainforest like homes. The Caliconi I believe. They were a strongly indigenous people, connected very deeply to their Kiote brethren across the border. They needed to be disposed of for the Junta to solidify its rule." "Genocide..." "Not by Avonian terms. To the Avonians and the Junta, genocide only counts if you kill someone directly. Bullets to the head, facing the wall, sending people to be hung, that kind of thing. According to them, they didn''t kill the Caliconi off intentionally. They simply relocated them, and the orcs were just too stupid to learn how to feed themselves in a barren desert hostile to life. In the instances where direct killings did happen, those occurred because of individuals acting out of their own accord. Not Imperial policy. And if you ask them why those individuals hadn''t been punished for murder, they''ll shrug their shoulders. If you asked the Imperialists, nothing would be their fault..." Bell sighed as she took a look around, "That''s why we''re here. The Empire needs to be destroyed at all costs, their institutions are a disgrace to sapient lives everywhere, and they''ll keep getting away with murder if nothing is done. Only The Heavenly Empire exceeds their cruelty... luckily for us, Emperor Ironscale and his dragons are all the way on the opposite side of the world. Unfortunately, The Avonians are right here." Sparrow smirked, glancing over at Misfit, "Unlike the rest of us, Bell actually graduated from university. She''s Valdacian, they practically worship schools over there. She''s got a fucking textbook for brains. Don''t try and argue with her, you''ll never win." "I won''t apologize because you insist on being a complete dumbass." "Yeah, right," Sparrow rolled his eyes, "Anyways, what she said is completely true. As per usual. The self-proclaimed Revolutionary Junta is led by an elf named Marshal Navarro, that''s the ugly face you''ve been seeing on those posters everywhere. He¡¯s the one that the Avonians supported, and he was the general who led the coup against the First Republic. Navarro and his gang have been at the helm ever since." Marshall Navarro? Finally, Eli had a name to connect to the faces everywhere, and a idea of who was truly behind the Republic. He''s heard Otaes talk about people like Emperor Kirk before, but outside of that, he was woefully uninformed of the world around him. That was funny, considering that the Coalition believed Misfit to be the most knowledgeable of them all on Narva''s affairs. The blind leading the even more blind. "It was what started the Kiote War. All of that devastation, and for this,¡± Sparrow gestured at the towers, ¡°For the Avonian businessmen to have a vacation home above the masses working in their factories.¡± From over the tops of apartment roofs and townhomes, arose what looked like a rather large building. Yellow stucco walls lined with white stone, hundreds of elegantly designed windows glittering on several floors. It would¡¯ve looked like an old Iberian Cathedral or Missionary, had it not been for the dark steel constructions built into the far flung sides of it like a metal tumor. The dark steel was reminiscent of the type the Avonians used in all of their war machines. Characteristically, red ekron energy could be found glowing and ebbing from within. Electrical wires spanned from the steel extension, carving its way over rooftops and through the city streets to trace their way towards the tumor. Antennae sticking from the extension signaled that its purpose was as some sort of communications grid, definitely one engineered by the Avonians. In the core of the building proper was a massive dome that was covered in even more of those Imperial additions. Like scaffolding that would permanently remain over the building''s original frame. The wires and dark metal gave the otherwise beautiful building a far more ominous feeling that couldn''t be shaken off. Walls painted dandelion yellow, an orange tiled roof, white trimmings, the building stood at about three floors in height and was the final building that stood on the outskirts of the slums. It was visible from all sides through the expansive parkland, central to the area. Further beyond even that were towers of buildings in the city¡¯s downtown. The very same ones from the propaganda posters. They crossed through the front plaza, past the palm trees and hedges, up towards the yellow stucco walls of the ULA¡¯s headquarters. As they passe by the front they could see a noticeable difference from the rest of the city. The junta¡¯s propaganda posters which had been plastered on almost every surface within the ghetto of the city, had been torn off. The green and red flags of the River Republic had been littered around the floor, some of which were burning. Rebels patrolled the perimeter with the odd mismatch of rifles that both came from the Republican Militia and from the Imperials themselves. Old Kalashnikov-like wooden guns were thrown in the mix with the now-familiar dark alloys and glowing red ekron balls of the Avonian pulse rifle. The rebels wore no uniform, only dressed in the same ¡°civilian¡± clothing that Sparrow and his squad wore. Among the rebels were humans, elves, and even more species that Eli couldn''t identify at first glance. Some were human or elf like, many were more like Sosa. Animal people. At this point, Eli didn¡¯t spare a second glance at them. The outlandishness of Planet Narva had become almost natural. The strange no longer felt as such and instead felt as if it were expected. Normal. If he kept being shocked by every new thing he saw, he''d be having a mental breakdown every five minutes. The exterior of the building had been lightly fortified, with sandbags being placed around the main entrances. Large wooden doors, some of which had already been opened to allow the rebels to enter and leave. As Misfit passed by the rebels, he noticed that a few of them were glancing back at them. Taking them as strangers. Their eyes focused particularly on Misfit¡¯s prisoner uniforms. They took special interest in the Coalition¡¯s flag and the cyan delta imprinted on their shoulders. ¡°I think these guys are eyeballing me,¡± said Rafael, his voice low in a whisper. ¡°Just act natural,¡± Badger whispered back. ¡°Natural? Do I look like an elf to you?¡± ¡°Otaes should be back with the sentry any second,¡± Eli said, distracting from the tangent that Rafael and Badger had gone down, ¡°You said you had weapons here?¡± Sparrow nodded his head, ¡°A few. Mostly whatever scraps the Ostralanders gave us.¡± Hearing that term, Ostralander, made Eli pause for a moment, "Ostralander? You know, when I was first brought to this planet, the Warrior Elves thought I was one of them," He said, "Why? Who are they?" Sparrow nodded, "No surprise there, The Ostralands are a primarily human nation that live on a cold, wet, miserable little island just across the channel to Avonia''s north. I should know, I grew up over there," He smirked, "Whenever the bastards see humans with guns they think they''re Ossies. That''s just how it is around these parts. Though I will say, you certainly don''t sound like an Ostralander. Ossies have got an accent, you know? You sound more like a Colly." "Colly?" "That''s our term for Oceanians. They''re the biggest colony of the Ostralands. Colony, colly," Sparrow emphasized his point with a imaginative hand gesture, "You get the idea." ¡°Right. If these Ossies, have guns themselves, why won''t they come and help us? I mean, you already said they''re enemies with the Avonians right?¡± Sparrow''s face soured a little as he tried to recall the history, ¡°Well¡­ the thing is they did during the last Kiote war. But they lost a lot in the fighting, and they don¡¯t want to get directly involved again. Especially now that the Avonians have a glitterbomb.¡± ¡°Glitterbomb?¡± Eli asked, his interest suddenly piqued. ¡°The weapon to end all weapons. I¡¯ve only seen photos of it but, apparently just one can wipe out an entire city, bathing the entire region in deadly radiation, and destroying the magical fields permanently. It''s the ultimate end-all weapon. Radiation poisons your troops, and you can''t use specialized mages to try and ward off the effects because the glitterbombs destroy the very magical energy that ekron stones depend on to summon spells of that nature. That''s what makes them so powerful. There is literally - nothing - that can top it. It''s the ultimate card up the sleeve. The Ostralands used to be more aggressive when it was just them who had it. But ever since the Avonians got their hands on one¡­ well, it¡¯s not really a popular move to end the world in just one war. I''m sure you know what I mean.¡± ¡°Nuclear annihilation...¡± Eli whispered, "Just like in the Cold War." "Well, not nukes. Nuclear weapons are different. They''re bigger, more powerful, and release far more radiation, sure. But they don''t have the ability to knock out magical fields like glitterbombs do. Other than that though, that''s exactly what it is. A Cold War," Sparrow raised an eyebrow, "How did you know?" "On Earth we had one of our own between The United States and The Soviet Union. It never went hot, but from what I know there were plenty of times it almost came close to wiping out our planet." "But aren''t you all humans?" Sparrow asked with a rather shocked tone peppering his voice, "You guys have it good. Don''t have to deal with genocidal Orderite elves, or dragon-gods trying to erase your species from existence, or demonic kings trying to enslave you all the time. What gives?" Eli chuckled, "Hell if I''d know. It''s ideological, I guess. Or it''s about the resources. Humanity has been fighting each other since as long as humans have been around, I guess. We''ve had our fair share of genocides, slavery, oppression. The list kinda goes on and it doesn''t really stop." "Well that''s grim. I mean, sure humans fight each other here on Narva too. All the time, in fact. But I always thought that it was just due to circumstance... we''ve always banded together to resist in times where other species have tried to murder us all. If humans are just as bad on Earth as they are here, if not worse, well... that kinda says something about us, don''t it?" "Humans are evil?" Sparrow shrugged, "Maybe we are..." Eli knew about the Cold War back on Earth before the Resource Wars. The ancestors to the Coalition and the POA, duking it out by sending guns and money to smaller parties to fight their wars for them, constantly trying to subvert one another with the threat of nuclear annihilation hanging over the minds of billions like a twisted sword of Damocles. One wrong move, and the human species would''ve went nearly extinct. The atomic era had laid the foundations for the Cold War, giving rise to a jaded new millennium. Was it possible that this world was in much the same spot? Two powers, Avonia and the Ostralands, battling for supremacy in a cold war. A cold war in another world¡­ The similarities between Earth and Narva grew larger each passing moment. Was this world going to end up the same way as Earth? Torn? Fragmented? A broken planet meeting a divided world. And the Coalition thought this was the place to build Utopia? How could they build a utopia here when Narva hardly differed from the disaster-stricken, chaotic mess that was Earth? If anything, Narva was probably worse off. Here it seemed that warfare was far more brutal than was even possible on Earth. On Earth, nations would at least attempt to maintain the facade of cordiality with each other and their populations. Calls for genocide and extermination died with the collapse of the fascist regimes in the early 20th century. But here? On Narva? It was difficult enough trying to convince humans on Earth that the nearly identical humans living across the border were normal people like they were. But what of a world where the differences that existed between each "race" were no longer as mundane? Constant, never ending, conflict. Chaos. He glanced at Sosa, the wolf was still limping along with assistance from his friend, Vega. A human. And of course there was Bell too, an elf. These guys seemed to be united despite their very obvious physical traits. But this was a rare exception, if anything. Most likely, it was far from the ordinary to see humans cooperating with elves to this degree. It sent a shiver down his spine as Eli realized how easy it would be for any murderous government to justify erasing another group of people here on Narva... Narva may not have been any better than Earth at all. If anything, Narva was worse... a planet on the eve of complete destruction. ¡°You were right Otaes,¡± Eli whispered, ¡°Our planets might not be so different after all.¡± ¡°What''s that?¡± Sparrow asked. ¡°Nothing.¡± The group walked up to the massive doors of the base, guarded by a few rebels who quickly stood aside once their eyes landed on Sparrow. Yet they guarded their weapons at the presence of Misfit. He could feel their suspicious eyes watching them. Burning into their backs. Eli couldn¡¯t wait to get inside as he carried the wounded Omar into the headquarters. But when the doors opened to the dimly illuminated hall of the rebel garrison, his heart sunk. There were beds and sheets sprawled across the floor. The smell of dirty clothes and infected wounds fuddled his nose, and he held his breath for fear that the infection would spread to his lungs. There was the wails of a baby, no ¨C babies ¨C crying in the background and frantic parents trying to soothe them. Coughing and groans from the suffering serenaded his ears. He froze in his tracks, staring at the scene. His heart thudded against his chest like mallets pounding on the leather surface of a drum. And in that moment, it was all he could notice. His heart, and the scene ahead of him. All while a cold sweat formed on the surface of his skin. He could do nothing but stare. It was a refugee camp. Like the one he grew up in all those years ago. The sick, injured, wounded, refugees sprawled all around while frantic staff tried to tend to them as best as reality allowed. He was nine years old again. What he could remember had been fragmented to time. The most vivid parts were his brief stay in a Coast Guard helicopter, flying over the storm blown coastline that Newark had become. Sunken homes, some collapsed, others in the process of collapsing. And many other abandoned as lightning crossed against an angry sky. Nature¡¯s wrath against his hometown. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. The other part he remembered was being dumped at the Philadelphia Center. The largest Phantom Refugee camp on the American east coast. The scene inside of the church brought back terrible memories of the smell, of the screams, of the wailing. The tens of thousands who were cramped inside, given only a small tarp and a thin sheet to call a bed, while soldiers guarded them. He could recall being lost, waiting for hours, days, even weeks, for the Coast Guard to bring his parents back to him. And they never did. He was lost in a crowd of complete strangers. While there were other children there, most had their parents with them. And the ones who hadn¡¯t were too distressed to talk to him. Just like he was with them. It wasn¡¯t until months had passed, staying within that one refugee center alone did he start to accept his ¡°Phantomhood¡± as the new normal. And it wasn¡¯t until the first pangs of hunger, the traces of disease crossing through his body, and the complete lack of safety in the crowd, did he understand the place of the Phantom in a world which had all but abandoned them. And here he was now. Looking at yet another tragedy much like his own. His eyes flashed to the lone children in the hall, curled up into balls. Their parents probably never to return. Some of them elf, some of them far-far from anything like a human. But it didn¡¯t matter. His heart wept for them either way, in the same way he wished that others would look at him with sympathy when he was in their spot. But that¡¯s all he ever got. Sympathetic looks from strangers, and the cold shoulder from those who functioned as his protectors. What more could be done or said to him? When he was just one face in a sea of thousands of other sorry, downtrodden faces. "These are all the Empire''s victims," Said Bell with a spiteful tint saturating her voice, "Navarro''s Junta is cracking down on dissent now that the city is under attack. They''re driving people out of their homes. We''ve had close to a hundred people turn up here with nowhere else to go. And that''s without considering the collateral damage from the invasion, there''s refugees all over Helena now. But right here, I believe we have the most." "So you''re trying to get them out of Helena? Sounds like a good idea..." Dutch shrugged, "They should be someplace safe." "We can''t," Sparrow admitted with a semi-defeated shrug, "There are no plans. We don''t have the resources to take care of nor transport this many people, and we can''t turn them away. I''m afraid once my revolutionaries link up with your transport out of here... we''ll have to leave them behind. To the Imperials." "That for one sounds like a horrible idea," Dutch insisted. "The Avonians have forced our hand. If there was more we could do, we would. But for now, all we can do is help tend to the wounded and spread a bit of the cause around. You know?" Dutch''s lip quivered a slight bit when he heard Sparrow brush the idea off. It looked like Dutch wanted to say more, but before he could get another word in about the matter, Sparrow had already taken off in a different direction. Disappearing behind the ranks of other rebels within the building, leaving Misfit alone. Bell too had followed him deeper inside of the building, perhaps to warn the other rebels of the sentry hot on their heels. Sosa and Vega on the other hand took the opportunity to recover from the fight, with Sosa now getting his leg healed by one of the rebel medics on hand. Eli was lost in the crowd, snatched out of the real world and taken somewhere else for a moment. Every detail seemed intent to burn its way into his mind. Something within him felt sickened. It must''ve been obvious, for he felt a tug at his uniform - only to look down at Badger''s concern laden face. ¡°You alright? Soldier Boy?¡± Eli swallowed hard, nodding to himself, ¡°Yeah¡­ yeah it¡¯s just. I''m still a bit woozy from the helicopter crash. Sorry," He lied, hoping that would be enough to make her ignore him for the time being. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Who told you about Soldier Boy?¡± Eli asked her, forcing a smile onto his face. ¡°Rafael keeps calling you that. I just sorta adopted it. I guess.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Eli nodded to himself. Not realizing how clammy his skin had become, how much the fear really showed on his eyes, or how nervous he truly looked. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright? You look¡­ I dunno, sick?¡± ¡°No. I''m not sick. It¡¯s just...¡± Eli trailed off when he sensed how distant his own voice had become even to his own ears, ¡°I grew up in a Phantom Camp, you know? A bunch of them actually. I got moved around a whole bunch across The States back in the day.¡± ¡°Bad memories?¡± ¡°I guess you can say that," Eli whispered. Badger nodded her head looking out towards the sea of people who occupied the floor. The needy, the homeless, the desperate. They clung to life here under the relative safety of the rebels and the roof of the church itself. She sighed, ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a Phantom camp. But I¡¯ve heard stories about them. Stuff of nightmares. Like in Belgium,¡± She looked as if she wanted to say more on the topic, but she struggled for words. The Zone, of course, being what she was referring to. "Cato grew up in The Zone, you know?" Eli told her, "He told me that before he, um. You know..." "He told me and Rafael too when we left for the first time. I still feel bad for him now, after all this time," Badger whispered as she watched the crowd. Eli averted his gaze from the sight of people. He felt sick. Knowing that there was so many people and little that they could do to help any of them apart from defending the church. He just wished that they could do more. Reach out a hand to pull them to safer shelter, like how he wished would¡¯ve happened to him when he was stranded in refugee camp¡­ Misfit wandered through the hall. There were places for electric lights, but as with the rest of the city the power had been cut. Emergency power was running from generators placed around the base, shining faint flickering lights over the heads of the refugees. Eli turned on his flashlight, careful not to accidentally step on one. Badger had described his feeling perfectly. He felt sick. Looking at them all. He felt useless to assist. ¡°They¡¯ve got Phantoms here too,¡± Said Rafael, shining his light over the sick and wounded, ¡°Some place for a Utopia. Phantoms, nuclear bombs, dictators... Kovic really couldn''t have chose a worse place if he tried.¡± ¡°I just wish there was something we could do to help them,¡± Dutch''s shoulders drooped as he surveyed the crowd. Eli knew that the moral concern must''ve been gnawing on Dutch, heavily. And it was gnawing at him too, yet he knew that there was little Misfit could actually do. ¡°And go where? The Nexus?¡± Badger asked, ¡°Even if Captain Juma or Kovic approved of them going ¨C which, let''s face it, they won¡¯t ¨C there are barely enough supplies in The Nexus to give. Besides, do you really wanna turn them in for Overwatch to rule over? They¡¯re better off here, if anything. ¡± ¡°Better off? In a warzone? At least there aren¡¯t any bombs being dropped on the Nexus. Kovic wants to build a utopia, right? Here¡¯s his first step. I say we bring the refugees back with us.¡± "That''s a stupid idea, and I think you''re aware of that," Matteo plainly said, "Like Badger said, between Navarro and Kovic, who would you rather be in charge of these people''s lives? For all we know you could be bringing them out of the frying pan and into the fire." Again, Eli found himself agreeing with Matteo. Unfortunately, the man''s cold rationality logically checked out. But that still didn''t stop the awful feeling from building in his core. He wished there was something Misfit could do, but there was absolutely nothing. In the event that they somehow managed to get back into contact with Overwatch in the first place, breaking through the Avonian signal jam, and get their ride out of Helena without it getting shot down, Overwatch would flatly refuse to allow anybody outside of Sparrow and his rebels to come with. "It''s out of our hands, Dutch," Eli muttered, giving the Canadian a pat on the back. Dutch''s lip twitched for a split second, before he shook his head and sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just... I wish... never mind. I guess they''ll find their own way back home," Dutch muttered, "The Imperials won''t bomb their own people, right? That wouldn''t make any sense. I guess they''re safe enough here." That''s right, the Imperials wouldn''t bomb their own people. That shouldn''t make sense. It doesn''t, actually. As cruel as the rebels and Otaes made the Avonians out to be, there was no sense in that kind of indiscriminate slaughter. Even on Earth, rules were made to prohibit that kind of total warfare... surely on Narva, a world with guns, nukes, and weapons far more horrifying than anything Earth could come up with - similar rules would have to be in place, right? Some kind of elf version of the Geneva Accords, perhaps? Briefly his mind flashed to the mushroom cloud hanging over the blown out skyscrapers of Seoul, but he shook his head clear of that idea. Seoul wasn''t a North Korean city, to the military leaders there, it was the enemy. It''d be more like if the North Koreans had bombed Pyongyang themselves. Surely, Avonia and The River Republic were aware that their own innocent people took refuge here. Right? Afterall, this was their capital city... Yet, that begged the question of why they even brought to the rebel headquarters in the first place. The rebels must''ve known that their headquarters was smack in the middle of an active battlefield. It shouldn''t have been too hard to redirect these people somewhere else outside of the city where they''d be safe, rather than harboring them directly in harms way. It would''ve made sense if the rebels couldn''t afford the manpower to spare at all in taking them in, but they had enough numbers to nurse the wounded and injured here. In fact, the more Eli thought about it, the less sense it made. If the situation was this bleak, the rebels should''ve simply moved the phantoms somewhere safer... Before Eli could interrogate that chain of thoughts further, Omar gave him a nudge on the arm, gesturing with his head to someone among the crowd. The figure was hunched down a bit among a flock of other elves and humans who were busy addressing the wounds of a man whose head was doused in blood from injuries. Eli narrowed his eyes, seeing distinct tribal garments that stood out from the more modern clothes of everyone else. A plain bony mask covered his face through which two cobalt blue eyes glowed from the holes drilled into it, with a mop of curly silver hair on top of his head. Just above the elf, a small drone hovered casting a light over the patient that allowed the doctors to see what they were doing. "Temetet!" Omar called out. Temetet''s blue elven eyes looked up from his work trying to identify the source, until he locked on to Omar. With a giddy cheer, he stood up, excusing himself momentarily from the other medics who worked alongside him. He half-walked, half-ran, to link up with the Phantoms, "Misfit? Oh my stars, you guys are actually alive! I thought it was over when I saw your helicopter get smacked by an Avonian missile!" "You can''t kill us that easy!" Rafael grinned. "Good, I was worried sick... like really," Temetet said, "I''m glad you guys are here! I''ve been working with the rebels to help some of the people out around here. Putting my talents to good use as you can see," He gestured to the drone. "You haven''t been giving anyone brain damage, have you?" Eli asked him. "Oh don''t worry about that. They won''t let me use my magic to heal anyone. They say I''m don''t have ''the qualifications''," Temetet muttered that phrase, sounding genuinely disappointed, "But I''ve been trying my best to help in other ways, without my magic. That''s what I''m better at anyway. If this works, I might be the first magicless Kitchi in Kiote history!" Omar turned to Eli, leaning in for a quiet whisper, "Brain damage?" he asked, thoroughly confused. "It''s a long story," Eli whispered back, "Forget it." "Where''s Otaes? She left with Archer not too long ago, I figured she was going to look for you guys," Temetet asked. "She did but we got caught up by a sentry along the way. She led it off of our backs for the moment with Archer, if I remember correctly, she''s supposed to bring it here," Badger told him. Temetet nodded, "Huh... that explains the rocket launchers," He gestured over to a squad of rebels that had recently emerged from the depths of the base, carrying more of the explosives on their shoulders, "When is she coming?" "Well, she''s taking the sentry around the long way to give us time to prepare I''d figure. And it took us a little while to get here... so I guess-" Badger was interrupted by a quiet, though very noticeable, siren in the distance. The familiar foghorn-like cry of a sentry. It was far, but obviously close enough, "She''s about that close, I''d imagine." Immediately, there was a shift in urgency within the base. The rebels gathered their weapons and began moving towards the entranceways of the base, covering the approaches. "DEFENSIVE POSITIONS!" Shouted a commanding voice from farther within. As Eli looked to see who was speaking, he saw that it was Sparrow himself, holding a loudspeaker up to his mouth and ordering the rebels to move, "WE HAVE A SENTRY INCOMING! GET A MOVE ON IT! ROCKET LAUNCHERS UP FRONT! LET''S GO!" Eli turned to the rest of the squad nodding his head, "Come on! Let''s get out there, it''s about time we finished what we started..."
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-11...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: GLITTERBOMBS Type: Ekron-Assisted Atomic Weapon of Mass Destruction Country of Origin: The Ostraland Commonwealth, The United Provinces of Oceania Information: Since ancient times, our world has been ruled by forces that far exceed the strength of the mortals that inhabit Narva''s surface. Elves, Beastkin, Kobolds, Lizardmen, hellspawn, orcs, fae, and especially - humans - have struggled to live in a world dominated by vile demonic creatures, all-powerful dragon demi-gods, and constant rule from totalitarian regimes with armies unmatched in scale and power. The sentient races of the world have had to suffer, keeping our heads down, knowing that even if the armies of the dragons could be resisted, the dragon gods themselves could never be killed. A never ending state of fear, paranoia, and militarization was necessary to keep the sapient races alive in a world supernatural world that seemed so hostile to free life... none, more so than the magicless, flightless, and relatively weak, moderately evolved primates known as... "Humans". Humans have had to deal with living as slaves and servants, or in some instances, as food and fuel to the empires that dot Planet Narva in almost all areas except for a select few where humans managed to resist supernatural tyranny. It was a miserable experience. But now, things have changed... During the advent of the industrial revolution brought about primarily by the Ostralander humans and Avonian elves, an increasing fusion of magic and technology allowed for newer and ever more powerful devices to be born that would far outmatch the abilities of any mortal creation that came before. As the industrial powers of the late 1100s and early 1200s faced against each other, first in the Trench Wars and again in The Sacred War, newer technologies allowed for the creation of weapons that would later define the very essence of Planet Narva''s structure. No weapon has changed Narva more so than Humanity''s salvation... The Atomic Bomb. Developed during the most desperate days of The Sacred War, when the forces of Orderite and Heavenly Dragon oppression seemed on the cusp of emerging victorious over the free humans, elves, and beastkin of Narva, mankind needed a weapon that could save them. The best scientists were brought together in order to split the atom, and in a world first, the atomic bomb was developed. The atomic bomb was an explosive that released unimaginable quantities of energy, with only a relatively miniscule amount of fuel. Glitterbombs gain their name due to the distinct "glitter like" apparitions that form in the sky that is the result of magical fields being disintegrated upon contact. Utilizing scientific principles, possibly only thanks to the leaps and advances of science that the Industrial Revolution brought about, Commonwealth scientists had developed this weapon primarily for use against the Oranian Orderite Empire''s avian legions, and then for The Valdacian Orderite elven exterminators, hoping to eviscerate Orderite cities, armies, and logistics in a fiery radiation-fueled inferno. And while the weapon would have been effective in doing just that, making it a gamechanger for The Commonwealth, as The Oceanian Marines struggled to beat back the magical Dragonian forces in The Western Front and in the far East against the naval forces of the United Dragonian Kingdom, there was a distinct feeling that the current A-Bomb was not nearly enough. Mankind went to work again, this time with the hopes of manufacturing a weapon that could kill Emperor Ironscale himself... The Glitterbomb is an advancement of the nuclear weapon. While both Nuclear and Glitterbomb weapons are classified under the same Atomic umbrella, they both differ wildly in purpose and implementation. While Nuclear and Hydrogen Weapons utilize conventional approaches to splitting atomic molecules using uranium or plutonium based elements, Glitterbombs derive their energy from the breakdown of Ekron matter itself. By acquiring a single magical ekron stone, enough energy can be released to cause a rapid decay of ekron glass, and thus - create an explosion of disproportionate scale. While the actual TNT yield and amount of radiation released by a Glitterbomb is quite smaller than that of a Thermonuclear warhead, the Glitterbomb has the unique ability to disintegrate the background energy fields that allow all forms of magic to be utilized - both natural magic (Ie: Dragons, Elves, The Fae, summoning utilizing their natural magical abilities) and artificial magic (All Ekron-based, non-natural magic. Ie: Ekron stones used to power computers, summoning tools human mages use to cast spells, or ekron glass that some guns utilize as ammunition). This unique ability makes Glitterbombs far more desirable in the strategic minds of the Commonwealth. And during The Sacred War, they have been championed as the savior of mankind. In The Sacred War, during the Commonwealth Invasion of The Heavenly Empire (Operation: ENDGAME) Oceanian Marines managed to make landfall in the far eastern lands of Drakara, liberating vast swathes of land in the Bawha territory. But the Heavenly Army soon launched their counter attack, managing to successfully outnumber and then force The Marines into a retreat. In order to prevent nearly 500,000 Oceanian, Ostralander, Katudanite, and other Commonwealth soldiers from being captured or killed by the Dragonian exterminators, the ultimate decision was made... Drop the bomb. PICTURED: Commonwealth Marines witness the Glitterbomb being dropped on top of Heaven''s Armies that were pursuing them during the latter stages of The Sacred War, part of Operation HEAVEN''S FALL. Within the span of two months, several Glitterbomb weapons had been dropped across the current border of the Belford-Aligned Bawha Free State, and the Heavenly Sphere-ruled Bawha Client State. A total of 28 bombs were dropped across the frontlines, killing an estimated 600-800 Thousand - both Heavenly soldiers and civilians caught in the crossfire. The bombing campaign would go on to be the most infamous military operation ever pursued by The Commonwealth (Known as Operation: HEAVEN''S FALL), and though it would succeed in saving the Marines trapped in Bawha and on the Drakaran continent - causing the Heavenly Army to experience its first total defeat at the hands of human forces in nearly four centuries - it would forever shape the world afterwards, bringing Narva into the Nuclear Era. In the immediate aftermath, a roughly 1200 Kilometer wall of radiation, magic-void territory, and destruction, separates the liberated Bawha territory from The Bawha Client State aligned with Heaven. It is impossible to cross, and remains to this day as a hideous mark of The Sacred War''s brutality - known as The Iron Curtain. After the "success" of HEAVEN''S FALL, The Commonwealth Airforce drafted up plans to bomb The Heavenly Capital in a attempt to kill God-Emperor Ironscale, but surprisingly, Heaven offered a conditional truce to The Commonwealth - citing that "Humanity had utilized its access to degenerate sciences and cruel tactics to achieve what was once impossible", ending the Sacred War''s far eastern conflict in a unresolved stalemate that still persists to this day. On The Oceanian continent, things were different. PICTURED: Oceanian Soldiers during The War In The Desert, marching towards the glitterbomb bombardment of defensive strongholds belonging to The United Kingdom of The Dragon Isles On the Oceanian front, both Nuclear and Glitterbomb weapons were utilized by The United Provinces of Oceania to destroy Kobold and Dragonian held defensive positions in the deserts and mountains that bordered Oceania''s western frontier. Though fighting in the desert between Oceania and The Dragons hadn''t been nearly as brutal as it was in Farewind where the Valdacian Exterminators and the Tsarist Armies of Bizonia fought in battles that saw hundreds of thousands perish, or in Drakara where Heaven''s armies and Commonwealth Marines engaged in constant never-ending fighting in the hot jungles of far-east, The War in the Desert was just as important in the face of a glitterbomb era. After constant fighting between Dragonian and Oceanian forces for the past 5 years, fighting through the difficult terrain of the desert mountains, the decision was made to utilize glitterbombs in order to shatter Dragonian defensive strongholds and key army formations. The nuclear weapons worked as intended, and the hot desert of Oceania''s west grew exponentially hotter with a nuclear mushroomcloud''s shadow baking them in radiation. The atomic weapons would work, shattering the morale of the primarily slave-based armies belonging The United Kingdom, and forcing them into a full retreat that would see Oceania emerge semi-victorious in a pro-Commonwealth ceasefire that ended The War in The Desert for good. Now, the world is forever changed. Mankind''s weapon of salvation has kept the Commonwealth a superpower, and the effects of the glitterbomb continue to haunt Planet Narva. As Avonia, and now The United Kingdom, have gained access to the weapons, Narva''s greatest powers stand on the cusp of a final war that could destroy the very planet they live on for good. A war to end all wars. Across the more esoteric and far-flung regions of the world, cults have emerged that worship the atomic weapon as a means by which humanity not only fights, but thrives. If magic is innate to elves, immortality the mark of the Dragon emperors, and inhuman strength and senses the power of the beastkin, then The Atom is Humanity''s only true weapon. The glitterbomb is a testament to mankind''s cunning, progress, and will to survive in the face of a hostile world... but also, a sinister shadow. One whose specter haunts over the heads of all life on Narva, and one unlikely to go away any time soon... Here in the RDI, we wish nothing more than to see Ironscale burn in the pits of a fiery radioactive hell. [MAY THE REVOLUTION ALWAYS BE IN SAFE HANDS]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 41: "Not Exactly Good Company" >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 41: "Not Exactly Good Company"]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> [DEEPER DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE YOU GO. HOPING TO FIND WHAT? ANSWERS? YOU WILL ONLY FIND MORE QUESTIONS. KEEP SEARCHING, YOUNG ONE. THE PRE-AWAKENED REMAIN ENDLESSLY CURIOUS, BUT KNOWLEDGE WILL ALWAYS ESCAPE THEM. KEEP DIGGING. FURTHER AND FURTHER YOU''LL GO. AND AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL, YOU MAY NOT FIND LIGHT... BUT I WILL BE THERE. WATCHING. WAITING. FOR YOU...] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Misfit and Temetet broke into a sprint towards the front of the base. Bursting through the massive front doors, they were able to catch Archer just as he spread his wings out and fluttered his wings for a landing. His front talons and rear claws grappled the dirt, digging in. He looked exhausted though uninjured. Atop of him, Otaes dismounted. Her boots landed on the ground with a firm thud. She gathered her spear and turned to Misfit. ¡°Otaes, Archer!¡± Temetet called out as he ran up to his sister, ¡°Are you two alright?¡± ¡°I''m fine, but the sentry is right behind us,¡± Her voice was nearly exhausted. Eli was even able to see Archer panting through the layers of muscle, feathers, and fur that adorned his body, or whatever the griffon equivalent of ''panting'' was. His wings hung at his sides as he allowed Otaes to slip off of his back, her boots landing on the hard ground with a heavy thud. ¡°How far away is it?¡± Eli scanned the rooftops, trying to spot the giant spider steamrolling its way towards their position. As if answering him, a low grumbling siren echoed from behind the row of buildings just in front of them, ¡°About that far, I''d imagine," Otaes quipped. ¡°Everyone! Defensive positions! We¡¯ve got a sentry incoming!¡± Sparrow¡¯s voice rang from behind as he marched out into the field with a squad of rebels flanking him, ¡°Launchers to the front! Do not fire until you have a good shot! Defend the perimeter!¡± Sparrow stood in the center of the floor, giving out orders to the rebels who swarmed the area. ¡°One launcher fires at a time! We only have nine left! Don¡¯t waste it on bad shooting! Stay-¡° Sparrow¡¯s authoritative voice was interrupted by the thudding sound of the approaching sentry, ¡°Scrap!¡± He cursed. They all took cover, waiting in anticipation as the drumming sounds and mechanical wailing of the sentry grew louder. And then, from the street parallel, red light glowed as if a warning for what was coming. A few short moments later, the body of the machine revealed itself. Turning a corner, its eyes descended upon the entrenched group and unleashed a furious shriek that shook the very air. ¡°OPEN FIRE!¡± Sparrow screamed out. Almost immediately, they all unleashed their weapons. The sheer volume of fire was enough to make the sentry take a few steps backward and reconsider. The familiar red shield materialized, and it marched forward to power through the storm of bullets assaulting it. Each bullet ricocheted off the metal hull and shield, creating sparks as they went. Of course, the robot didn¡¯t care, marching through the hailstorm of fire as those gathered desperately tried to pin it down. Even Otaes¡¯ explosive arrows seemed to have little effect on the sentry outside of making it pause for a brief moment to recuperate its shield. But of course, the rebels had the launchers. As the shield was up, the sentry couldn¡¯t return fire, and so a rebel used the opportunity to rush out into the open and try and get a hit on the sentry. He took aim, and fired, a rocket trailing its way through the open air and colliding into the shield of the sentry. The force of the impact was powerful, so powerful that the bright red energy of the shield faded to a dark grey, and in the subsequent shockwave, shattered entirely. ¡°The shield¡¯s broken! Fire another while we still can!¡± Sparrow ordered, prompting another rebel to hold up the launcher and open fire. But the movement of the sentry had become erratic and scrambled as if sensing that its primary means of defense had been destroyed leaving it vulnerable. Watching the machine move made it feel strangely alive. Eli had seen the corpse of one during the battle in Raritan, and he knew that there was no crew inside of it. Just a robot. But¡­ was it fully machine? It stumbled, legs flailing across the ground making the large head a difficult target to hit. The rebel waited for the perfect shot. Following the sentry as it bobbed up and down in its frantic retreat. It stood still for a moment, just one moment, as if trying to regain its shield. But the idle moment was all the rebel needed, and with the pull of a trigger ¨C the rocket was sent out. Like a firecracker, it traced a path of glowing white light through the air, and then it hit. The rocket pierced straight through the red eye, creating a ball of fire and smoke, sending sparks flying as it burrowed itself through the metal hull and blasted a hole through the other side. The sentry screamed in mechanical pain, unleashing a final dying wail as it stumbled on its feet ¨C a hole where its red eyes would¡¯ve been, their fiery light extinguished until they were broken glass circles hanging loosely from its robotic face. It took two dying steps before it collapsed onto the floor. Smoking. Still on fire. And with a thud, all traces of life within it passed on. The rebels immediately broke into a choir of enthusiastic cheering at the sentry¡¯s demise. But they were silenced by Sparrow who looked less-than-happy. His face was as unbroken as ever, ¡°Get yourselves sorted out! Finish your duties, there¡¯s no time for celebration!¡± He ordered. Slowly the rebels took their equipment and returned to their stations within the base. ¡°Well¡­ that was anticlimactic,¡± Dutch muttered. ¡°After everything that¡¯s happened today, I feel like that¡¯s a relief,¡± Rafael said, ¡°More of that please.¡± Otaes heaved what looked like a sigh of relief as she sat on the floor, bringing her knees up, back against Archer¡¯s side. Her attention was drawn to Eli and the squad, ¡°Sorry for the rush, but as you can see, I¡¯ve been busy.¡± ¡°You were the one who told Sparrow to come looking for us, weren¡¯t you?¡± Eli asked. Otaes closed her eyes and nodded, ¡°It was a long day. Trust me. I was scared you had all died in the crash, the first thing I did was track Sparrow down. It was like pulling nails to get a rescue team out, but he owes me a favor.¡± ¡°You know Sparrow?¡± Eli asked. ¡°Know is a strong word. He¡¯s useful sometimes but¡­¡± Otaes¡¯ voice was riddled with the sound of unease and exhaustion. She brought a hand up underneath her mask, probably pinching the bridge of her nose underneath the hard shell, ¡°Never mind. He saved you and Misfit anyway. Right?¡± ¡°Yeah, and you bailed us out with the sentry. Thanks,¡± Eli told her, giving her a brief smile. ¡°I do what I can.¡± ¡°You could work on your timing though.¡± Otaes glared at him, her blue eyes narrowing behind her mask, ¡°Alright, next time I¡¯ll take it slow.¡± ¡°On second thought, your timing is good enough. Actually.¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s what I thought,¡± Otaes chuckled, standing up on her feet after taking a short breather. The rest of Misfit used the brief downtown to gather themselves, but the tranquility was short lived. And it was Sparrow who brought it crashing down. ¡°Miss Otaes! Darling! Good to see you¡¯re still as sharp as ever,¡± He cheerily said walking towards the duo. He gestured towards her with a bright smile, ¡°I believe that settles the score, right? We¡¯re even.¡± Eli swore he could see what looked like an eyeroll from behind Otaes¡¯ mask, but Sparrow didn¡¯t react if there was, ¡°I¡¯ll assume you two have already met, so I won¡¯t bother with introductions. Eli, I¡¯m gonna peel off to gather my equipment and handle some business. I''d advise you to rest up, talk with who you need to talk with, and when the time comes I''ll flag you down. You and me, we¡¯ve got a job to do. And Otaes¡­¡± Otaes didn¡¯t even return a look back to Sparrow. Her eyes were focused firmly on the ground near her feet. ¡°¡­Nice catching up again. Good to see you¡¯re still out killing Imperialists. I¡¯ve always liked that about you.¡± The line provoked what sounded like a chuckle from her, finally lifting her eyes to match his gaze, ¡°Thank you, Sparrow,¡± She said through gritted teeth. Right then and there it sounded like she wanted to strangle Sparrow until he was a blue choking memory on the ground. Eli could feel the tension from where he was standing watching her give Sparrow a death stare. Sparrow frowned, but eventually peeled away. Probably for the better, ¡°Great catching up,¡± he said through gritted teeth, turning to Eli and nodding before shifting on his heels and walking away as if nothing had happened. It left the two alone once more. Eli confused. Otaes pissed off. He feared saying anything about it, for she still kept staring holes through the back of Sparrow¡¯s leather jacket while he walked off. But she didn¡¯t move. Just sitting right where she was. But, he couldn¡¯t just stand there and say nothing, right? ¡°So¡­ uh¡­ what was that all about?¡± Eli meekly asked, feeling a bit pathetic the way his own voice creaked when he was at a loss for words. Otaes didn¡¯t say anything at first. Though her gaze softened and returned back to the ground. Eli stood around waiting for a response, about to repeat himself, when she spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Eli. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Awkwardly standing there with nothing to say or do except twiddle his boots in the dirt, Eli nodded. Accepting that as that, ¡°Right. Good,¡± he cleared his throat, ¡°Look¡­ I¡¯m gonna go off with him. So I¡¯ll see you around, I guess.¡± Right when he was about to turn around to take a step around to follow Sparrow, Otaes had reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his dark blue uniform. Her hands clutched onto the plastic material like she was gripping onto a rope for dear life. ¡°Wait! Eli!¡± She nearly shouted out in a bid to keep him where he was. She looked panicked, her blue eyes wide, but she only looked so for a brief second. When Eli turned to her, very confused, she seemed to realize that she had committed a grave error. Correcting herself by letting go of his uniform like she had touched a hot surface, letting Eli go free, almost ashamed that she had acted in such a manner. ¡°Otaes? Are you alright? What¡¯s ¨C¡° ¡°Watch yourself out there. Okay?¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong.¡± ¡°Do you remember when we were in Raritan and you told me about your world?¡± Eli nodded, though the question was strange, ¡°Yeah. I do.¡± ¡°I told you then that our worlds might¡¯ve been alike. Forget that I said that. I take it back,¡± Otaes said, ¡°This isn¡¯t your planet. You don¡¯t know a lot of what¡¯s going on here. I know Sparrow from before and he¡¯s... he''s not exactly good company. He¡¯s an Avonian rebel, not one of the Kiote. He has goals and motives completely different from yours or mine.¡± ¡°I didn''t know our goals were the same?" He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want to get back to Earth alive. I want the Avonians to stop killing my people. They¡¯re both somewhat related. But Sparrow, he wants other things. Things I¡¯m not even fully certain about. He¡¯s a very ideologically driven person. More than a revolutionary. Or worse.¡± She gave him an odd look, her blue eyes briefly locked with his, ¡°Do you understand?¡± Eli truly wasn¡¯t certain. He felt somewhat scared. He hadn¡¯t seen anything yet that would tip him off to the idea that Sparrow wasn¡¯t to be trusted. He nodded anyway, ¡°You''re scaring me a bit but¡­ yeah I do,¡± he said, unsure if he truly meant it. It was good enough of an answer for Otaes. ¡°Good. Sorry for holding you up, I just¡­ I just wanted to warn you, was all.¡± Slowly he turned his back to her, wondering what Sparrow could¡¯ve possibly been hiding that would provoke such a desperate-sounding warning from her. Clearly, she did not trust him. And outside of Misfit, she¡¯d been the most reliable person on Narva so far. He shouldn¡¯t trust Sparrow either, but why? Otaes wasn¡¯t really clear on that, and if he was being honest, it seemed like she didn¡¯t fully know herself... Who the hell was this man named Sparrow? He¡¯d have to dig deeper if he wanted to know for sure. He grabbed his rifle and held it close, briefly turning back to Otaes to give her a nod of acknowledgement ¨C but by then she had already vanished. His wandering gaze led him back to the depths of the base... He returned inside, brushing his way past the rebels and trying his best not to ponder too hard about the refugees strewn about the place. There were still far too many questions, odd questions, about them and the rebels. Questions that Eli suspected contained answers which he didn''t truly want to know. But, he should. These people were, as Dutch himself said, Phantoms. Just like he was. Phantoms protected other phantoms purely because nobody else would. What difference did it make if these refugees weren''t all human? If their skin was a different color, or if their eyes glowed with magical energy, or if they had fur on their body instead of skin? No difference, none at all, Eli reasoned. If they were sentient, they deserved to have someone looking out for them. Sparrow made it seem like that''s what the rebels were trying to do, but there was a voice in Eli''s mind saying that Sparrow wasn''t giving him the full story. Why were they here? Right in harm''s way? On Earth, during the infinite proxy conflicts of the resource wars, both the Coalition and the POA would at least make an attempt to shuttle refugee-phantoms away from the frontlines. It wasn''t even done out of genuine concern for their wellbeing, of course it wasn''t. The phantoms would simply get in the way of their soldiers, and dropping bombs on a camp full of civilians - though it did certainly happen - was not necessarily a war winning tactic. As bad as Earth was, common sense tended to win out. So why then did it seem so hard for the rebels to come to that conclusion? ''Not exactly good company,'' Otaes'' warning echoed in his mind. He wished he could interrogate her further for more information on that, but she was surprisingly good at vanishing into thin air. Eli continued to walk, searching for any sort of familiar face. Until his eyes landed on the wolf. Sosa. He was resting, sitting atop of a crate of what looked like ammunition, with a small pen and paper in his claws to take notes, as if he were taking inventory of the equipment. His leg was still bandaged around what Eli assumed was his ankle, given that Sosa was digitigrade - walking on the tips of his bare paws like most other mammals on Earth did. Figuring that Sosa was the only somewhat recognizable person so far, Eli walked up to him, flagging the wolf''s attention with a wave, "Sosa?" Sosa''s ears twitched upon hearing Eli''s voice, "Oh, little human," he growled. His voice sounded calm, bored if anything. Though the deep throaty growl of his voice lent itself credibly to his canine ancestry. It was fascinating to see an intelligent, bipedal, non-human like Sosa standing before Eli. The elves were basically human, so they didn''t count. Sosa was a first for him, "What do you want?" "I just wanted to ask a few questions," Eli said, "I-if that''s alright with you, of course." Sosa''s yellow eyes looked away for a brief moment, he seemed to sigh to himself as he set the comically tiny pen and clipboard aside, "I might have answers. I don''t know everything, if that''s what you''re digging around for. You''d be better off asking Bell, or Sparrow." "You seem to know a lot," Eli said, gesturing to the clipboard and the literal box of bullets that Sosa was using as a stool. "Only what I''m hired to know about." "Hired?" Eli asked the wolf, "I thought you and Sparrow were rebels?" "He is. I''m a merc. Contracted guns. Sparrow has me on his list of contacts for when he needs a helping claw. In truth, I don''t actually work for Sparrow, I work for the RDI. The Commonwealth. My main job is making sure that Sparrow isn''t spending the checks we''re giving him on something stupid, which he''s likely to do," With a somewhat bored expression, Sosa sharpened the hard black keratin of a claw with an idle scratch from his other claws. "You''re a spy?" "No, I''m an officer," Sosa raised his snout up with pride, even sitting down he was nearly eye-level with Eli, "I don''t spy, I train and observe. And most importantly, I keep a leash on these idiots." "But wasn''t Vega shit-talking the Ostralands not too long ago? He said that the Ossies broke promises. Called them bastards, you were right there..." Sosa shook his head, "You misunderstand. I''m not an Ostralander, or even a Commonwealth citizen. I''m from Zanica, born and raised all the way on the opposite side of the continent. I was an intelligence officer in The Wolf''s Den before I joined Team Blue." "The Wolf''s Den?" "Archlupariate Beozan''s cabinet of spies and paramilitary forces, all serving the Zanican National Empire and Archlupariate Beozan himself," Sosa smiled, letting some of his fangs show from underneath his maw, "We were so brainwashed that we called ourselves ''The Avonians of the East''. I''d be lying if I said I didn''t have some fond memories of my time then." "You defected?" "I spent a lot of time outside of Zanica during my service in the Wolf''s Den. Enough so that you can really start to break free of Imperial propaganda and... well, the RDI reached out to me with an offer I couldn''t refuse. The rest is, as you humans say, history," Sosa turned his claw onto Eli, pointing it at him almost as a warning, "You weren''t kidding when you said that you have a lot of questions." "That kinda goes with me being an alien and all," Eli said. "Oh, shit. I almost forgot about that... you know, you''re not supposed to say that too loudly, right? That is still a secret." "Sorry, but I should at least know who I''m working with." "You''re suspicious," Sosa glared at Eli with his yellow eyes, staring straight into his soul. It sent a shiver down Eli''s spine. If Sosa wanted to, he could probably slice him into deli cuts with minimum effort. One of his ears twitched, "Lemme guess... Sparrow''s rubbing you the wrong way." "H-how did you know-" "I can smell it on you," Sosa said, dropping the glare and again returning to idly sharpen his claws, "Humans give off a particular scent when they''re nervous. Relax. If you''re suspicious of Sparrow, that''s good. Keep it that way." "You don''t trust him either?" "Trust is a strong word, especially in this line of work. You can only trust Sparrow as far as you can throw him. And you''d be wise to keep an eye on him," Sosa told him with a shake of the head, "I should know that more than anyone else here..." His eyes narrowed, to Eli it seemed like the wolf was recalling a bad memory, or perhaps seeing something obvious that Eli couldn''t quite grasp yet. "Good to know," Eli whispered. There were still a billion more questions that he wanted to ask the wolf, now that he had the opportunity to. Questions about the rebels themselves, and most importantly, why they kept all of the refugees concentrated here. Something told him that he might be asking a few too many questions and that even if Sosa knew, he wouldn''t say. Either way, he felt like his window for purchase was rapidly running out, and the wolf''s patience running thin. As if to confirm that this was indeed the end of Eli''s barrage of questions, Bell had managed to cut through the crowd of rebels and called out to the pair. "Sorry for interrupting," she announced her presence with a professional tilt of the head, "I know you and the alien are getting acquainted..." "The Alien?" Sosa asked, rather bemused, "I believe he has a name." Bell rolled her eyes, "Eli, sorry," Bell gave Eli a quick - though somewhat forced - greeting before turning once more to Sosa, "Your assistance is required again. Paperwork duty." "I hate paperwork," the wolf grumbled, "You humans and elves make all your pens too small, why do I have to write everything down?" "If you wanted a typewriter, you should''ve put that in your last order request. The more you grumble the worse it gets. It should be fun. And Eli." Sosa grumbled under his breath, just low enough for Eli to hear, "Valdacians and their paperwork..." before ultimately relenting. Bell turned to Eli next, "Sparrow is ready to get moving. I''d come with you but someone has to keep watch of the place, especially with your people in the mix." Eli threw his hands up, picking up on the slightly disgusted tone that Bell spoke with whenever she addressed Misfit, "You don''t have to keep an eye on us. We''re not gonna rob you." Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. "That remains to be seen, you are all still prisoners and as far as I am concerned... a liability," Bell said, "Regardless of whether you help us or not, you''re a special case. I believe it''s appropriate to be cautious when dealing with you and your squad." "Great... you''re doing a fantastic job making me feel warm and welcomed." "Nothing personal, Eli. Just business," Bell nodded towards Sosa, "Come on. Let''s get moving." "Yeah, I''ll be there," the wolf growled, standing to follow as Bell left the duo. Just before he left, he gave Eli a final warning, "Oh, little human. Whatever you do, don''t ask Sparrow about his arm." "His arm?" Eli asked. Up until now Eli had never seen Sparrow''s arm or noticed anything odd about it. He was wearing a trench coat which covered his arms up, so Eli didn''t get much of an opportunity. He did wear a glove, which Eli assumed to just be a fashion statement more than anything. "The one he keeps wrapped up with a glove? That one. You''ll see what I mean when you link up with him again..." Sparrow said, swishing his tail, before leaning in to whisper, "Oh and sorry about Bell. Valdacians hate anything they can''t sort onto a fucking spreadsheet." "I heard that!" Sosa rolled his eyes, "Of course you did," He sighed to himself, and then he peeled off, leaving Eli alone once again. ''Don''t ask Sparrow about his arm'', Eli thought to himself. Interesting...
¡°So¡­ Sparrow, right?¡± Was the first question he asked when he finally got shoulder to shoulder with him. They were back outside underneath the hazy Helen sun, making their way out of the base and towards the city''s war torn streets, ¡°What¡¯s next on the agenda?¡± ¡°The Avonian anti-air,¡± Sparrow said, ¡°You got shot down, right? Well a few of my boys found the location of the missiles that did it, they''re in the Renewal District, way behind Riverlander lines. I suspect that you aren¡¯t going to be able to call for help with that anti-air still up.¡± ¡°So, we¡¯re going in to destroy it?¡± Sparrow smiled, ¡°Very astute of you, Mister Freeman. That¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re going to do.¡± ¡°For the record, the sarcasm isn¡¯t appreciated.¡± ¡°Just a bit of banter. Lightens the mood, you know? You¡¯re coming with me to take down the anti-air. We would¡¯ve gone to the emplacements right after linking up with you but as you¡¯ve probably guessed, that scrappin¡¯ sentry threw a wrench in our plans. But, now that we¡¯re here and recuperated, we can strike the Imperialists and their Junta lapdogs where it hurts.¡± He looked up to the mid-day sky, and scowled, ¡°We¡¯ll have to hurry though. Every second we spend not blowing something up, that Imperial battlegroup gets closer.¡± ¡°What about our communications? Our radio is still down, I still can¡¯t talk to Overwatch-¡° ¡°Priorities, Freeman, priorities. One thing at a time,¡± He said, brushing him off with a casual wave, ¡°Come on, let''s get evil..." Eli followed Sparrow as he led them away from the base and back towards the slums of Helena. The empty streets were littered with broken glass and wind-swept dirt. Although it had only been a day since the battle first started, the city appeared trapped in the midst of a ruinous end. Garbage sat in the narrow alleyways, stinking, festering like an open wound, buzzing with flies. The midday sun tried its best to shine through the hazy skies. The palm trees stood still like plastic models of themselves, as the breeze stopped blowing, and the air stopped flowing. Time itself had stopped for Helena, for now. Yet, there was a hidden momentum in the city that drove Eli to follow Sparrow. They were getting closer to being over and done with this mission, one step at a time, this hellishly long day drew closer to finally being in the rearview. One, cautious, step. They just had to do everything by the book. Don¡¯t die. Get back home. Simple. Or so Eli thought. After a few blocks of decrepit concrete tenements had passed, Sparrow signaled for Eli to stay. He rushed into the middle of the road, towards a manhole cover that sat unassumingly on the stone surface. Sparrow checked both sides of the street for anything coming close and quickly knelt down. Unsheathing what looked like a crowbar to wedge the metal manhole up and slide it over. In the process, revealing a shadowy hole that led straight down. When the manhole was open, he gestured for Eli to get close. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious,¡± he said to Sparrow when he finally drew near. He could peer down the now open manhole and see a dank, disgusting hole that led down into a void that reeked of something old and overrun with mildew. The type of sour smell that lingered in abandoned buildings rotting from water damage, or the type that¡¯d stain places full of stagnant mosquito-overrun pools of god-knows-what. A horrible, disgusting, soup, ¡°You want me to get in a sewer?¡± ¡°They''re fast and safe,¡± Sparrow told him, though he rolled his eyes after realizing that he''d spoken the last bit erroneously, ¡°Relatively safe, that is.¡± ¡°Dude. It stinks." ¡°Breathe through your mouth.¡± ¡°Ew, no! That¡¯s like... eating it.¡± ¡°Look, it''s either that, or we go over ground through Junta street patrols, and get into a fight with every single Guardsman and Militiaman in this city. As you can clearly see, I didn''t bring a spare rocket launcher. You wanna fight another sentry?¡± Sparrow asked him. Eli shook his head ¡°Righto. Let¡¯s get stuck in.¡± Sparrow lifted himself, carefully lowering a foot down into the gaping hole and grappling onto a rusted metal ladder that took him ¨C rung by rung ¨C underneath the street. After a moment, Sparrow¡¯s form had been swallowed whole by the shadowy mouth of the open sewer. Disappearing completely from Eli¡¯s view. ¡°Of all the times, now would be perfect for a stuffed nose,¡± Eli murmured to himself, sighing when he heard Sparrow¡¯s boots smack into a stomach-churningly damp surface at the bottom of the pit. Eli was just about to follow, sinking a foot onto the top rung of a terrifyingly shaky and rusted ladder, but was forced to stop. His eyes locked onto a figure, watching him, staring from the street. His heart froze in his chest. It wasn¡¯t a soldier, nor a sentry, nor¡­ anything. Not anything he believed real at least. He saw a dove fly from a nearby alleyway. As if he was lost in a trance, his eyes locked onto her form as she darted from one crumbling tenement to the next. Following her white feathers and graceful form amidst the decay of the city around her. The dove was completely out of place in Helena. She wasn''t supposed to be here. And he knew for a fact that wherever there were doves, it lurked. And sure enough, he saw it. Glassface. Eli froze staring at it, while it remained on the far end of the street. His heart thudded against his chest. Eyes locked, finding himself unable to pull them away. He had become lost. Losing track of his surroundings. Where was he? Was he still halfway inside of a sewer? Was he cast back into the ethereal grassy plain of his dreams where he thought that the Glassface had been chained? How could it possibly be that this creature from his dreams¡­ was real? It must¡¯ve been a hallucination from the stress of the past few days. He focused his eyes. Narrowing them, hoping that the lines of the creature would blur into some other form or shape. But it did not. Glassface simply stood there in its dark robes. Completely out of place in this world. A sojourner in this very reality. It was unreal. Although it lacked a face, smooth glass reflecting somewhat in the luminosity of the afternoon sun, Eli knew it was staring right back at him. Eli couldn¡¯t believe it. He had seen it back in Raritan, walking amongst the real world as if it were an actual physical entity and not some figure conjured up from the ethereal parts of his dreaming consciousness. He¡¯d only seen it then for a fleeting moment, just a blink. He could¡¯ve sworn he was just seeing things then. The fight with the sentry stressed both his mind and body out to the point that figures from his dreams had jumped the barrier from his mind to the real world. When he laid eyes on the creature, he had tripped ¨C a fall which saved his life. When his eyes looked for it, it had vanished. Had Glassface not just been a mirage after all? Was it¡­ real? ¡°Eli!¡± A voice broke through the icy prison Eli had been ensnared in, from down below. His eyes pulled away to see that Sparrow, quite angrily, was looking up at him from the foul smelling sewer below, ¡°Are you waiting for a scrappin¡¯ invitation? Huh?¡± Eli turned back to get one final look at the creature, but predictably, it was gone without a trace¡­ ¡°Uh, sorry. It''s Just uhh¡­¡± His mind flashed with the idea of asking Sparrow directly if he''d noticed the ominous mechanical creature with glass for a face standing in the alleyways of Helena''s piss covered housing blocks, but he knew that he''d sound insane. It was bad enough that he kept having recurring visions of the creature whenever he closed his eyes, now he wasn''t mistaken as he''d believed he was during that brief split second in Raritan. There was no doubt at all that Glassface was a real, physical, entity... ¡°What? You see soldiers?¡± "No!" Eli quickly corrected him, "Sorry, I uh... I just saw something that caught my eye." "Well, I ain''t waiting around to give you a scenic tour of the city, clock''s ticking!" When he touched the surface of the sewer with the heel of his boot, the smell hit him like a punch to the jaw. It was rank. The pungent odor of stagnant dirty water overwhelmed his senses at first. Burning holes through his sinus, threatening to suffocate him. That, mixed with the stillness of the air, and the relative darkness of the underground, Eli swore he was drowning above water. His boots squished on what was supposed to be concrete or stone. Shining his flashlight down at his feet, he saw a mixture of moss growing in the cracks of the brick and stone as well as whatever else was left behind when the water was at a higher level. It was almost a disgusting enough sight to make Eli forget completely about his interaction with Glassface. Almost. It remained lodged within a far-fetched part of his brain, all the way at the back of his skull. A constant reminder that he was being watched by someone. A snaking feeling of being under constant surveillance. Even down here in the sewers underneath Helena¡¯s streets. Glassface was watching. ¡°Let¡¯s get moving!¡± Sparrow chirped when Eli regrouped with the man, ¡°I hope you¡¯re wearing boots.¡± ¡°Yeah, boots won¡¯t be enough. I need a hazard suit for this shit,¡± Eli growled, ¡°Hazard suit and at least five showers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s mostly rainwater.¡± Sparrow informed, ¡°You¡¯ll be fine." "Mostly?" "Mixed in with some other things. Toxic chemical runoff, hazardous garbage flushed into gutters and alleyways, toxic raw sewage because some of the shit-carrying pipes leak into here..." "Oh, come the fuck on." "What? It''s good stuff, builds up your immune system, you know?" Sparrow flashed him a smile, "I''m messing with you anyways. These tunnels are for rainwater, because as you might''ve guessed - it rains quite a lot in Kiote land. The worst thing that can happen here is if there''s a sudden storm surge, and then we all drown in the muck." "You say that like drowning in literal shitwater in a cramped tunnel is not the most horrific way to die." "Well...it''s not the most. There are worse fates I''m sure. Come on, live a little. A bit of contaminated rain runoff never hurt anyone," Sparrow shrugged. Eli sighed, figuring he was never going to be able to convince Sparrow that this was a terrible idea. Hell, the man probably took some sort of pleasure in watching him struggle to keep himself from throwing up. Eli wouldn''t give him the satisfaction. If he puked, Sparrow''s leather jacket would be the main target, "Besides, tunnels like these are the lifeblood of any good revolutionary. You should see Sosa trying to make his way through here, he fucking hates this place." "Yeah, unlike you, Sosa''s got a brain." "First of all, you''re starting to sound like Bell. Second, next time you see Sosa, give ''im a little scratch between the ears," Sparrow told him, "He says he hates it, but he won''t stop you. He absolutely loves it, every single time. Big guy like him, it''s hilarious." "I''m good, I''d rather not have my arm get ripped off by a seven foot tall werewolf." "Werewolf? You mean beastkin? He''s a wolfkin." "If that''s what you call them here, on Earth furry wolf people don''t exist." Sosa seemed to frown, "Okay, just for the record... calling them ''furry'' is kind of a slur. So don''t do that, or at least, don''t say it to his face." "Oh, shit. Sorry... wait a minute, that''s a slur, but beastkin isn''t?" "It''s weird, I don''t get it either, some people are saying we shouldn''t say beastkin because... well, look the point is just don''t say furry. That''d be like calling a human a chimp, or an elf a sharpear. That''s just how it is on Narva." "Alright... I get it." "Anyways, the local cell uses these tunnels to send messengers and supplies across Helena without the Junta¡¯s Military Police knowing.¡± ¡°Local cell?¡± Eli asked but he genuinely didn¡¯t really care. He just wanted anything to throw his mind off of the fact that he was inside of a sewer. ¡°You thought we worked alone? Nah, The ULA operates across Farewind. The revolutionaries here in Helena, just one in a part of anti-imperialists fighting to be free.¡± ¡°You make it seem grand.¡± ¡°It is, Freeman,¡± Sparrow said his last name with a tone of semi-aware irony, a type that made Eli confused as to what Sparrow was insinuating. Was that an¡­ offer? Before Eli could follow with more questions, Sparrow pointed back to the sewers, "The tunnels make us practically immune to whatever the Imperialists and their Riverlander puppets might throw at us, outside of flooding the tunnels with gas.¡± ¡°Overwatch gave us masks,¡± Eli said, tapping his pack, glad that he decided to keep it packed in there rather than hanging loose on the strap before arriving in Helena. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be set,¡± Sparrow told him, ¡°Come on. No time like the present.¡± Sparrow shone a light down the stone tunnel. The disgustingly soiled ceiling was just high enough for Eli to walk under provided he kept his head low. He was still wearing his helmet, and briefly debated if taking it off would make the trek any more comfortable. He decided against it when the image of raw sewage getting into his hair appeared in his mind. He¡¯d take being mildly uncomfortable over being infected with whatever disease from hell lurked down here. They walked on a narrow stone path, with turbid grey water stagnant in a channel to their left. Stone brick lined the walls, oozing with brown slime and who-knows-what that often leaked onto the stone passageway. It made a slip ¨C and subsequent swim in the cloudy water a real danger. Eli kept himself alert for it. He wouldn¡¯t have a repeat of Raritan and have a swim, that¡¯s for sure. As they walked, Eli kept an eye on Sparrow''s arm, noting indeed that he only wore one leather glove, and it looked like it was bandaged underneath that. He opted to not bring it up for now, but Sosa''s warning about Sparrow''s arm stuck with him... Their flashlights combined and illuminated the completely dark tunnels ahead, revealing the twists and turns ahead. Yet when Eli turned back, as he was the last in the group, he saw nothing but empty darkness. A void, only illuminated by the faint glistening coming from waves within the water¡¯s surface. An eerie sight, especially since it was just himself and Sparrow. He had the sneaking suspicion that something would jump out of the water and grab him¡­ ¡°Are there alligators down here?¡± Eli asked Sparrow, hoping a little bit of humor would shake that dark and heavy feeling that sat on his shoulders. Sparrow seemed to think for a moment, ¡°Alligators? Probably. Snakes? Definitely. Watch out for those because they do bite, and you will die.¡± ¡°Wonderful! Just when I thought this couldn¡¯t get any worse!¡± ¡°Trust me Eli, it always gets worse. You should know that by now,¡± Sparrow told him with a more serious tone peppering his voice. As the flashlights scanned the walls, Eli noticed that there was graffiti painted on the stone. All of it either black or red, and usually it took the form of a star or a broken arrow, ¡°Say. What are these symbols for anyway?¡± ¡°Markings by my men, ULA symbols. Lets us know we¡¯re in friendly territory,¡± Sparrow said, ¡°The red and black star is our symbol.¡± He pointed to the red band wrapped around his shoulder, and indeed, it had a star on it. Black, with the white letters ¡°ULA¡± written across from it. ¡°What exactly does the ULA believe in? You didn¡¯t really make it clear what you are all fighting for.¡± ¡°Our beliefs?¡± Sparrow asked, turning back to him and smiling, ¡°I believe in dismantling oppressive systems through organized, violent, revolutionary action on behalf of the people. The largest of those oppressive systems, at least right now, being the Greater Avonian Empire. The largest and most powerful bastion of absolutism, neo-orderite elven supremacy, and mass industrialized slavery, on this continent and planet.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ yeah I think your translation spell might be off, I didn¡¯t pick up a single word of what you just said,¡± Sparrow gave him a sour look when he said that, ¡°I only went to the crappy trailer schools they had for orphaned phantom kids, so I¡¯m a little illiterate if you don¡¯t mind.¡± Sparrow looked down to the floor, like the filthy ground would¡¯ve given him an answer. Lost in thought, when his eyes jerked up to reach Eli¡¯s, it was as if the floor really had given it to him. ¡°I fight against the same evil that has you locked as a prisoner. The same regime that blocks the light of hope and crushes it underneath the weight of its own gluttony. Every single waking moment of my life is spent fighting the Empire, both in practice and in mind. And I¡¯m cursed for it, sentenced to spend my life using the same tactics to liberate the people, that my greatest enemy uses to bring harm ¨C that is what I do. Every. Single. Day,¡± Sparrow said, taking a step towards Eli, ¡°It¡¯s a nightmare that I cannot wake up from. And I know that I won¡¯t. Because in the end, it¡¯s not about me. Or either of us for that matter. Everything that I do, I do with the hopes that it will accelerate the downfall of the imperialists. My soul will not rest until I¡¯m either dead, or until Avonia has collapsed. I know that the former is guaranteed, but the latter I might never see. I chase a dream I will never live in.¡± Sparrow¡¯s voice had risen to a peak, like he was about to start yelling to Eli in the middle of the tunnel. But when he rounded off the last line, it was like he could hear what he was saying for the first time. And he corrected by again looking down at the floor and speaking one final time in a quiet whisper, ¡°That is what I believe,¡± he finished. Sparrow spoke bitterly to him, his face twisted, scowling. The words painful for him to speak, but he did so anyway. Eli knew that he was not lying. ¡°Everyone has an idea of what it¡¯s like to be a revolutionary. They have a black and white picture in their minds, a clear distinction between good and evil. But it¡¯s never that clear. I believe in the ends justifying the means, and I know that my goals are pure. I¡¯ll do anything to achieve them. What¡¯s to be decided is your allegiance. I can lead you to a path of freedom, if you choose. If you want to walk in the shoes of someone who¡¯s spent his entire life fighting enslavers and absolutism. You may dream that you can also find liberation. Either in this life, or perhaps in the next. So, you won¡¯t have to be a prisoner. But that¡¯s a fight you¡¯ll have to decide on your own.¡± With that, Sparrow turned on his heels and continued down the tunnel, leaving Eli behind trying to find answers. The only option¡­ Follow Sparrow.
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE RED HAND]== Flag of The United Liberation Army GENERAL INFORMATION: Full Name: The United Liberation Army Type: Militant Revolutionary Organization (Freedom Fighters for RDI purposes) Ideology: Anti-Imperialism, Urban Guerilla Warfare, Vanguard-Communard Revolution Leader: N/A (Devolved Cellular Leadership, No Central Executive) Estimated Numbers: 30-80 Thousand Active Members Across Farewind Area(s) of Operation: Primarily in Continental-Pact aligned nations, notably, The River Republic, North Oran, Valdacian Magedom, and The Avonian Empire itself. A few operational cells have been noted working within The Ostralands and Oceania, though they are relatively weak and are of a minor concern. Known allies; ROTER MORGEN (Valdacia), Movement for a United North Oran [MURO] (North Oran), Front for the Total Liberation of Azure [FTLA] (Azure), The Underground (Oceania/Ostralands). Faction: Non-Aligned (NOTE: This can change!)
The United Liberation Army (ULA), is an underground urban revolutionary communard militant group operating across the Farewind continent - with a particular focus on combating Avonian Imperialism, the complete destruction of the Avonian Empire proper, and establishing a vanguardist state to usurp the absolutist Parliamentary-Monarchy of Avonia. The ULA has come under international scrutiny, with their most recent controversy revolving around the hijacking of Valdacian Airlines Flight 2000 - a hijacking conducted by another revolutionary faction closely aligned with the ULA, ROTER MORGEN (Red Dawn). Perhaps most notoriously is the ULA''s orchestration of numerous car-bomb attacks against Avonian and Riverland-based targets. These attacks are mostly aimed at government institutions, politicians, and military outposts. The ULA is ruthless in targeting several high profile individuals in assassination attempts, fire-bombings, and even a attempted hostile-takeover of an Imperial Army garrison! The ULA operates off of an ideology known only as "People''s War", rendering all perceived opponents as fair game... These controversies... and many others... have soured opinions of the ULA as nothing more than a rabid terrorist group operating in the shadowy depths of the Imperial core. And this may be true... to an extent. The RDI has noted time and time again that the ULA may just represent our best chance of significantly weakening the integrity of The Greater Avonian Empire. Several ULA operations have been funded by under-the-table deals between RDI operatives and the ULA, and their leadership has grown close to our lists of useful contacts as our forward officers move to observe their ranks. Through carefully planned, and swiftly executed operational greenlights, we can utilize the ULA and their allies to cause significant domestic turmoil across The Continental-Unity Pact. A successful operation of this type would grant the Commonwealth a powerful advantage in not just the ongoing Kiote Crisis, but a significant victory in The Cold War. Let me be perfectly clear, as agency director I can say this: THE ULA IS NOT TO BE TRUSTED. However, should we keep a good leash on the more undesireable elements of the ULA, they can be far more than a useful tool in our fight against Imperialism. If we can successfully manipulate their ideological stances to something more palatable to the global fight for freedom and for our own radical-democracy, aligning Vanguard-Communard with Radicalists and Pro-Democracy forces might prove to be one of the most important maneuvers to date in this Cold War. Operation FIRESALE is currently being revived in the ''planning'' phase. FIRESALE would approve the sale of acquired weapons manufactured by warlords across the Bizonian Anarchy to ULA leadership. Though the quantity is small, we hope this can be enough payola to convince ULA leadership to approach the RDI. Several suppliers from Bizonia are willing to sell their weapons to us, namely the Novokudrov Bandit Fiefdom and the Bizonian Revolutionary Front. These foreign manufacturers are necessary to provide the ULA with weapons that cannot be traced back to Commonwealth origin, however dealing with Bizonian warlords by using funds appropriated to us by The People''s Congress may not necessarily prove to be the most... "PR friendly" operation. Fear not, for the [HOMELAND SECURITY ACT OF 1226] allows the RDI access to the Commonwealth People''s Treasury for all confidential and clandestine operations without being forced to disclose our budgetary details to The People''s Congress. Still, it is recommended to keep spending limited to the 15-30 Million Credit area, in order to dissuade unwanted attention and prevent an audit. Phase two of Operation FOREIGN FRIEND and the primary goal of Operation RED HAND, will be to align our newfound allies in the Global Strategic Coalition with our ULA contacts. This is the crucial part of the entire operation, and as such, requires delicate diplomatic maneuvering in order to successfully pull off. The ongoing battle in Helena will hopefully allow us to extract ULA leadership to The Coalition''s base in Canau, allowing the two an open forum to meet and establish terms with each other. If this proves successful, a united front of this sort will be able to destroy Imperial forces without the Commonwealth needing to intervene - sparing us a Second Kiote War scenario - while weakening our enemy in the process... All contacts must be covert, if word of this ever breaks out... I''m sure you know what the potential consequences may be. If The People''s Congress gains wind of this, it might be enough to have us hung for treason. Word of the Commonwealth and greater Belford Alliance supporting ULA forces can never be allowed to get out. But this opportunity is too big to ignore. Should this succeed, we will have achieved one of the greatest victories thus far in the Cold War: Making The Empire''s boogeyman obedient to our commands. [MAY OUR REVOLUTION ALWAYS BE IN SAFE HANDS]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 42: Crescendo of a Fantastic Cold War >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 42: Crescendo of a Fantastic Cold War]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
¡°This should be it,¡± Sparrow stopped in front of another ladder. The yellow paint on the ladder''s iron rungs had since begun to crack and fade under decades of grime which obfuscated the metallic surface. Eli looked down at his hands, shuddering to think that the grime would soon stain his hands. He couldn''t get to a sink fast enough. The ladder was bolted onto the concrete wall, leading upwards towards a manhole cover on the ceiling, a service shaft of sorts. Sparrow didn''t skip a beat, and was the first to climb the rings. When he got towards the top, he cautiously pushed open the manhole cover, letting traces of sunlight trickle into the darkness of the tunnel below. When it was Eli¡¯s turn, he cautiously climbed up the rungs and peeked his head out above the street. Fresh air filled his lungs, a relief. Though even the air around the two felt tainted. The familiar scent of gunpowder and something burning off in the distance returned... Standing on the surface, their surroundings were different. Much different, in comparison to the slums of the , and he felt boxed in. Massive concrete blocks, buildings, growing upwards. Flanking them on almost all sides. The towers of the Renewal District stood like concrete giants. On their faces were nothing but hundreds of vacant windows, bleak and abandoned. A shiver ran down Eli¡¯s spine as he looked up at their dizzying heights. Their grey surfaces were uniform, each tower were like walls closing in, ¡°Renewal,¡± Sparrow stated the word bluntly, as if it were some great indescribable evil that he had to rid his tongue of. He gestured towards one of the towers. ¡°Each one of these eyesores are a monument to a cultural worship of greed. They¡¯re the headquarters of some of the largest corporations and oligarchic titans in the River Republic, and the ones that aren¡¯t are luxury homes for those who own them. Avonian companies base their headquarters here, use the Riverlander people as fuel for their mines and factories, and they send the value of their work back to Avonia to be used by those with the money and willingness to buy. It¡¯s the single largest parasite on this side of the border, and it¡¯s all perfectly legal. You know why?¡± Sparrow asked leaning in closer to Eli. ¡°Because the Junta¡¯s in bed with the Avonians?¡± Eli stated the obvious. ¡°Bingo. The Avonians put the Junta in power, the Junta ensures that the corporations have ample control over their own land, resources, and people. It¡¯s prostitution, but on a national scale. And Marshal Navarro, the great revolutionary leader he claims to be, is the centerpiece of it all,¡± Sparrow spat, ¡°With Navarro dead or at least in hiding, those greedy generals and businessmen will cannibalize each other for the next spot as grand marshal.¡± ¡°You seem confident,¡± Eli offered a line of resistance against Sparrow¡¯s bantering, but the man only brushed it off. ¡°I don¡¯t seem it. I am it. Those types are all the same. Kill the kingpin and the rest of them will scramble for the crown like flies to shit. The whole Junta functions with the knowledge that Navarro provides stability, and in return, they carry out his rule. When stability goes out the window the entire Junta implodes, that¡¯s exactly the way Navarro designed it,¡± Sparrow explained, ¡°The River Republic is an artificial construct. Unlike the Raritans, the Ostralanders, or even the Avonian Empire, the Riverlands ¨C at least as we know it ¨C is just a corporate playground. There is no culture or history under the Junta. In that sense, you could say the Junta is an illegitimate dictatorship, propped up solely because of the Avonian military and the profits generated from its ekron mines and plantations.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Eli said to himself, looking around still at the monumental towers of concrete which towered over them. He saw large signs hanging off the face of the towers, and could even spot a flag or two fluttering in the wind ¨C assuming the green and red flags to be symbols of the River Republic, "Did Bell tell you that or did you figure that out on your own?" "Oh fuck you, that''s the last time I ever tell you anything..." Eli let a smug smile tug at his lips before it vanished. The duo stood alongside a massive street which ran through the center of the Renewal District. Old-school cars were left abandoned on either side of the road, haphazardly as their owners fled the city in a rush. Some of the cars already looked damaged, their metal hulls filled with bullet holes or damaged by a dent that could¡¯ve only been caused by impact with a larger vehicle. Perhaps one of the armored vehicles Eli saw the Avonians employ during the battle in Raritan. Following Sparrow as they kept within the shadows of the concrete giants, palm trees lined the road with neatly swept concrete sidewalks providing an easy trek. The entrances to some of the massive towers lined the wide sidewalk, hosting luxurious glass storefronts that offered a peek into what the well-to-do brought around here. As Eli peered inside of a few, he saw colorful dresses and clothes in one window where the lights still remained on ¨C highlighting the colorful interior while the store was left abandoned. There were posters hanging all over, with one even being of a small blue dragon, collared, being held in the arms of an smiling elf. It was an advertisement for a ¡°Pet Spa¡± of some sort. All hosted within a magical retail store. The pet dragon and its elven master seemed rather familiar to Eli¡¯s wandering eyes, like seeing a dog and its owner. Yet¡­ so strange from what he knew. So far away. ¡°Pet dragons¡­ that¡¯s a new one.¡± ¡°One of my ex¡¯s had a pet dragon¡­ small lap dragon, pink scales, cute as a button. But gods, it was evil. Tried to bite me every chance it got. I hated that miserable little piece of scrap,¡± Sparrow sighed, "Vicious too. The smaller they are, the meaner they get, I swear..." "I see," was all Eli could think to say in response. They proceeded forwards, passing block by block of the Renewal District¡¯s sprawling mega-complex and office towers, until finally they approached by a clearing. A public park, by the looks of things. Palm trees and bushes were placed decoratively within the high iron fencing. Yet from the few glimpses they could steal of it, there was activity inside. Eli could hear engines rumbling from within the park, behind the iron girders. He also heard shouting. They kept their backs to the nearest wall as they cautiously approached the park. Behind the shrubs and plant life, missiles were aimed at the sky. Tall, iron, spears. They were plastered with the livery of their respective organization, and seated upon a steel arm which held them up and guided them towards the correct target. The arm itself carried atop the bed of a tracked armored vehicle. Sparrow peeked his head around the corner to try and assess the situation ahead of them without being detected, and when he returned to Eli, his face was grim, ¡°Six soldiers are guarding the area from what I can see, and there¡¯re definitely more,¡± Sparrow grabbed the pistol from within his coat. ¡°So, what do we do? March right in?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t take that risk. There¡¯s only two of us,¡± Sparrow dismissed the idea, ¡°Six is too many, even for those idiots they''ve got in the militia. We do this the quiet way.¡± ¡°You can do things the quiet way?¡± Eli raised his eyebrow in disbelief. Sparrow gave him a sly smirk, ¡°Oh mate, I¡¯m a scrappin¡¯ onion¡­¡± And now both eyebrows were raised, ¡°You''re a what?¡± ¡°Onions¡­ they have layers¡­ I have layers, like there¡¯s parts of me you haven¡¯t..." Sparrow observed the rather incredulous look Eli was giving him, and he knitted his eyebrows in a flash of frustration, much to Eli¡¯s amusement, "Just quit being a dickhead and follow me!¡± Eli snorted, but offered nothing else in response. He crouched down scurrying over towards the fence guarding the perimeter of the park, and Eli followed. Their forms hidden by the row of bushes and vegetation growing against the metal fence. Quietly, like mice scampering across farmhouse floorboards, they were quick, but silent. When their backs were finally pressed up against the metal fencing, Sparrow reached up and grasped onto the flat surface of the metal fence, pulling himself up. For a brief moment, Eli saw again the mysterious gloved hand that Sosa had told him about. With Sparrow¡¯s arms trying to grasp over the fence, the sleeve of his trenchcoat rolled up enough to expose most of his arm. Beyond the hem of the glove was a rather messy patchwork of bandages that stretched up to about his elbow. Was Sparrow hurt? Ill perhaps? If he was, he certainly didn''t show it for he could maneuver his arm without pain or difficulty at all. If anything, Sparrow¡¯s arm seemed to be quite strong, and he was able to pull his own body weight up and over the fence with ease. Curiously, between the gaps of the bandages, Eli spotted... metal. Sunlight reflected off of a metallic surface underneath the bandages, and wherever skin was supposed to be, he was met with that same grayish metal. It clicked in Eli¡¯s mind that Sparrow was missing an arm! But, why the secrecy? Sparrow didn''t seem like the type of person to be embarrassed about being cybernetically enchanced, in fact, Sparrow would probably boast about it. Again, the oddities with this man kept building. But now was neither the time nor place to try and get those answers. He''d have to wait... Sparrow checked every direction cautiously while atop his vantage point. Ensuring that not a soul was looking at them. When he was satisfied that they had not been detected, he reached a hand down to Eli - the normal arm, ¡°Up and over. Stay hidden behind the trees.¡± Eli grabbed onto Sparrow¡¯s strong hand, ensuring that his boots didn¡¯t slip against the thin metal rods of the fence. But carefully, he was up and over. Sparrow slipped down next to Eli. As he was crouched down underneath the cover of vegetation, Sparrow turned to him, holding a finger up to his lips. Silence. Eli nodded in confirmation. Together the two crawled their way in the slight gap between the thick hedges and the fence. The missiles towered over them, pointed towards the skies like daggers aimed at the stars. What faint sunlight managed to break its way through the dense haziness of the late-afternoon sky was blocked by the metallic hulls of the missiles and the girders supporting them. Thick shadows offered protection to Sparrow and Eli but it was only a slight relief. Eli could hear boots smacking against the cobblestone pathway off to his left. The familiar jingle of metallic equipment as the soldier walked past. The soldier was none the wiser as to the intruders just behind the admittedly thick hedgerow. Eli dared himself to, and looked down towards the roots, able to see the lower leg of the soldier. And his gun, an ekron powered device, also hung low enough for Eli to see. Like the rattle of a snake, it served as a warning for how just how close to danger they were. He grabbed his rifle, hoping that it would comfort him at least somewhat. He wasn¡¯t totally defenseless. Besides, he still had Sparrow with him. Sparrow scanned the wall of hedgerows for something, looking up and down, scrutinizing every inch. His eyes landed on a small gap in the hedgerows that could easily be parted and passed through without making too much of a ruckus. He quickly waved Eli over and crouched just behind it. ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± Eli whispered to him in as faint of a voice as he could muster. Sparrow reached into his leather jacket and produced several glowing metal gadgets. Wires crisscrossed the surface, leading into what looked like a pocket computer. Each about half the size of a smartphone, ¡°Handheld explosive devices. Homemade,¡± Sparrow smiled, ¡°I¡¯ve got the detonator. You waltz in there, quiet like a mouse, get up to the missiles, just plop ¡®em on, Bob¡¯s your mother¡¯s brother, you get somewhere safe.¡± ¡°Uh,¡± Eli looked out to the hedgerow again, contemplating the choice, ¡°Wait¡­ you just walk around with bombs inside of your pocket?¡± ¡°Well, they aren¡¯t armed¡­ weren¡¯t armed. I usually don¡¯t have them armed when they¡¯re in my pocket.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Usually?¡± ¡°Can you plant the bomb or not?¡± ¡°Yeah, I can... Just buy me some space.¡± Sparrow handed him the explosives and slightly parted the brambles peeking through, checking both ways, ¡°Run to cover. Keep low. I¡¯ll do my thing. When you are ready, shout and run as fast as you can. You got it?¡± he whispered to Eli. Eli oddly enough felt less nervous about the job than he probably should¡¯ve been. Somewhere in the few weeks he¡¯d been on this planet, it felt as if danger was something he¡¯d always contemplate in hindsight. It was a far cry from when he first laid eyes on the behemoths that decimated the phantoms when they had first arrived. Even from when they made the first decision to escape the Nexus into the unknown darkness of the Kiote Jungle to rescue their friends. To fighting sentries, several times¡­ it felt as if Eli had grown used to defying danger. Defying fear itself. Its effects had worn. No longer was it as constricting as it used to be. No longer did fear define who Eli was, or who he was meant to be. ¡°Let¡¯s get evil,¡± Eli said with confidence he really shouldn¡¯t have. Sparrow let a sly grin stretch across his face. He moved aside from the gap in the hedgerows, paving a path for Eli to follow. As Eli kept the explosives safe within his firm ¨C and cautious ¨C grasp. He swallowed hard, as he debated the path he¡¯d take. Yet he didn¡¯t have long to decide, another Militia patrol would close in, locking Eli out of a chance. It was now¡­ or a significant time later that may or may not arrive. Eli sighed. There was no better time than right now. Careful not to make a sound, he took his first steps into the park¡­ the first thing the struck him was not the missiles nor the face of a patrolling militiaman ¨C as he¡¯d feared ¨C but instead, he was floored by the beauty of the park. Thick hedgerows concealed gardens full of colorful flowers. Pinks, blues, yellows, and reds. Water fountains were still running, surprisingly enough, spraying mist into the air which tickled Eli¡¯s sunbaked skin. Statues of several figures stood like giants around the park. Their granite surfaces had been smoothed until they resemble glass more than the cobblestone which Eli scampered on. Almost all of the figures were of elves, distinguishable from their pointed ears and pupilless eyes. The largest of the statues, rising from a rectangular pool whose low waters resembled mirrors, was dressed in military clothing. A peaked cap, slacks, he had a bright smile as he pointed upwards towards the skyscrapers in the Renewal district. Beside him, a militia-elf, wearing a polished stone helmet and carrying his rifle in his arms as if it were a baby. Next to the soldier, a little elf-girl, wearing a flowery dress, sculpted to look as if it were fluttering in the breeze. She carried a schoolbook in her arms, like the soldier carried his gun. They were all smiles, and all pointing proudly towards the concrete giants of the Renewal District. It reminded Eli too much of the statues they¡¯d found in Korea, specifically the North. While Eli wasn¡¯t around to do much fighting during the Coalition counter-attack, he was observant of what information he could get his hands on. The statues here resembled the statues in the Northern Dictatorship to a uncanny extent. It was as if he were standing there, in the tropical jungle instead of in the frozen mountains. He shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts. He needed to focus. He checked around, seeing no militia nearby. The missiles were parked in a large open square near the center of the park. Cobblestone stretched around it in a perfect circle, while hedgerows grew along the border. There the trucks were parked, taking advantage of the open air space that the park offered for the missiles to be launched. And perfect for a intruder to slip in while the defenders were distracted. Speaking of which¡­ where was Sparrow? Eli lurked closer towards the armored trucks pulling out a handheld explosive in one hand. He sent a silent prayer to whomever that the explosives had not blown up while he was holding them. Knowing his luck ¨C they really should have. But why jinx himself now when he was so close. Drawing nearer, he took in the sheer size of them all. The missiles towered over him, their sheer size absolutely crushing. He was hardly a fraction their height, and Eli was fairly tall. To see that a missile of this size could maneuver so easily through the skies, lock onto an advanced fighter, and bring it crashing down to the ground, was insane. Even during his times spent as a soldier he hadn¡¯t been up close to anything of this scale. Sure, the army had anti-air emplacements, but they were so advanced and computerized that they had been small and tucked away. The missiles were primitive, they reeked of an old 1950s Cold War that ¨C for the billionth time ¨C was distinctly familiar to Eli¡¯s brain hardwired to Earth¡¯s history. Even if it was a century ago, the Cold War on earth lingered in almost everything. The extent of which was recognizable here, on Narva, god-knows how many billions of miles away it was from the planet he named home. Eli stifled a gasp, again checking around to ensure that he was not being observed. By some miracle, he wasn¡¯t. Maybe that was Sparrow¡¯s doing? He crouched low, cautiously approaching, as he held the explosives out to the solid steel girders holding the missiles in position. Magnetized, the explosive devices stuck themselves onto the steel without need for Eli to search for a better place. One by one, each of the bombs went on. And then, commotion. His attention was drawn to a squad of militia, six total, rushing through the park. Their boots loudly clicked against the cobblestone surface of the park¡¯s pathways. Their guns were drawn¡­ and they looked pissed. Judging by the path they were going to take, they were on a direct collision course with Eli. ¡°Shit!¡± Eli internally panicked, looking for a place to hide. His mind had no time to spare for thoughts about why they were so angry. Only one thing guided his thought, and that was to get out. He couldn¡¯t outrun them without getting spotted, nor would a dive into the bushes fare him much better. His only option, to get underneath the amalgamation of solid steel. He crawled his way over to the truck, hoping that the massive tires had enough clearance for a human to crawl underneath its shadowy undercarriage. He eyeballed it, and it was impossible to tell. The increasing ferocity of the militia¡¯s stampede, however, gave him the kick in the ass that he needed to forget comfort and to get down low. Eli dropped to all fours, and like an animal seeking refuge, he squeezed his way underneath the truck¡¯s carriage. His fingers grabbed hold on greasy mechanical parts, most of which appeared to move in some form ¨C terrifyingly enough. The engine was idle, gently humming just above his head. Black tar ¨C similar to the tar which spewed from the engine of the destroyed Sentry ¨C slowly dripped from the engine block. Eli pushed himself underneath, feeling the hot oil oozing onto his prisoner¡¯s uniform. His back dragged along the stone path, soiling his uniform with dirt. As soon as the last bit of his shoe had been tucked underneath the chassis, the militia had arrived. They came storming into the circular plaza, sprinting full speed towards the missiles. Eli held his breath. Had he been spotted? Had he been too careless? What would he do if they found him here, provided they hadn¡¯t already? Shoot them? He felt around for his rifle, the alloy surface of which met his fingertips as it was slung around his body. He fidgeted for the gun, cautious to not shoot himself in the process, and he held onto it for dear life. His heart thumped in his chest hearing the jackboots rush towards him. There were too many for him to fight at once. If they had truly spotted him, it would¡¯ve been over. He saw one of their legs appear in the gap underneath the chassis. A few of them shouted something out, yet their words were foreign to his ears. He was definitely out of Sparrow¡¯s translation range. The lack of information panicked him. He could feel his heart pounding inside of his throat, racing like a rat trapped in a cage. Every breath he took was hardly enough, and yet he was forced to stifle his breathing to remain quiet. His heart and lungs burned. His finger squeezed his rifle¡­ They passed him. Each of the soldiers had rushed by like a train passing. They had noticed neither Eli, nor the bombs he placed on the missile carrier. None the wiser. But it wasn¡¯t until the last soldier had breezed past none the wiser, that Eli allowed himself to breathe. His first full breath was an exhale, and then a gasp for air. Like a drowning man¡¯s first instinct. And yet the burning feel of the soldier¡¯s presence hadn¡¯t fully dissipated. He placed another explosive onto the undercarriage before he slowly clambered his way out from underneath the vehicle. Again, he was on his feet, placing the rest of the small explosives to scatter across the metal surface of the missiles until there were no more. There was commotion brewing from where the soldiers had gone, risking a look, fearful that they had found Sparrow. And to his dismay¡­ they had. At least six soldiers had their guns trained on a man in a surrendering posture. Sparrow¡¯s arms were outstretched above his head, and his back was turned facing the soldiers ¨C and therefore him. He was saying something, but Eli could not decipher what. Though it sounded like¡­ pleading? He sounded oddly unaware of what was going on, and the man looked more like a child who had wandered into a place he was not supposed to be rather than a revolutionary caught in the act of sabotage. Was he not expecting to get caught doing whatever he was in the middle of? And then, following the voice of a soldier with his gun trained on him, Sparrow turned around. His eyes looked up, over the green helmets of the militia, and to Eli. Their eyes met. In that moment, Eli knew that this was the distraction. Without a moment to spare, he threw up his gun and opened fire, not intending to kill ¨C but rather to buy Sparrow enough time to escape. Sure enough, it worked. The militia scattered into cover, returning fire that forced Eli to get down. Yet he kept it up. Sparrow too pulled out the pistol hidden inside of his jacket, nailing a soldier in the throat, turning to run like hell. Eli made a break for the far side of the park. The stone statues that dominated the scenery staring him down like giants ready to turn him into a red stain on the cobblestone paths. He booked it down the winding park paths, past gardens and fountains, unsure where exactly he was going ¨C but hoping to find some end to the twisted maze of the park¡¯s interior. An explosion rocked the air behind him, and he could feel the wave of pressure surge through his body giving him a push that nearly brought him to his feet. When he turned to look behind him, the missiles had gone up in flames. Smoke rose to the air while fires burned around the truck and what was once the steel weapons. Yet, around him, he could see more soldiers screaming out. Bullets went flying through the hedges, narrowly grazing Eli as he sprinted past. Yet, he couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that something was approaching him. And fast. One more glance behind his shoulder revealed something dark and shadowy sprinting across the gardens and meadows. Darting towards him faster than Eli could run away. His heart sunk when he saw it in full. Red mechanical eyes. Metal teeth. Dark body. A Howler. The synth barreled down the pathways, and the moment Eli locked onto its sinister red glowing eyes, he knew that he could not run from it. But he tried. There was still a considerable distance between the two, and if Eli could use the winding pathways of the park to his advantage, then maybe he could lose it? And so he did. Sprinting down the twisting corridors of the stone pathway, the hedgerows growing taller as he ran from the statuesque gardens and picture perfect statues that towered over him. The hedgerows grew until they were akin to brick walls, immovable and impenetrable. He could hear the familiar rumble of an engine followed by the squealing of tires. Eli stopped running, listening for the source. Only to find out that it was coming from ahead of him...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sit-Rep A-13...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: AD-111 Talon A (Domestic Model); AD-111Ge Talon E (Export Variant) Type: Ekron-Powered Surface-to-Air Missile System Country of Origin: AD-111 (The Greater Avonian Empire), AD-111Ge (The River Republic) Information: The AD-111 (And subsequently, it¡¯s licensed export variant the AD-111Ge produced by the River Republic) is a critical Surface to Air Missile system fueled by Ekron computational power. The Talon makes up the backbone of Avonian air defense capabilities and has been the defender of the skies above Avonia and the Continental Pact for nearly a decade. Developed after the Jodi Straits Crisis proved the weakness of the Avonian airforce in the face of cutting edge Ostralander and Oceanian Jet air superiority and strike aircraft dominating the skies in Belford¡¯s favor. Avonia gathered its top scientists to develop the Talon. A missile system that was easy to maneuver, cheap to produce, and could lock onto air targets flying beyond 25,000 feet above the ground. The missile itself, powered by a ekron pulse engine, it could fly at speeds of nearly Mach 2, granting it the ability to intercept and destroy even the fastest of Commonwealth aircraft. Combined with Ekron Computer Guidance systems and highly-mobile fins, the missile is able to out-maneuver the notoriously quick jets of the Ostralands and Oceania. The missiles have been nothing short of a game changer. Though Avonia¡¯s jet aircraft program remains in its infancy, it has been able to defend its skies and the skies above the Pact thanks to the Talon. During the Oran War of 1224 and the Kiote War of 1227 the Talon proved instrumental in shooting down droves of Commonwealth Air-Superiority fighters and Close Air Support Aircraft, dragging the war into a brutal slog for Commonwealth Forces, and ultimately preventing the fall of the River Republic to the Kiote Union...
==[END TRANSMISSION]== ==[THE UGLY COLLY]== >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[THE UGLY COLLY]===

==The National Service Of The Empire== [EYES EVERYWHERE] >>> Searching Transcript... >>> Please standby... >>> Initializing... ==[Begin Transmission]==
One danger they don''t tell recruits about in special forces training, was that their greatest enemy - oddly enough - was not the human vermin in The Commonwealth. The humans could try all they''d like in their fearsome gas attacks, helicopter air-assault units, armored tanks, and cruel weapons that could only be hatched from the sinister evil that lurked in the hearts of man. Yet, the Avonian elf would always, naturally, emerge superior to their schemes. So long as they were of strong fortitude of course, and taught the appropriate ways of combating them - which all NSE recruits were. In fact, their greatest rival wasn''t really one they would''ve thought much of at all. Emeric''s mouth was dry, and his muscles were sore with exhaustion as he watched his enemy approach... the greatest enemy of the NSE, was the sun. The natural cover of the jungle was fading as the sun approached. It had only been minutes since dawn illuminated the horizon, and yet, he could already feel the rising temperature. As if the Kiote jungle didn''t have him working up a sweat at night. All night he''d spent climbing, walking, expending energy to surmount the peak of a nearby hill. And his throat was parched. The savages had enough sense not to dump him close to any viable source of water, and unless he was willing to take his chances taking a drink out of the stagnant, algae infested, foul smelling pond that he''d found after nearly an hour of fruitless searching - he was... to quote a human expression, "Shit out of luck". Water. He could practically taste the coolness of that one basic substance running across his dry lips, and yet it was so intangible. It had been a while since he last had a drink. If Emeric could remember correctly, a full day and a half had passed since he''d had much of anything - and that was before he was captured. Field work was long and intensive, and he had done his job to build up his mental and physical strength as well as possible, knowing full well that he was being sent into savage territory with little water and few MREs. He had a canteen of course. ''Had'', being the key word. He tried to keep himself from drinking out of it for the express purpose of saving water for when he really needed it. It was difficult to ward himself from doing so, especially with how hot it got here in The Kiote. And yet, here he was. Dying of thirst, and with no canteen to save him. Emeric stopped his climb up the mountain to lean against a rock formation against the hill. His breaths were ragged and tired. He could try and wait for it to rain, using one of the leaves or something to form a bowl to drink the rainwater out of. It rained quite often and with regularity in the Kiote Jungle, yet, it wasn''t reliable. It could very well be a full week until the thunder clouds started up again, and it had rained not too long ago. Whatever storm system had carried it would''ve passed by now, once again hanging Emeric out to dry. Literally. Gods, if he had to give the humans one thing, their expressions and phrases rolled off the tongue quite well. On the other hand, he could keep looking for a drinkable water source. He had no way to decontaminate a filthy pond by mechanical means. He could''ve blessed the water using a magical spell, the NSE''s magical warfare branch instructed their operatives well in the ways of survival by repeatedly drilling them in learning crucial spells. But spells of that caliber required far more energy than his body was capable of exerting. He would''ve had to cast such a spell, last night. Now, if he tried, he might not have had enough energy to stand back up again- even if he managed to get water cleansed. Food was another question, but he had only limited knowledge of the local berries and fungus that grew in the Kiote. Of those, there were only about three or so species that he could accurately identify as being safe to eat, and with his already dazed thought patterns, he''d be gambling with his life foraging. Hunting animals for their flesh was completely out of the question as he was weaponless, effectively magicless, and carried no tools to build traps. The warrior elves had chosen a sentence more effective than execution. For this one gave him time to think while he died. His thoughts simmered. The NSE would not come to rescue him. His team had been made aware of that before they left. They were given the choice of carrying a suicide pill with them should they ever be apprehended or find themselves in a predicament akin to what Emeric was living right now. Mostly, the pill was to ensure that any valuable information wouldn''t be lost through torture. But the warrior elves were certainly thorough. They wanted to maximize Emeric''s suffering as much as possible, and as such, the pill had been stolen rendering a painless suicide out of the option... He sighed as he watched dawn approach. His treks had kept him moving, hoping to evade being mauled by the pack of Hellhounds. That''s one of the reasons he embarked on the quest to go uphill in the first place, hoping to get out of range of their powerful scent and remain ahead of their pack. But he needed this break. The poor elf panted, as the sunrise glistened across the trees. The bare tree trunks likely being the last thing he would ever see, provided that honor wasn''t taken by the sharp fangs of a hellhound ripping into his flesh, of course. He could feel his ears droop, and with a defeated sigh, he fully sat down against the rock. The rolling hills and valleys of the Kiote peninsula were pleasant. At least the warriors had given him a beautiful grave, if nothing else... He missed home. A lot. There was a part that the NSE could never truthfully drill out of him. No matter how much psychological conditioning, political education, and physical exercises they made him perform. He was still elven on the inside. He was of course glad to die in defense of the Empire. To defend the good people back home. To cleanse this broken and cursed planet of radical evil and the degenerate mass that plagued Commonwealth society. If his death meant that the Ossies would be beaten back in their plans for world domination - even temporarily - it was a worthwhile one. But it still hurt to accept it. It hurt him so much. He wanted to be back home. How could he not? He shed a tear at the thought. Water. Valuable water, from his own eyes. It crawled across his cheek, before dripping into the dirt where it would be lost forever. Emeric closed his eyes. He needed rest. He could formulate a better plan in a few hours when he woke up, hopefully. But just as the rustling sound of leaves, the chirp of rainforest birds, and the slow breeze threatened to put him into a deep slumber... he heard something else. A buzz. Emeric''s eyes opened in alarm, fearing that a nest of cursed wasps or hornets lay nearby. He scanned the canopy of the rainforest, moving further uphill to get a visual. Yet strangely enough, the buzz shifted. He could hear each individual beat of something slicing through the air, repeatedly. Though it was extremely fast, he could hear it nonetheless. He continued to climb further uphill, reaching a rocky peak devoid of tree cover. The wind was blowing somewhat harder, and in every direction he could see the increasing dawn. As he stopped moving, the sound continued to grow, erasing his doubts that it was some sort of bees nest and rather something else in the air. Something large... And then he saw it. A singular black object moved through the air. A green light would occasionally flash from one of its strobes, indicating that it was indeed a machine. As it got closer, the shape of it morphed into something roughly circular, and with a spinning blade planted just above its hull. A metal vehicle. A helicopter... "Humans..." Emeric whispered. He tried his best to hold his tongue and see what they were doing out here, a task made somewhat simpler as the green painted aircraft flew closer. Immediately a thought flashed in his brain. The helicopter might be his only chance of survival. As far as the eye could see, he could only make out the canopy of jungle. The nearest source of water could be in any direction, and he''d have no idea where. The helicopter seemed to be searching for something on the ground. Every instinct in Emeric''s body told him not to give in to the temptation. If he could even find a way to get the helicopter''s attention, there was no guarantee that the humans wouldn''t just ignore him and move on. And even if he did, he''d only be prolonging the inevitable, inviting misery onto what was certain to be a short life. Torture, definitely. They would try their best to drain all the information they could get using their cruel tools. They''d beat him, without a doubt. Though, it may have been possible to return home. Avonia and the Ostralands often swapped prisoners as diplomatic bargaining chips. If Avonia had something the humans wanted, they might... might... offer to return Emeric back home. That is considering Emeric''s life hadn''t already been written off, and his involvement with the NSE disavowed altogether. He was supposed to be dead by now. If one was captured, they were to kill themselves immediately to prevent any information from being leaked by either torture or coercion. That was the point of the suicide pill. And Emeric had a lot of information. Not just about all of the NSE''s interior operations and the Empire''s activities, but also, information that was directly related to the base in Canau. He had taken photographs of the alien fortress, and though his pictures were likely burned by the Kiotes, the other operatives on CASEMATE managed to make it out. He knew their names, identities, everything. One leak would effectively destroy the NSE''s spy network on this side of the border, and Emeric would be that very leak if he allowed himself to be captured. That''s if he couldn''t resist torture for a prisoner-swap that may never occur... The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He felt his heart race as the decision weighed on him. He could pretend like he got lost on a hike, as unlikely as that was. He was fluent in the local dialect that the Raritan tribe of Warrior Elves communicated in, but he certainly didn''t look like a warrior elf. He was still wearing his combat uniform for crying out loud! He could try and pass himself off as a Sevillan or a Riverlander, but that was a ruse unlikely to work for more than a few moments before the humans started to notice something off about him. If he acted as obediently and innocent as possible, the humans might be reckless with their custody of him, giving him a chance to escape... that is, if they didn''t find out who he was immediately. It was either he take his chances with the humans for the moment, and try to escape their clutches. Or face certain death out here... He made the choice, raising his hands high above his head and waving for the helicopter to fly over to him. At first, it seemed the helicopter didn''t notice. Quickly he took off his imperial-grey colored shirt, and waved it in the air. The helicopter ceased its hover, slowly maneuvering its way towards him! It worked! They saw him after all! He sent a silent prayer to the gods that the humans were complete idiots. He knew human intelligence was... wanting... in comparison to the elven mind. But even they weren''t stupid enough to actually believe he was just a Kiote civilian who had gotten lost when he was literally wearing imperial clothes. But for the time being, he''d have to keep such thoughts to himself, as he would be at their mercy. A horrific thought. The blades of the helicopter kept cutting through the air, and its spin grew louder and louder with each passing second as it drew near. Soon the glass of the cockpit became visible, and a door slid open before it made its landing. It chose a spot a bit farther downhill. Emeric watched the humans disembark, swallowing a nervous gulp of saliva as he saw their green uniforms and black rifles. The apes looked ridiculous, some of them didn''t even have the straps to their pot-like helmets fully tied around their heads. But they could be temperamental, and they had guns. It would be best if he didn''t try to agitate them just as he was about to get rescued. He walked the short distance downhill to the helicopter''s landing point in a clearing within the woods. Immediately the humans started to bark at him, their growls forcing him to put his hands over his head to prove that he was unarmed. One of the humans, a slender looking male wearing big round sunglasses marched up over to him. Pulling out a translator from his flak vest, and switching the device on, "Can you hear us?" The human demanded from him with a sick smile. "I-I''m sorry..." Emeric said as he knelt down before their guns, trying his best to make himself look small "I j-just got lost and I dont-" "Spare me the song and dance, we know who you are," The human smiled, he took the sunglasses off revealing dark bags around his eyes and a veteran-like face. Emeric could hear it in his voice, he wasn''t an Ostralander. He was a Colly. And a particularly ugly one at that. His face was broad and pockmarked with wrinkles that stood in direct contrast to the natural smoothness and elegance of an elf''s vibrant skin. The primate''s eyes were dark brown with narrow black holes for pupils that were like a void, completely devoid of the magical natural light that illuminated the iris'' of Elves. Humans were hideous creatures, a mockery of elves if anything. But this one''s mug was particularly offensive to Emeric''s sight. His smile was crooked, even for a human''s. Layers of tar from chain smoking stained his teeth brown. His face was covered in a unkempt field of tiny black hairs that they''d call "stubble". He wondered if the primate was balding underneath the green steel pot of a helmet. Even the other human grunts around him, hideous creatures as they were, looked far better groomed in comparison. "Don''t do nothing stupid, you''re being detained," The ape smiled, hints of his cigarette breath insulted Emeric''s nostrils. He snarled, spitting on the ground. "As if I''d ever take orders from you radical imps!" Emeric winced as he heard the soldiers chamber their guns, preparing to rapidly shorten his life. He couldn''t help but hide the tremors wracking his body. At the very least, the humans would offer a quick death... but unexpectedly, the human held out his hands to the others, keeping them from shooting him. Emeric looked at the hand as if it were some kind of monster out to kill him, before he looked up at the human, smiling wide as ever, "Feisty one ain''t you?" The man chuckled to himself, "You''ve got some damn nerve talking to us like that. You oughta be kissing my ass, we''re here to save you after all." "If you know who I am then spare me the torture. Your soldiers are waiting for it, monkey. Shoot me. Go ahead. I know you primates can''t hold your violent nature in for long." "Ah, great. This one''s a fucking supremacist too," One of the soldiers, a silver haired woman among their ranks whined, "Why don''t we oblige his final request? I''ve been itching to shoot something all day." "My dad fought orderite pricks like you in The Sacred War. It doesn''t matter to me if the orderites are Valdacian or Avonian. I always knew you Imperialists were orderites underneath it all," Said another, a mustached man whose eyes were also hidden beneath the polarized lens of dark sunglasses. "Hold on now, racist or not we caught this son of a bitch snooping around some vital intel. The bigwigs want him alive," Said the Ugly Colly to his troops before turning back to Emeric, "I ain''t gonna hurt you none. But I can''t say the same about my troops, heh. I''m Tucker Blackwood. Sergeant First Class, RDI. Special Operations Division." "RDI?" Emeric felt his heart drop. Fuck. The RDI was the worst, most psychotic, violent, pure evil, branch of the Commonwealth''s fighting forces. The NSE''s direct rival. He''d spent much of his training learning how to outwit and kill RDI demons in particular. They were cruel, but most importantly, cunning. If he''d ran into their standard grunts or marines, he may have been able to deceive them for a moment to gain some sort of hospitality within his imprisonment. Yet, if these humans were truly from the RDI, the chances of that happening were close to none. They were the worst of the worst, and he had willingly offered himself to them as their plaything. A foolish move in hindsight, but he''d thought it was only chance of survival. For a brief moment, Emeric''s fear was so palpable that he''d forgotten the fact that he was quite literally dying of thirst. But his musings only left one question... What in heaven''s name was the RDI doing all the way out here? The warrior elves had shifted him around the Kiote Peninsula, and as far as he could tell, he was quite far removed from Canau - and therefore the alien base. It was unlikely that the warriors would''ve dropped him off anywhere close to Raritan or the Kiote border, which is likely where the RDI''s agents would be most active. So what were they doing here? As if to answer the question, the Ugly Colly opened his mouth, "We got word that our friends had released an Imperial agent out here. Figured to leave him out in the jungle for dead. That''s a damn good sentence if you ask me, but we''ve got other plans for you..." "F-fuck you. You''d be better off talking to a brick wall," Emeric spat at him. Taking the bullet now would be the preferable option to being in RDI custody. Fuck, he should''ve thought this out better before he intentionally flagged down a human helicopter. It was a stupid decision in retrospect, but his weary body and water-deprived mind had his thinking all screwed up. The Ugly Colly smiled more, "Oh don''t worry about a thing, Sharp ear. I''m thinking about putting you to work. Emeric... that''s your name right?" And like that, all doubts that these humans were from the RDI were completely erased. Indeed, they knew exactly who he was, "NSE agents are a big game catch for us. Now I could shoot you, but the images you took of the little fortress in Canau are already high tailing it back to the Empire as we speak. I know you''re aware of that." Emeric forced a haughty smile, "The NSE has eyes everywhere..." "And yet they wont come to save your sorry ass, am I right?" "Stop antagonizing me! What do you want?" The Ugly Colly gestured to one of his soldiers, the silver haired woman. He offered her a curt nod of his head towards Emeric''s direction, and on cue, the woman understood. She took aim... A gunshot. A bang. Emeric felt a searing pain in his leg, screeching as he fell to the floor. His face met the dirt, and he gritted his teeth, holding the leg that had been shot. The humans used solid steel ammunition that fragmented upon impact, rather than the energy-based rounds of ekron pulse rifles. Though the bullets were worse against shields, they did a hefty amount of damage to flesh and bones, tearing it, shattering, burning. Luckily the human was precise in her aim, for she steered clear of a major artery, nailing Emeric directly in his foreleg. Yet, it didn''t mitigate the amount of pain shooting up his spine from his now useless limb. As he was on the floor, The Ugly Colly walked up to him, his smile wider than ever. The sunglasses were back on his face, thank the gods. Emeric wouldn''t have to spend his last moments seeing his hideous smile. "Told you I wouldn''t hurt you," The Ugly Colly chuckled, "That''s just so we can be sure you won''t do anything stupid. Don''t want our trophy hunt running off on us, do we? We''ll get you a medic soon, so you can quit crying." "Fuck you! You fucking primate!" Emeric strained out a yell as he continued to hold his wound, his eyes were closed shut. It was the least he could do to lash out against natural human savagery. Even the warrior elves, uncivilized as they were, had the decency to restrain their violent urges to dedicated torture sessions. Once again proving that for all the humans adored in technological prowess, elves would naturally emerge the more civilized of the two "brother" species. "Oh you... what am I gonna do with you. I know," The Ugly Colly stuck a cigar in his mouth. A Zanican cigar, expensive by the looks of them. The stench of the smoke leaf burning stung at Emeric''s sinuses. The Ugly Colly drew in a breath, before blowing out a cloud of smoke and ash that covered Emeric''s wounded body, a blatant sign of disrespect if there ever was one, despite his dumbass smile. The Ugly Colly gestured to the mustached soldier this time, and then he locked eyes with Emeric while the soldier walked up to him with his rifle in his hands. His smile faded, "Welcome to The Free World, son." Emeric lay there confused, expecting to be shot. A swift blow to the temple with the butt of the soldier''s rifle was all he was met with, before he fell unconscious.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 43: Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 43: Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Kovic carried a sheet of papers as he walked through the facility. Hallways leading to offices, rooms and more hallways. An almost labyrinthine complex that he swiftly navigated through. A left here, a right here, up a flight a stairs, another left another right. His office had grown large inside of the control center of the Nexus. Soldiers saluted as he entered inside of his office, but he dismissed them with a salute back and a wave of the hand. Promptly they left, leaving him to his business. When he opened the door, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his office. A large and wide window let him see the progress that the fortress was making. It filled him with a sort of pride to oversee the growth of the facility, though he couldn¡¯t be too happy about it. This wasn¡¯t what he envisioned. This wasn¡¯t what he wanted. He took a seat promptly at his desk in front of a large array of monitors. His eyes glanced over at a intercom on his desk, holding a stare for a few minutes until it buzzed. He hit a button, and the monitors came to life. >>> ''Welcome to the ACRA Multi-Dimensional Communications Node!'' >>>¡®¡­establishing secure connection¡­¡¯ >>>¡®¡­initializing¡­¡¯ >>>¡®¡­onscreen¡­¡¯ The image of another man appeared, looking back to him. He was dressed in a uniform, a green coat, white shirt, and black tie. On the coat was decorations and insignias of a Coalition High Commander. Authoritative. He looked down at Kovic, as the line was established. ¡°Major Kovic, it¡¯s about time we¡¯ve had this meeting.¡± Kovic calmed his leg that seemed hellbent on nervously jostling, his head nodded along in complete agreement, ¡°Of course. You¡¯ll have to excuse me on my part. We should¡¯ve had this sooner but I¡¯ve had¡­ difficulties establishing an appropriate base of rule-¡° ¡°The reports I''m getting is that you''re trying to turn The Nexus into your own little personal kingdom." "I''ve taken the measures necessary to ensure that Overwatch has appropriate control and that your goals are fulfilled," Kovic said with a polite smile, "It''s all completely under control, I can assure you and the rest of High Command." "It had better be," The General grunted, "We''re giving you a lot of freedom here. A lot of it." "Of course, the aid is always appreciated." "What you do with the Nexus is ultimately up for you to decide, Major. But I''ve gotten your recent request for yet another shipment of Phantoms... and there''s been concerns." "I thought that the supply of prisoners wouldn''t be an issue, sir?" The High Commander shrugged as he leaned back into his chair, "Yes, normally it wouldn''t. But there''s been a bit of a... how do you call it? Let''s just say a spot of bother, here on Earth. And by that, it''s bad news. Resources are strained at the moment, even more so than they already are. There''s been some negotiation between myself and the rest of High Command," The General put on his glasses as he took a cursory glance from a report somewhere just beyond the camera''s field of view, "Our priorities have shifted. The Utopia Project is no longer our top priority." Kovic had to bite his tongue from the words he dreaded most. Didn''t they know that the fate of the human species was at stake here? What could possibly be more important than this? The wave of anger and confusion came at once, but Kovic''s rationale kicked in and it faded before it could materialize. "If I may ask, sir, what exactly would be the cause of this? If there''s anything I can do to fix it, I assure you, I am as loyal as they come to The Coalition''s goals." "I''m afraid it is beyond you, or either of us for that matter. The Resource Wars are flaring up again, and they''re getting worse. It''s some shitshow going down in the South China Sea... again. The POA has our hands tied, and some people back home are throwing around words like ''direct confrontation''. I''m not just talking about some sensationalist piece of public gossip either, High Command itself thinks that this might be it... we may have crossed a line. The big one." "World War Three?" Kovic gawked. "Not yet. But we''re close. As you may have guessed, we can''t exactly keep sending waves of prisoners out to build up the Nexus, when we need all the manpower we can get here on Earth. Recruitment levels back home are as low as they''ve ever been, and the Americans are thinking about starting up another general draft. It''ll be like Korea all over again, except this time - the nukes wont stop with Seoul," The General said with a thin sigh, "You know, Jeremiah, it''s funny. A part of me envies you for being out there on Narva where it''s all isolated from this shitshow. Truly." Kovic was caught off guard by the seemingly innocuous comment, it seemed oddly personal from one of the high commanders. They almost always hid behind a veneer of professionality whenever they spoke to him. Ensuring to never insert their own personal persuasions or emotions into conversations. It made the situation at hand all the more alarming. Was this really... it? "Sir... I can assure you that The Nexus will be available for you to relocate any assets off-world necessary in the event of a global thermonuclear war, I assure you. But, we can''t work while our hands are tied! We''re in the middle of a major offensive operation, the invasion of Helena is ongoing as we speak and you''re telling me that you don''t have enough troops to reinforce us? We''re already in a state of crisis-" "I know, Kovic," Said The General with a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Which is why I''m telling you to fix it. End the war with the locals and for the love of God, stop killing your own prisoners. There aren''t any replacements! Hell, we hardly have enough ammunition and MRE''s to send to Narva to keep your troops supplied. Our resources are not unlimited. Nobody is coming to reinforce you anymore, not until High Command is assured that we wont be vaporized out of existence and the fears of direct warfare with the POA are averted. These are your top orders more than anything else. Anything else is needless and must be put aside. Immediately." Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Kovic''s jaw clenched as he listened. Slowly he nodded, but inside he could feel a part of him bristling with a simmering fury. Again he would have to oblige the whims of non-believers and put Utopia to the side. Why couldn''t they see that what he was doing, he was doing for the fate of all of humanity? Were they really that blind to the mission? How was it possible for them to say that humanity was on the verge of being wiped out, and in the same breath tell him to put their only chance of salvation on hold? Kovic forced a polite smile, and nodded his head, "Yes, of course sir. I understand." Thinly veiled anger tainted each and every single one of his words. Whether The High Commander speaking before him could detect the lingering wrath through the video feed was uncertain. It didn''t matter either way, Kovic would have no choice but to oblige. His near unlimited access to Earthbound resources was the one primary advantage that he had in his control over The Nexus. Any losses that he sustained, be they from the regulars or the penal-unit, could easily be replaced by Overwatch Command. But now... he was on his own. This wasn''t even the same kind of an issue when The Corporate Board came begging Kovic to change course for fear of losing profits. He could always brush them aside and ignore their concerns should they conflict with what Utopia was necessary, or at the very least negotiate to find some sort of compromise. But Overwatch''s word was gospel. He would have no other choice but to divert supplies from the attack on Helena back to The Nexus. That would mean, no more reinforcements, no more support, nothing. The troops would be stuck on their own, and if they couldn''t take the city with what they had... that was it. There would be nothing else they could do but withdraw... And what about the Phantoms? All of this was happening so soon after Kovic put his plans in motion to enforce their collaboration with Overwatch. If they started to starve... or realize just how fragile the situation was... there would be a riot. And with The Nexus'' already strained resources now becoming even more limited, if a revolt from the Phantoms happened now, there might not be enough resources to put it down. The timing could not have been worse. This was The Nexus at its most vulnerable moment, just as it seemed Kovic was on the cusp of solidifying his control, just as Helena was within their grasp... the rug was pulled out from underneath his feet. Leaving him stranded... If there was ever a time to feel like a man adrift in the ocean, drowning, it was now. He could practically see the sharks circling around him. And god help him if the sharks smelled blood. "I understand completely," Kovic said, his smile somehow feeling faker than it ever had. He could feel the dread weighing him down on this inside, as he watched the general close his binder full of documents. "Good. Look, I know these are bizarre circumstances. But the reason we''ve given you so much autonomy is precisely for situations like these. The Nexus needs to be at least somewhat autonomous. That is the point of The Utopia Project, if Earth gets wiped out tomorrow and The Nexus isn''t ready to lose support - what do you think is gonna happen?" The General made a mistake saying that, though he did not realize it. The exhaustion of World War Three''s specter was clearly taking a toll on The High Commander. But Kovic had caught on to every single word. Of course. If Kovic got what he wanted, Utopia would not need The Coalition. Utopia would be rid of the foolhardy generals and commanders who had plunged the world into conflict in the first place. And here those foolhardy generals were, telling him exactly what he needed to hear. "Of course sir, that will be my top priority," Kovic said before bidding the General farewell. Utopia wouldn''t need them at all. In fact... As soon as he was alone in his office, his hands went to the phone on his desk. He pulled out a slip of numbers, above which the name "Katsuro" had been written in his own handwriting. Dialing each number into the landline, he waited. Fingers rapping on the wooden surface of his desk... He heard a familiar voice greet him on the other side, "Overseer! What a pleasant surprise, I wasn''t expecting a call from you at this hour." "Thank you Mister Katsuro, and I wasn''t expecting to give you a call either. But, things change." "How right you are. What can I do for you, Overseer?" Kovic smiled, "I''d like to call in a favor." Over and over a single thought kept repeating in Kovic''s mind. One so tantalizingly irresistible that he could hardly wipe the smile from off of his face, but he needed to be cautious. Over and over again, the image would never leave his thoughts... It was of parasites. Cast into the fire.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading Sitrep A-z4...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==[CRISIS WATCH]== Crisis is a constant. It is something that must always be expected, but can truthfully never be predicted. Crisis can make or break empires, civilizations, societies. Resources falling into a black hole of deficit, powers crumbling, all because of error and mishap, the origin of which may be out of the hands of the ones who suffer most. Crisis destroys... But Crisis may also create. If navigating the hazards of the resource wars have taught Coalition leaders anything, it''s that crises represents opportunity. Radical power shifts and structural changes can be forced underneath the veil of safeguarding populations from a crisis. That is just as true on Planet Earth as it is here, on this hell realm called Planet Narva. Kovic is no different, and in fact, he stands uniquely positioned to take full advantage of any and all crises that may befall his administration. Profit can be found even in the midst of chaos. Yet, it is a delicate balance. One wrong move, and he''s as good as dead. The Nexus cannot completely separate itself from the proverbial umbilical cord of the Portal, which ensures that The Nexus remains tethered to Earth''s affairs. Yet, while Kovic''s overseers are preoccupied with the escalation of The Resource Wars and a potential nuclear exchange, the chance to truly shape The Nexus in his vision remains clear. Of course, this cannot happen while The Nexus burns down. Kovic must first extinguish the fires of crisis, and then rebuild from the devastation. Utopia is reborn, embers from ashes, steel from an inferno, rising to start something new...
==[DIRECT IMAGE LINKS FOR CLEARER RESOLUTION]== >>>[CRISIS WATCH] >>>[THE STATE OF OUR UTOPIA]
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 44: A John Doe Caught In Headlights >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 44: A John Doe Caught In Headlights]===

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Lights flashed from ahead. He could see it. Four wheels. An open top. A machine gun mounted on the back. And in the driver¡¯s seat was none other than the man himself. Sparrow. The rebel managed to get his hands on an Avonian truck. An old, rumbling heap of wheeled metal that resembled a jeep the army would use¡­ nearly a hundred years ago. The gasoline engine was loud and knocked horribly, chugging around the corner like a small freight train. Large rubber tires rolled it along the uneven stone surface, producing a low groveling sound as it moved. The hull was painted a dark gray though the paint was fading in some spots. Purple symbols, a rose and a phoenix, were stamped along the old surface. Imperial symbols no doubt. Golden headlights shone directly onto Eli like ghastly apparitions in the middle of the park''s wall-like hedgerows, freezing him like a deer caught on the road. Just as it appeared like the truck was going to run Eli over, Sparrow slammed the breaks. A painfully loud squeal, rubber burned as the jeep came to a halt about a yard in front of him. Sparrow pointed to the weapon mounted on the back, ¡°Get on the gun!¡± he shouted. Eli rushed, jumping into the open topped vehicle and clasping his hands around the mounted gun¡¯s trigger. He turned until he was aiming it directly to the front ¨C right as the Howler appeared around the corner. Its red eyes were like that of a demon¡¯s, launching itself at the jeep full speed. Sparrow put the truck into reverse gear, and Eli pulled the trigger. With incredible power, the machine gun opened fire. The first bullet missed entirely. The second bullet hardly grazed it, and the third bullet finally hit its mark. Nailing the howler in the chest, before a fourth finished the job. ¡°Drive! Get us the hell out of here!¡± Eli shouted to Sparrow. Sparrow responded by fully sending the jeep into reverse. The tires spun wildly to gain traction, kicking up a storm as it dislodged dirt from the cobblestone path. They were sent flying backwards down the road, with the militia only now catching up to them. In panic, Eli opened fire at them with the gun, though he couldn¡¯t see if it had been of any good use. Sparrow swung the jeep back to the front, and they were flying down the narrow cobblestone paths. ¡°Do you know your way out of here?¡± Eli shouted out. ¡°Nope! We¡¯ll find it though!¡± ¡°We? I¡¯m shooting, you¡¯re the one driving.! ¡°Then quit yappin¡¯ and shoot! I can¡¯t focus!¡± They hit a turn around a corner so tight that it nearly threw Eli from the gun, causing it to misfire and nail a small stone statue off to their side, destroying it completely. The truck swerved and weaved through the path, the massive statues of the park shrinking. The end of this damn park had to be close, at least, so long as Sparrow wasn¡¯t driving them in circles. Every now and again they¡¯d run into a errant Riverlander patrol, forcing Eli to fire the mounted gun. Every bullet sent a wave of recoil flooding through him. Like being on the opposite end of a door being kicked down. Each bullet massive, sending the poorly equipped militia scrambling into cover. And finally, they came across it. The park¡¯s exterior fence, ¡°Hold tight!¡± Sparrow warned. Eli looked behind him to see what he was talking about, only to find out that there was a gate guarding their exit back out into the Renewal District. A gate which had been closed. ¡°Sparrow! Sparrow! What are you doing? The gate¡¯s closed!¡± ¡°Shock and awe!¡± ¡°What? No! NO!¡± ¡°Brace!¡± Sparrow slammed down on the gas, sending the jeep lurching forwards. The engine let out a roar that warned them it was approaching the limit that Sparrow could push it to. The militia formed up behind them, opening fire on the fleeing vehicle. With bullets flying past them, just barely missing their bodies, the truck collided with the gate. And it punched through. It was like a bomb had gone off, as the metal hull of the jeep smashed into the gate. Sparks and loose metal went flying into pieces around them, to which Eli was hit by a few. Yet, they had somehow lived. The car was spat out into the street after the violent collision. Sparrow jerked the wheel to the side, forcing the jeep to fish tail and spin out on the road bringing them to a full stop, ¡°See! I told you, shock and awe always works!¡± ¡°Just get us out of here, man!¡± ¡°Working on it!¡± Sparrow floored it once again, but the car wouldn¡¯t respond. He tried putting it into different gears, even putting it in reverse, but nothing would budge, ¡°Ah¡­ scrap.¡± Eli could see a mob of very angry soldiers approaching them. They were advancing, and fast. Opening fire from their well protected positions within the park proper. Eli knew that reinforcements would arrive, not just from inside the park but elsewhere, ¡°Come on! What¡¯s holding us up?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the engine! I might¡¯ve stalled her out!¡± ¡°Fix it!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying! It¡¯s an old utility truck, this thing was built before the scrappin¡¯ Sacred War! Terribly outdated stuff they¡¯re giving the Riverlanders really, the Avonians are just arming them with whatever¡¯s in the ¨C¡° ¡°DUDE, I DON¡¯T CARE! JUST DRIVE!¡± ¡°IN A MINUTE!¡± The gunfire exchanged between the two grew more intense. Eli had to duck down low to avoid having a hole punched through his skull by the red pulses of energy being hurled at him. All the while, he kept his hand holding down the trigger. Firing completely in the dark for survival¡¯s sake. At this rate, he wasn¡¯t even sure if he was hitting anything. All he knew was that the moment the gun stopped firing, they¡¯d be in serious trouble. And then the gun stopped firing. His heart raced as he dared standing up to inspect it. He could pull the trigger just fine, and it sounded like the pin was being fired, so it wasn¡¯t a jam. Come to think of it, he hadn¡¯t seen any actual bullets being loaded into the gun or casings being ejected from where a case would normally get tossed out. Instead, there was a large metal box on the side of the weapon which looked to contain whatever ammunition it fired, and when it was opened a glossy black stone greeted Eli¡¯s desperate eyes. It looked like an ekron stone, just like the ones loaded into a pulser ¨C but far larger. It occurred to him that the stone was depleted by some means, and he needed a new one! ¡°I need another rock!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A stone! ekraw! ekra!¡± Eli called out incorrectly. ¡°You mean ¡®Ekron¡¯?¡± ¡°Whatever! The stupid gun¡¯s empty!¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Sparrow took a brief look through the back of the truck, his eyes scanning the back of it, before he produced another stone from underneath a crate near Eli¡¯s feet. This time, it was a bright ruby red instead of the onyx color that the depleted stone had. Eli quickly swapped the surprisingly weighty stones, and when the replenished ekron was inserted, the gun automatically accepted it. Like a machine, the ekron was inserted deeper into the box, hidden out of sight. Once the stone was fully inserted, a red glow oozed from the length of the gun¡¯s barrel. Ready to fire. Eli once again pulled the trigger, just before the militia could advance any further to put them in jeopardy. The machine started to kick back with a renewed vigor, spewing hundreds of red energy pulses in only a second. From the front, the engine roared once more, and a very delighted Sparrow emerged turned to face Eli. ¡°She lives, Comrade! She lives!¡± He laughed maniacally to the purr of the engine. ¡°I¡¯m not your comrade, dude,¡± Eli whispered under his breath, of course Sparrow couldn¡¯t hear him over the gunfire and general chaos surrounding them, ¡°Get us out of here!¡± Sparrow slammed on the accelerator, evidenced by the engine picking up and the car booming forwards. It was enough to again knock Eli from his feet, but he quickly regained his balance. Sparrow drove until the angry mob of armed militia grew distant past the city blocks and destruction¡­ but there was something else following them. Another truck, just like theirs. Open topped, four wheeled, and fast. There was a soldier on the gun who got to firing immediately when he saw the duo peel away. It forced Eli down to avoid being struck, as he opened fire with his own machine gun to push their pursuers back. But with the rocking motion of the car and the fact that he couldn¡¯t fully stand to aim properly, his aiming was erratic. He watched hopelessly as his bullets ricocheted off the chassis of the truck. Another barrage of bullets were sent flying their way, narrowly missing Eli¡¯s head and instead striking the glass windshield which shattered into hundreds of small pieces, ¡°Heavens above Eli! Take care of them!¡± ¡°I¡¯m trying!¡± ¡°Try harder!¡± Sparrow jerked the steering wheel to take a sharp right turn, throwing Eli completely off balance until his body was sent careening into the metal walls guarding him. It was enough force to knock the air out of his lungs ¨C at least briefly until the car corrected itself, and he was thrown in the exact opposite direction. ¡°For the love of God Sparrow¡­ can you please drive straight?¡± Eli wearily asked him, though his voice was just above a whisper, and Sparrow couldn¡¯t hear. It didn¡¯t matter anyway. The turn was enough to buy Eli enough time to get back on the gun. And this time, he¡¯d be ready for their pursuers. Inevitably the pursuing jeep rounded the corner, its engine basically screaming to catch up to the two. But joined by the jeep, were two more. They bounded the corner in hot pursuit, ¡°They¡¯ve brought more!¡± Eli shouted out while he opened fire. ¡°Scrap! Hold on! I¡¯m gonna try and lose them!¡± Sparrow shouted back, shifting the truck into another gear. Meanwhile, Eli tried his best to keep up the fire. He managed to render one out of service by nailing its tire, sending them careening into a storefront to the side. Another bullet came close to nailing the driver, forcing them to swerve out of the way. But still, there were three more trucks in pursuit of them, and Eli needed to find at least some way to at the very least delay them enough to get past. Again, Sparrow hit a turn, sending their creaky old truck drifting into a narrow street. Markets on either side of the road were still stuffed full of goods that hadn¡¯t been put away by the fleeing residents. Tents had been drawn out to the sides, concealing tons of wares underneath them. As the other trucks rounded the corner, the connection in his mind was made almost instantly. He turned his gun to open fire on the wares, setting them loose and scattering into the middle of the street behind them. Hundreds of jars full of liquid, fruits, vegetables, sealed containers, all of them spilled out into the street. While most of it was immediately crushed by the wheels of the trucks without issue, some were more troublesome. Rocking their trucks far too much for them to get an accurate shot off, getting lodged into the wheels, or even for the sharp glass and wood that splintered into the street ¨C popping tires. The second truck pursuing them lost its front tires with a loud bang, and it spun out on the road, crashing into the third ¨C leaving finally just one more aggressive and very pissed off pursuer. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Both trucks exchanged gunfire as their speeds slowed down to a crawl. The roads through the Renewal District curved and grew even narrower. It forced both trucks to take uncomfortable turns through the densely packed street. Eli tried his best to shoot the gunner, but every time he managed to get the iron sights placed over his head, the trucks would again turn. After around a minute of back-and-forth, the bleak concrete architecture of the Renewal District once again took over, and with one final turn, the truck swerved onto the main road. The very same one that drove straight through the labyrinth of towering corporate monuments, flashy glass store signs, and straight roads ¨C the very same one that Sparrow and Eli had first emerged onto. But instead of following them onto the main thoroughfare, the truck in pursuit slowed down. It refused to go on¡­ ¡°They¡¯re backing off!¡± Eli noted to Sparrow. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t follow us! I think they¡¯ve given up!¡± ¡°No¡­ no! They never just ¡®give up¡¯! Especially not after what we just did!¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see anyone else on the road! It¡¯s just us!¡± ¡°Then you aren¡¯t looking right! Keep your eyes on a swivel and make sure that scrappin¡¯ gun is ready to-¡° There was a blood curling screech that broke Sparrow¡¯s words. Like a hammer, smashing clean through a glass pane, it broke the brief tranquility that was offered from the truck stopping in its tracks. Eli¡¯s heart sunk straight to his stomach, fearing that a sentry had suddenly appeared in front of them, ready to make quick work of them as they lacked any form of defense against them. But the screech ¨C though mechanical ¨C was far different from any noise a sentry would make. He knew what it was. Eli practically threw the gun up towards the skies, but between the upper floors of the skyscrapers, he could spot nothing of immediate concern. But he kept searching, turning to face the source when another roar rumbled from somewhere to his side. Though the rushing breeze made it hard for him to focus, he could clearly see in between the gaps of the buildings that something airborne was stalking them. It was large, had massive wings to either side, and a long reptilian tail. ¡°Dragon! It¡¯s a dragon!¡± He yelled. The body of the half-machine half-creature was visible only for a split second before it vanished behind yet another monolith of a building. Losing sight of the beast was just as unnerving as laying eyes on it. There was little he could do to harm the monster and he doubted shooting it would work, though perhaps it could. His eyes kept scanning the surroundings for it, fingers shaky around the trigger of the machine gun. The skies suddenly became a threat to him as if the clouds themselves would hurl a massive bomb down onto their truck and blow them away. The dragon lurked somewhere, but where? From ahead came yet another screech, Eli snapped the gun onto the source of the noise as fast as he could muster, and he was able to catch the glimpse of the coal-black creature as it turned a corner. Its eyes a demonic ekron red, its agape maw brewing with hot fire, it¡¯s wings like curtains that cast a dark shadow onto the streets below. Each bat of the wings made a miniature cloud of dust swirl on the empty streets. The monster was hurtling itself towards Eli and Sparrow! The beast opened its muzzle and red hot fire began shooting out from its depths ¨C like a flamethrower torching everything in its path. Wood, concrete, steel, glass ¨C it did not matter. All ignited at the touch of the dragon¡¯s flame. Eli opened fire and he swore up and down that each bullet hit the body of the creature, but it didn¡¯t seem to care. Shrugging off the hits like they were nothing. The hard dragon scales protecting the obvious parts. Just as it seemed that they were about to be incinerated, Sparrow threw the truck into a hard swerve, sending them careening off course to the left. Eli could only watch as the body of the dragon tried to correct in time to burn them, but it flew right over and past the truck like a jet zooming past. ¡°Holy shit!¡± Eli shouted as the hooked wingtip of the flying cyborg death creature missed him by only a few inches. He could feel a strong gust of air following the creature as it sailed past them, enough to get under his uniform and blow ripples through it. He held onto both the gun and the maneuvering truck for dear life. The dragon flew away for only a brief second before it spread its wings out to come to a full stop. It hovered in the air for a moment and twisted itself to face them. With another bat of the wings, the dragon went cruising once again ¨C this time in hot pursuit of the truck. Eli once again opened fire, but he couldn¡¯t tell if he was hitting something or not ¨C but either way the creature still looked unharmed. He stopped opening fire which was throwing both his balance and aim off, and looked carefully at what he was doing. Every bullet mattered he figured. He needed to be smart. Two red eyes. Both machine parts. A potential weak spot. He knew that the gun was inaccurate, but if he could gather all the strength he had, maybe¡­ He decided it was the best course of action, but to aim that precisely he would need the dragon to get closer. Much closer. Scarily close in fact. Luckily for him, the dragon was sprinting in an attempt to catch up to the speeding truck. Both the dragon and the fleeing vehicle were speeding straight down the middle of the Renewal District, with Sparrow constantly having to swerve in order to miss abandoned cars or piles of rubble that had gathered in the middle of the road. The brutalist concrete buildings were practically walls on either side of the street, and the road was the hallway straight through the middle. Eli only had one shot at this. Right when the dragon inched closer, ready to let it¡¯s flamethrower loose onto them, and when the red of it¡¯s eyes were like giant portals into the flaming pits of hell¡­ he knew it was time. He jerked on the trigger and hardened his body around the gun with as much force as he could muster to try and counter the recoil. Red pulses were set free into the air¡­ And they hit right on target. The ekron energy pulses hit the left cybernetic eye of the dragon with brutal effect, destroying the computer parts and causing them to combust into red flame. The dragon screeched in pain, and it spread its wings out to climb higher ¨C aborting its strafing run to peel off and fly upwards toward the skies. It left behind a trail of mechanical parts that had peeled off from the left eye, with some parts hanging loose. ¡°Yeah! How¡¯s that feel, asshole? Fuck! You!¡± Eli felt the exhilarating rush coursing through his body, feeling almost maniacal, still shooting at the body of the dragon as it began its frenzied ascent into the open skies. But just when the truck had gained some distance, and it seemed like the battle had been won ¨C the dragon stopped in the middle of the air. Wings spread out like those of a phoenix rising from the flames. It pulled them in once more, turned, and fell into a sharp dive. Faster than it had ever gone before the dragon had not given up as easily as Eli hoped. ¡°Scrappin¡¯ hell, it¡¯s coming in for another go at us!¡± Sparrow shouted. ¡°Yeah, I know!¡± It was faster than the truck, much faster, with the dive helping it¡¯s fall. It screeched through the air sending a wavering echo through the corridor like street of Renewal. Sparrow pressed onto the accelerator, making the engine scream as they kept at their attempts to flee. But no matter how fast the truck could go, the dragon was faster. Again, it opened its jaws. Flames brewing from deep within. Eli tried the machine gun again, hoping to strike it in the mouth in what he assumed would¡¯ve been a massive weak spot. But the dragon had learned from last time. It swayed left and right through the air, making aiming accurately with the heavy gun damn near impossible! Eli had to focus, the erratic swerving of the truck threw his aim off - but it was oddly predictable. If he could time his movements just right in sync with the motion of the truck, then maybe... He sucked a breath of air in, waiting for an opportunity. The dragon was getting closer, jaws agape and burning with a pit of hot molten fire ready to spew out and incinerate the two humans at any moment. The sway of the gun with each motion of the truck swung the barrel around off target, but Eli focused. Waiting for it to get closer. "Eli...?" Sparrow cautioned, turning back briefly to see the dragon''s cybernetic frame gain ground on their tail. Eli moved his finger back over the trigger, the jaws closed for a brief moment, denying Eli the opportunity he was waiting for. The lizard used the moment to beat its wings faster, catching up, before opening its maw again. "Eli!" "Hold on," Eli muttered, still trying his best to wrestle back control of the gun. Precision would be key, if he fucked this up, it would be over. Closer, the dragon got. And closer. Closer still... "FOR FUCKS SAKE SHOOT THE DAMN THING-" Eli gritted his teeth, watching as the flames of the dragon stirred. It was about to unleash its napalm-like breath once again. The gun swayed directly onto target, there was no greater opportunity than now. With a quick finger, Eli pulled on the trigger, sending a powerful flurry of rounds out of the gun''s barrel and into the dragon''s maw. Each bullet pierced the roof of its mouth, sparking, igniting. A burst of uncontrollable fire spewed from within its throat, engulfing the dragon''s head in a cloud of black smoke and flames. It let out a powerful drying shriek as the bullets pierced through its skull. There was a massive explosion that enveloped both them and the dragon. Eli was deafened by the sounds of parts bursting, metal scraping, and fire churning behind him. The fireball was massive¡­ Yet, they drove out of it unharmed. The dragon on the other hand... Although the body was still gliding through the air, a hole had been carved through its skull. It¡¯s remaining red eye had died to a coal black, and the fiery hell that was in its throat was extinguished. The dragon was dead. The corpse went careening into the ground, knocking down streetlamps, tearing up the concrete, and completely throwing the truck into an uncontrollable spin with it. Each and every attempt Eli made to try and regain control over the gun had failed, leaving his only option to hold on for dear life and not get thrown off. Narrowly, they avoided being crushed by the dragon¡¯s body and they were instead sent careening into the sidewalk. Knocking over lampposts, signs, and garbage cans that lined the pedestrian sidewalk. Sparrow managed to keep the truck steady enough to avoid getting sent hurling into the buildings flanking their sides. Sparks, dirt, debris, all of it mixed in a cloud of chaos and devastation that ran straight down the road as both the truck and the dragon crashed. Luckily for Eli and Sparrow their crash came to a safe ¨C though abrupt and rocky ¨C end. As the sounds of the chaos surrounding them ebbed, and the dust cleared, the two were left alone. Finally. Eli hadn¡¯t realized it until far after the fact, but he had a death grip on the gun handle. His arms were shaking, heart pounding in his chest like a rabid animal thrashing to get loose. His brown skin was clammy and cold and his mind scrambled. He tried to steady his breathing, one breath at a time, fingers still clasped around the gun as if the dragon which had plummeted to its death would reanimate and hunt them down once more. Thankfully, Avonian technology was not yet that advanced, for the corpse remained as such. Dormant, smoking, dead. Sparrow on the other hand was absolutely enthralled, ¡°WOO! YEAH! Now that is what I¡¯m talking about! We are un-scrappin¡¯-killable!¡± He cheered, standing up to pump a fist into the air, "That was insane! Heaven''s above Eli, if I''d known you were that good of a shot I wouldn''t have worried about taking you onboard with us. We need more people like you for one." Eventually their eyes met. Sparrow¡¯s impish smile turned to confusion when he saw that Eli was far from matching his energy. "What?" Sparrow asked. Eli, still shaken, shook his head from left to right, "S-sparrow... we almost died." "Key word - almost," Sparrow didn''t miss a beat at all, gesturing to the smoking corpse buried halfway in the pavement just next to their stranded truck, "Fucking hell, live a little, stop being so moody all the time. That was scrappin'' awesome! It''s not everyday you shoot a dragon out of the sky, I''ll tell you that." Eli swallowed, forcing himself to nod, "O-okay. Yeah," his voice cracked and tore with remnants of adrenaline still coursing freely through his body, "You''re right. It isn''t every day that I shoot a dragon out of the sky. Maybe it''s because where I''m from, DRAGONS DON''T EXIST!" Eli didn''t know why he decided to shout at Sparrow, he was frustrated but didn''t know why exactly. He fought to steady his breath, ignoring the sympathetic look and quiet sigh Sparrow offered as an answer. "Look, son. I get it. You aren''t from Narva, right... I get that," Sparrow went on, looking down at the floor, "But you''ve gotta make a choice. Earth or Narva. You''re in between two worlds right now. Either you''re here, or you''re there. You can''t be both. You get what I''m saying?" Eli inhaled, "Yeah... I chose Earth a long time ago." "You sure?" Sparrow asked, "You''re getting in deep on this Planet. There''s something about you, Eli. I have a feeling you''ll stick around." "No. No, I won''t. I will not, I refuse..." Eli muttered. Sparrow sighed as sat back down in his drivers seat. His mechanical arm briefly showed underneath the bandages as he placed a hand back over the wheel, ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot to learn about this world.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve even scratched the surface¡­¡± ¡°Trust me, Comrade, you¡¯ll have plenty of time and opportunities to dig deeper. You¡¯re a good fighter. They¡¯ll need you.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Eli asked him. Sparrow started the engine of the car, giving a smug look as the engine ¨C by some miracle ¨C jumped to life, ¡°Your bosses. The Coalition. You¡¯re useful and you¡¯ll know more than most about this war. They¡¯ll want to keep you as an asset when this is over and done with.¡± ¡°What exactly do you know about me?¡± ¡°Enough. I know you were in Raritan, and I know you were the primary reason why the War isn¡¯t being fought like it was a year ago ¨C deep into warrior elf soil. You¡¯ve gotta know at least a few things about this world by now?¡± ¡°No¡­ nothing but a vague idea.¡± Sparrow only hummed in recognition. Slowly the car backed away. They drove slowly past the still smoking carcass of the dragon, buried now in a mix of dirt and broken chunks of concrete. It sat like a downed aircraft in the middle of the road. Vanquished. Conquered. It couldn¡¯t bother them now¡­ They peeled off and Eli had a strange though somber feeling twinge through his heart as he watched the skyscrapers of the Renewal District fly by and grow smaller. Their surfaces glowing red in the face of the afternoon sun. Dark clouds hinted at worse trouble to come on the horizon, the battle was far from over. Even this victory, as consequential as it was, was but a raindrop in a storm. One battle over, but the worst was yet to come¡­
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===[Chapter 45: Broken Transmission]===

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With the evening sun chasing their backs, they drove briskly through the streets of Helena. Eventually the concrete blocks of Renewal faded away and morphed into the neglected tenements of the city. The people were either gone or hidden inside of their sheltered hiding spots. Eli could hardly tell. What he did know was that he was exhausted. He refused to blink for fear that letting his eyelids touch for even a second would seal them shut. But eventually the rocking motion of the truck got to him, and he drifted into sleep. It had been a long day after all. He deserved at least a moment¡¯s rest. He awoke not too long after to Sparrow elbowing his shoulder. When his groggy eyes opened, he saw the sight of a palm tree passing slowly over his head. Its ferny crest flanked by the increasing dusk of the evening sky. The ULA base was within view, yellow stucco walls like an ancient Spanish Missionary. Slowly the jeep lurched forward, the engine sounding as if it would give in at any moment. Yet it held firm enough to cross the last few meters. ¡°Sleeping on my watch?¡± Sparrow asked him with an impish grin as they approached the base. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day.¡± ¡°There¡¯s still plenty to do.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Eli flatly said. Even he could hear the exhaustion in his own voice though. He hoped that there would be at least some chance for him to get an hour or so of rest before they embarked on their next job, but it seemed dashed by Sparrow¡¯s insistence on being hasty. Not like Eli could blame him, they were pressed for time after all. If anything, it should¡¯ve been Eli trying to rush Sparrow for speed, but alas, he was under Sparrow¡¯s command. For now. ¡°I need you to stay awake long enough so we can get a message through to your commanders. Now that their Anti-Air missiles are down, we can do what you came to Helena for in the first place.¡± Eli nodded, ¡°No rest for the wicked.¡± Sparrow chuckled, ¡°First time I¡¯ve heard that one.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s from the Bible.¡± ¡°The what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an Earth thing¡­ a religious book.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Sparrow hummed, ¡°You¡¯re a believer?¡± Eli shook his head. Sparrow frowned as he turned back to the road. ¡°You need to tell me more about Earth when you get the chance.¡± Eli chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m sure Overwatch will do that enough on their own.¡± ¡°I want to hear it from the perspective of a prisoner, not from the generals.¡± ¡°Maybe one day,¡± He repeated, ¡°So long as you tell me about Narva.¡± Sparrow looked satisfied with the answer, ¡°You have yourself a deal,¡± his peppered hair blew in the wind. Through dark sunglasses, Sparrow seemed deep in thought. The glint of the setting orange sun shining off the dark brown lenses which cast shadows over his eyes. Eli thought back to Otaes. He remembered her warnings about Sparrow. Eli couldn¡¯t say that he trusted Sparrow fully, but he trusted him enough to keep him alive during a fight. At least, if Sparrow¡¯s safety was on the line too. He felt tempted to ask what had happened between Sparrow and Otaes that she felt it dire enough to literally grab onto Eli¡¯s sleeve to stop him from going with Sparrow. But at the same time, would asking Sparrow ruin what could otherwise be a good shot at gaining his trust? He looked like a worthwhile ally, someone who had a lot of soldiers at his disposal and a lot of sway within this new world. It¡¯d be wise to remain on Sparrow¡¯s good side. And even if Sparrow did tell, whose to say he¡¯d tell the truth? Whose to say he wasn¡¯t a liar, perhaps a reason why Otaes was so untrusting of him? Perhaps Eli had already been duped by the man and he hadn¡¯t realized it¡­? He kept his lips sealed. Now wasn¡¯t the time or place. But he wasn¡¯t sure if either would come to ask before it was revealed to him. One way or another. ¡°Speaking of Earth¡­¡± Sparrow started again, the sunlight glinting off the glossy metallic frame of his aviators as he gave Eli a quick glance with his hazel eyes above them, ¡°You¡¯ve got family back home?¡± Silently Eli shook his head. Sparrow raised his eyebrow in almost disbelief, ¡°None? Really?¡± ¡°Lost them when I was a kid.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sparrow nodded along, ¡°Close friends? Lover?¡± He added a mischievous inflection in his voice when he said the word lover, and gave Eli a nudge on the shoulder. It made Eli chuckle a bit. ¡°Aw come on-¡° ¡°Well spit it out,¡± Sparrow gave Eli a playful punch in the shoulder with his free hand, ¡°Tell me, who¡¯s your darling sweetheart waiting for you back home? Eh? Who¡¯s the girl? Or boy?¡± ¡°Dude, what?¡± ¡°Look Eli, it''s 1240 here on Narva. Being gay''s quite common in The Commonwealth, that¡¯s completely fine-¡° ¡°No, it''s not that,¡± Eli chuckled to himself, "Just... there''s nobody." ¡°Aww come off it. You seem dead set on getting back to Earth, you¡¯ve gotta have somebody back home. Mother? Father? Close friend? Romantic interest? Anyone?¡± Eli pondered the question for a bit, craning the question to watch the landscape pass by them. He of course had friends. Briefly. When he was a kid the friendships he made were valuable to him but unfortunately, they could never last long. Either he was relocated or the other kids were. When he was in Korea things were a bit more stable with his squad. He had close friends in that ill-fated squad of soldiers during the outbreak of war, and if he was willing to ignore the literal torture they were subjected to, he could clearly remember the good moments spent with them. A few of those marines he''d even classified as close to his heart. Really close. Romantically? Probably not. But as close to that as he felt with just about anyone... Only for him to abandon them all in a nuclear explosion. The very people who had his back through the worst moments of his life were all dead. Betrayed... the memory of Seoul brought a disgusted scowl to Eli''s face, and he fiercely shook his head, "Nah. Not really," He answered with finality to Sparrow''s question. Silently, he dreaded the idea of having to reveal the true reason why he was imprisoned to Sparrow, when he realized he hadn''t even told Misfit the full story of what happened yet. Juma''s warning rang in his head... ¡°So, you¡¯re just alone? That¡¯s it? How come?¡± Eli shrugged, ¡°Between having my home washed away by a storm and spending most of my childhood moving between refugee centers by myself I just¡­ never had the time to really make friends. At all. Or I guess I never learned how to.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to learn what¡¯s natural. Nature just finds a way with that kind of thing, you know?¡± ¡°Yeah, well it never found its way with me,¡± Eli sighed, ¡°Thanks for reminding me that I¡¯m lonely too, I¡¯ll add that to the list of reasons why I hate myself.¡± ¡°Fucks sake, now you''re making me depressed.¡± "You asked." Sparrow chuckled, "I guess I did... but what about Misfit?" The question sent a twinge of dread through Eli''s core, "What about them?" He asked. "You all seem close. Like family, you know?" "Well yeah, I mean, they''re good friends of mine. Of course. But, that''s just because of the circumstances. We don''t have a choice but to at least tolerate each other, you know? I promised that I''d get them back to Earth. And I uh... I''ve gotta stick by them. I have to. But there isn''t anything deeper beyond that. I''m just doing my job." "Is that right?" Sparrow asked him. "They look after me." Sparrow frowned again, accepting that as a final answer... There was activity in front of the base as they drew near. Rebels rushed to the outer plaza ¨C guns in hand ¨C ordering for the truck to stop. After all, they were in a Riverlander truck. But they calmed down when they saw Sparrow raise his hand to assuage them, and they stood aside to let them enter. They came to a stop and hopped out of the truck, making their way towards the headquarters. Rebels opened the doors ahead of them, and Eli braced himself for the trek through the ocean of refugees. But when they took a step into the dimly lit hall, he realized that it had grown noticeably quieter. The people were all still there, if anything there seemed to be more, but everyone was silent ¨C more or less. When Eli tried to find Sparrow, he realized he¡¯d been pulled off by a group of rebels who were chatting about something. They handed Sparrow a sheet of paper that he quickly flipped through. Sparrow frowned, muttering something to them, before following the rebels somewhere deeper within the base leaving Eli alone. ¡°Yo, Eli!¡± His attention was piqued when he heard his name through the air. Dutch waved him down from across the room. Only discernable from the bright orange piping of the prisoner¡¯s uniform ¨C otherwise he would¡¯ve just blended in to the background. Drawing past the row of makeshift beds and first aid stations, the two Phantoms drew near. Dutch¡¯s face was straight, taking his stride towards Eli as if he were about to punch him right in the jaw, ¡°Eli! Jesus dude we were starting to get worried!¡± Dutch¡¯s expression softened for a moment right before he drew too close to be within punching distance, he outreached a arm and the two shared a brotherly hug before drawing away, ¡°I told you I¡¯d be fine. We¡¯re Misfit. We¡¯re damn near invincible.¡± Eli said. ¡°Sure. Look, we¡¯ve got bad news. The rebels are running out of supplies to help the people here, and out of all of us, Matteo''s the only one who has any useful medical experience. We''re just extra hands for the most part. We tried to help out the rebels while we could but there¡¯s hardly any food or water anywhere,¡± Dutch said. ¡°There are stores everywhere, still have their goods inside. Why not grab what¡¯s there.¡± ¡°We tried, but most of the city is still under the enemy¡¯s control. There¡¯s not a single market around here that hasn¡¯t been drained already. Please tell me you¡¯ve got a way to talk to Overwatch,¡± Dutch begged him, his eyes wide in hidden fear. ¡°Relax. I¡¯m working on it with Sparrow. He says that they''ve got something that can break through the Avonian signal jam. Once we can get that up and running, we¡¯ll call our ride out of here!¡± Eli said with the best smile he could conjure up, but it didn¡¯t seem to cheer Dutch up that much. Just behind his usually friendly demeanor, Dutch still looked scared. Eli lightly punched Dutch¡¯s shoulder, ¡°C¡¯mon man! Cheer up! We¡¯re getting the hell out of this place. When we complete our mission, Overwatch might even reward us. We can get our sentences shortened for this one!¡± ¡°Eli, it¡¯s not us I¡¯m worried about,¡± Dutch muttered, leaning in close. He gestured his head to what surrounded them, ¡°It¡¯s them. What are we gonna do about the people?¡± Eli looked. All around them was of course the refugees. The wounded. The sick. The innocent. ¡°They¡¯re phantoms, Eli. We can¡¯t just leave them here!¡± ¡°Dutch-¡° ¡°And before you say that there¡¯s nothing we can do, there is! There is something we can do!¡± He pointed to the monitor on Eli¡¯s wrist, ¡°Look. Fuck Matteo. Fuck being practical! We can at the very least ask Overwatch, I know that they have more than enough space! Four of us went out into an alien jungle alone to go and rescue the rest of our squad, and we made it back alive.¡± ¡°Except for Cato.¡± ¡°Except for Cato,¡± Dutch affirmed, ¡°Look, I think Cato was an asshole. Alright? But he died fighting for what he believed in. And that¡¯s more than most in the Penal Unit can say. Am I wrong?¡± Eli again took a look at the crowd. Sighing to himself, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll ask Overwatch. But I ¨C We ¨C can¡¯t do anything more than that. I¡¯m sorry but it¡¯s just not possible. There¡¯s only six of us, and we¡¯re just prisoners. I¡¯m sorry, Dutch.¡± Eli admitted. Dutch caved in, looking like he knew that would be the expected response from Eli, ¡°Yeah¡­ well at least ask. It¡¯s the least we could do.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best. I will get us out of Helena and Narva. Alive. I promised you that when we got out of solitary, and that still holds.¡± Dutch coyly smiled, ¡°Good. If you abandon us, I¡¯ll shoot you myself. Better yet, I¡¯ll get Badger to torture you first for the hell of it.¡± ¡°The horror,¡± Eli said, words blunt like a wet towel being thrown to the wall. ¡°Gentlemen!¡± A voice chirped in from behind. Sparrow¡¯s. He¡¯d returned back from whatever he was occupied with to confront the two squadmates, ¡°Hate to break the reunion, but you and me, we¡¯ve got business to attend to. Come on then!¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± Eli sighed, looking back at his friend, ¡°I¡¯ll get back to you, soon as I can!¡± Dutch nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll tell the others! See you around, Free ¨C man.¡±
Sparrow led him through a set of doors on the far side taking them to a massive staircase. Mahogany steps were guarded by cast iron railings, intricate in design. Large windows let in the sight of the city, the Renewal district was burning in the distance. Fires highlighted by the increasing darkness of the sky, yet vibrant red and purple skies were tempered by an armada of angry clouds closing in from the east. Dark, massive, and ripping with thunder. It had gotten even closer to the city since Eli had last spotted it, now perhaps right on the edge of the city¡¯s furthest limits, threatening to shroud them all. Gunfire sparkled in the night sky on the far edges, illuminating the night with their distinct colors. Helena was on fire. ¡°We¡¯ve got word coming in of a gas attack in one of the residential areas,¡± Sparrow said to them as he climbed the first set, ¡°I tried to tell them we don¡¯t have the capacity for it, but they just keep bringing the refugees here. I don¡¯t have enough doctors, and I barely have enough supplies for my shooters. We¡¯ve only got five of those rockets left. Down from fifty when we started.¡± ¡°They have that many sentries?¡± ¡°And dozens more if we¡¯re just counting just the ones the Riverlanders have here. Plus, it¡¯s not just the sentries. That¡¯s why we were counting on the help of the Coalition. They outgun and outnumber us.¡± ¡°You have those rocket launchers, right? The ones that kill sentries? Where do you get them from?¡± Eli asked, ¡°You made them yourselves?¡± Sparrow shook his head, ¡°They¡¯re Ostralander weapons. Most of the ones we have are leftovers that the Commonwealth abandoned during the last war. Some are smuggled. And a few the Commonwealth sold to us. Under the table.¡± ¡°Why the secrecy?¡± ¡°Like I said, the last war was disastrous. For everyone. The Commonwealth and Avonia threw bombs, soldiers, money, and weapons out here for almost a decade. All they ended up with was a ceasefire. They¡¯re hesitant to do it again, and without the Ostralander Congress voting on it ¨C it¡¯s technically illegal for them to intervene. Besides, the Ostralanders aren¡¯t the only ones with glitterbombs anymore. The Avonian¡¯s have been testing theirs, and a direct confrontation with those types of bombs¡­¡± Sparrow whistled, ¡°It¡¯ll make the Sacred War look like a firework show.¡± ¡°The Sacred War?¡± ¡°It was the most destructive conflict in this planet¡¯s history. There were three Orderist empires, the Valdacian Order, The Oranian Empire, and the Heavenly Dragon Empire. Their regimes were built on the supremacy of magical elves and dragons at the enslavement of everybody else. Within five years, most of Farewind and almost all of Drakaria had been conquered by their armies. It forced the other free nations of the world, the Ostralands and Avonia ironically enough, to align with each other in order to defeat the two. The Allies managed to destroy the Orderites here on Farewind. But in Drakaria, the Heavenly Empire was never fully defeated. When the war ended, the two allies split. And now, we¡¯re caught in a Cold War between the three remaining superpowers. The Commonwealth, the Empire, and the Dragons.¡± ¡°The Sacred War¡­¡± Eli mused. ¡°The Commonwealth''s spies sold us these guns conditionally, but it can hardly match a fraction of what we need,¡± Sparrow said, steering the conversation back on track, ¡°Besides, we don¡¯t exactly have the money to keep buying from them ¨C and they don¡¯t have the cover to keep the secrecy up. If their Congress ever found out about the deals we¡¯ve made well¡­ it could be a political nightmare for them, and a noose ¡®round the neck for us. If the Ostralands and Commonwealth won¡¯t support us, we¡¯re hoping that your Coalition will. And we could really use the support right now.¡± ¡°So, you have a way to break through the communications jamming? Right?¡± Sparrow nodded, ¡°It¡¯s far from ideal. We¡¯ll have to use the Energy Lance.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Sparrow surmounted the final flight of steps, and looked back with a brief grin of recognition, ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± Two rebels guarded a door with their weapons in hand. One elf and the other a human. The elf was mean mugging Eli, a glare which Sparrow noticed and stuck his hand out in warning, ¡°Stand aside comrades, he¡¯s with me.¡± Though the elf was hardly impressed, he did as told. Holding his gun tighter when Eli approached to go through the wooden door. ¡°I apologize for all the hostility. They think you and your comrades are Ostralanders.¡± ¡°I thought they were your allies?¡± ¡°Our relationship is complicated. They¡¯re imperialists ¨C just like the Avonians. And at times they¡¯re downright evil. It¡¯s just that their kind of evil isn¡¯t the one that¡¯s bombing us. For now.¡± ¡°So, they¡¯re a useful enemy?¡± ¡°Everyone is an enemy to the revolutionary. We fight the status quo. That doesn¡¯t make you a lot of friends. Not in this world,¡± He smiled though as he turned to Eli, ¡°But we¡¯d be willing to make an exception to you and your squad. You¡¯re convicts right? Phantoms would make fine revolutionaries.¡± ¡°My friend Rafael would take you up on that ¨C probably,¡± Eli chuckled, ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m no rebel. I just want to stay alive and go back to Earth. Same for Misfit. Most of them at least.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Sparrow said, ¡°A lot can change.¡± ¡°You¡¯re preaching to the choir on that one.¡± Sparrow seemed satisfied with the answer, leading him through yet another door. This time, it led them into a large open room, the previously meticulous wood and stone carvings built as walls had been covered by metal panels. He felt a draft filter in through the room, and looked up to see that what was supposed to be a glass skylight had been torn out. Leaving a giant hole in the ceiling, where the remainders of sunlight trickled in and shone into the room. It led his eyes down to the obvious, large, thingamabob in the center of the room. Metal rings surrounded a long thing barrel, pointed towards the skylight¡¯s center as it emerged from a metal core of computers, components, and engines. It seemed dormant. Where there was supposed to be light, at least to Eli¡¯s mind, was darkness. A switch flipped off to turn the device into slumber, ¡°The Energy Lance,¡± Sparrow pointed at it, ¡°It¡¯s the reason why we chose this building as a garrison. The Junta used this old police station as a communications center. Used it to tap into calls and block magical energy. But we¡¯ve repurposed it.¡± ¡°So¡­ I use that to talk to my base?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯ll break the Avonian signal jam temporarily. The Avonians don¡¯t just use technology, they use magical technology. Almost all of their weapons are built and powered by ekron, it¡¯s how they do engineering. It allows them to bend reality to the will of their scientists and engineers. But it also creates weaknesses. Ones that we can exploit with another magical counter,¡± He gestured towards the machine, ¡°The lance will scan the area to find a weakness in the Avonian blocking magic. Once it finds one, it¡¯ll shoot a beam of energy to punch through. It''s poking a needle through cloth, if the cloth were made up of invisible magical particles. Once it punches a hole through, the magic will hold it open, denying them the ability to re-seal it with the same spell.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s temporary?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes. The Avonians ¨C despite their hubris ¨C are quite smart. Their computers can sense when their magic goes down. Once they figure it out, you¡¯ll have anywhere between fifteen minutes or thirty seconds before they seal the hole. It all depends on how fast the Vampire Behemoth can sense that their signal jam is being interfered with, and how quickly it can come up with a spell to reseal it.¡± ¡°Well, why can¡¯t you just do it again? Put in a new spell or whatever so the Avonians can¡¯t keep the signals jammed?¡± ¡°Because we don''t have enough ekron to power this machine. This is why we needed to wait until after the missiles were destroyed before I could reveal this. The signal disruptor was installed by the Republican Guard back when this place was still one of their main precincts of control. A communications bunker. There''s only enough ekron within this whole building to power one burst. After that, it''s done." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Eli sighed, figuring that much should''ve been obvious, "Alright... so we power the machine up, and then what?" ¡°Then you get your radio. But you have to be quick. Remember, you won¡¯t have enough time to have a pleasant conversation. You tell them where we are, that you''ve made contact with us, that the missiles have been destroyed, and that you¡¯re ready to be extracted. No more, no less.¡± Eli was about to agree to that when he stopped. Dutch¡¯s words nagged at the back of his mind. A morally driven weight to tell Sparrow exactly what needed to be communicated. He knew what Sparrow¡¯s response would be, but the burden was too much for Eli to simply ignore. There were people downstairs, innocent people, phantoms. And what of the rag-tag cluster of rebels who defended them? Would they all be left here to get killed while Misfit turned its back? Maybe Dutch was just rubbing off on Eli too much. He had to be practical. As much as it hurt to compromise what he believed was right, their lives and the mission, took priority. The rebels could sort it out themselves¡­ ¡®Right?¡¯ Eli thought. He swallowed, taking a breather to calm his mind before speaking. Every word had an impact now. And to be honest, it really shouldn¡¯t be him making this sort of call. Why, why on Earth ¨C or rather Narva ¨C had Overwatch chosen Misfit to do this? Why had Ani and Otaes been so adamant that they come out here at all? They should¡¯ve been back in the Nexus¡¯ factory, not only where it was safe, but where the people who could make the right decision could act. Not a squad of prisoners who hardly knows what to make of this alien war. A Cold War on a faraway planet. And they just so happened to be plunked right in the middle of it. Then again, were Overwatch and those blood hungry spec-ops brutes in the headhunters really the ¡°right¡± people to make the ¡°right¡± decision. They probably wouldn¡¯t ever consider the prospect, knowing how the Coalition worked. If anything, Misfit ¨C and by proxy Eli ¨C were the right people for the task. Here, they could actually make a difference for once. A positive difference. And when push came to shove, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask. ¡°I¡¯ll also tell them to bring extra for the refugees?¡± Sparrow¡¯s face immediately soured, which surprised Eli, ¡°What?¡± Sparrow demanded. "The people! The ones your ''comrades'' are taking care of downstairs? I have to ask if we can get a ride for them-" ¡°But that¡¯s not the point! Those people aren¡¯t the focus here! You have a job, and that¡¯s to extract my rebels to your base. That¡¯s it!¡± Sparrow tried to prove his point by taking a threatening step towards him, ¡°Your base probably doesn¡¯t even have the capacity to ferry close to one hundred people.¡± ¡°You said it yourself; the energy lance is going to act like a beacon for every single soldier to target this building. What do you think is going to happen to all those people when the Imperials get here?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no room for them, Eli! That¡¯s it. There¡¯s no chance, we can¡¯t waste time on a pointless request.¡± Eli refused to take that as a answer, instead taking a step himself towards Sparrow, ¡°I thought you were fighting for the sake of those people. Isn¡¯t that what you said the ULA was fighting for?¡± ¡°What we¡¯re doing is for the sake of the people!¡± Sparrow argued back, ¡°But here, you''re just wasting time and resources.¡± ¡°I can at least ask! Damn it, I¡¯ll just ask once! Is that too much?¡± Eli shouted at Sparrow. He could feel the blood in his veins boiling the more he tried to argue with Sparrow. Perhaps he was being unreasonable. Maybe Sparrow was right that it was stupid and only a drain on resources that neither the Coalition nor the ULA had. But would it really hurt just to ask? They¡¯d probably say no, but at least they could¡¯ve tried to help. If they abandoned the people here while also holding the power to ask for help ¨C but choosing not to ¨C wouldn¡¯t that mean they sentenced the people to whatever fate awaited them? And besides, shouldn¡¯t Sparrow be grateful that Eli was asking? Those were his people. Why was he putting up so much resistance to the mere suggestion of rescuing them? There was a rustle at the door as the guards from outside entered in. Their hands firmly placed around the guns, they looked concerned. Their eyes immediately shot towards Eli. Accusingly¡­ ¡°We heard commotion,¡± Said one of the guards, ¡°What¡¯s the issue?¡± Sparrow dismissed his concern with a wave of the hand, ¡°Nothing. Just disagreement between comrades,¡± Sparrow stared at Eli as if conjuring up his next sentence. The guards closed the doors shut behind them, but they did not leave. Instead, the two stood watch at the far end of the room. The butt of their guns resting on the floor, as they observed the two from afar. ¡°Alright,¡± Sparrow conceded, his hands flung into the air, ¡°You win.¡± He turned on his heels pointing towards the two guards at the rear of the room, ¡°Comrades, get the lance operational. We¡¯re breaking through the Avonian communications block.¡± ¡°But sir,¡± whined one of the prisoners, ¡°If we do that, they¡¯ll know where our base of-¡° ¡°I¡¯m aware, Comrade. But please, get on with it,¡± Sparrow muttered. The two guards, ¡°comrades¡± of Sparrow, briefly looked at each other before getting to work. They rushed towards the far end of the room where the crate containing the necessary ekron lay. They donned gloves and goggles, before hovering over the latch containing the glowing red rock. One of them grabbed a metal tool that would allow them to latch onto it, and together they opened the crate. Again, it was much darker of a light than the one from normal ekron stones. That is if Eli was remembering correctly. In a bizarre fashion, the stone was small. Roughly the size of a coffee cup if Eli was looking correctly. It had been cut into a diamond like shape. A burgundy-colored halo glowed around itself as the latch was opened and the rock lifted out for all to see. They both carried it with the metal tool as a clasp, while either guard held opposite ends with the rock between them. Sparrow had already departed to hover over the machine, pressing a series of buttons and turning dials until it was fully powered. Electrical energy surged through wires, making the steel parts of the machine move. A valve opened near the base of the machine to which the ekron was inserted, and once the machine had accepted the stone, everything within it went dark. Something nagged at the back of Eli¡¯s mind that the technology used was somehow¡­ familiar. An electric buzz filled the air. His hair stood on end at the back of his neck. He felt weightless, but only for a split second. And then, a burst of light. Red plasma filled the interior of the machine as it roared to life, an engine inside powered up! An electric whining sound rose and soared, climbing until it reached a crescendo that was nearly unbearable. And when it hit the crescendo, a ray of right light connected, and the machine began to move. His mind tried to remember what was so familiar about watching the machine in action. This was, of course, the first time he had ever seen anything like it. But, that was a lie. It must¡¯ve been. Until it dawned on him. ¡°The Portal,¡± Eli remembered its terrible red glow, opening like the jaws of a dragon to lead them into this unknown and hostile world. It had been nearly the exact same process to start both machines. That could only mean the Coalition was in possession of Ekron... somehow... He pondered the question, almost ignoring the dizzying lights of the machine as it arched its way upwards towards the opening in the domed roof. The increasingly purple skies over Helena were still saturated with the smog of warfare as the cyan hue of daylight retreated underneath the horizon. The machine continued to whir, groan, and shake. Dark red energy ebbed from around it scanned the skies. Sparrow called out Eli¡¯s name and gestured for him to stand back, and he did so. Stopping right when the energy built inside of the machine finally released. It was like another missile being fired into the dark skies. More like a flare. A pulsating red orb rocketed upwards from the barrel of the device, flickering as it traced its way straight upwards. ¡°Woah!¡± Eli felt a rush of wind blow from the device, rippling through his uniform and hair. He stretched out a hand to shield his eyes from the burn of the initial blast, but soon could only help but follow the orb as it shot straight upwards. A red flare climbing higher into the darkness of the encroaching night. It climbed higher and higher, shrunk in size, and appeared to fizzle out into the stormy atmosphere. He kept an eye on where he had last seen the orb. Had it failed? His eyes scanned the skies for anything that would resemble its reemergence. Yet nothing materialized. He frowned turning an eye to Sparrow. The revolutionary understood Eli¡¯s looks of confusion, pointing to the skies, ¡°Watch the sky.¡± His eyes again trailed back. The flare had disappeared, but Sparrow sounded confident that it hadn¡¯t failed. And yet, he could see no signs of activity beyond that. Until he saw what looked like a glow. A mild one at that. An unnatural red glow from beyond the encroaching clouds of the storm. Dark. Brooding. Sinister. It was like an inferno had exploded in the heavens above, obscured from the ground by the clouds through which the afterglow of the fiery blaze permeated through. Something rumbled in the air, thunder. And the sky was set on fire. Bright red energy swarmed the dark skies, a thunderous clap filled the air with an explosion of magical sound! Eli felt the distant boom rock him in his core. Particles swirled and flowed, ebbing and twisting, back and forth until the skies resembled skies no longer, but rather a massive hole. The clouds and the red light circled around, rushing with the burst of wind, like the eye of a hurricane. Like the mouth of a whirlpool. All matter in the skies circled the epicenter, spiraling in orbit to the void of bright red that sat at the center of it all. ¡°Jesus¡­¡± Eli whispered, awestricken by both the mesmerizing beauty of the lightshow, the raw power of the magical ekron, and the terrifying might of what they had just unleashed into the skies. He could feel a gust of wind fall upon the base, rocking it, blowing dust and loose objects flying. A secondary beam was fired from the machine, right through the epicenter. The red beam connected to the storm. When they met, the energy burst and exploded outwards. A wave of red light travelled in a circle away from the epicenter ¨C a shockwave. The red wave glistened as it travelled, shooting across¡­ and out of view. When the shockwave scattered, all that remained was the spinning vortex of clouds. The eye of the storm hovered over them, blowing wind back through the small opening of the dome. The light from the machine cast into the dark hole, holding strong, like the blade of a sword punching through armor. Eli saw his monitor suddenly come back to life. The screen of his monitor flashed bright light. He raised his arm to look at it, and found ¨C at last ¨C he had a signal. ¡°The blocker¡¯s down! I repeat, the blocker is down!¡± Shouted one of the guards, ¡°Signal strength is at One-Hundred Percent! Send it!¡± Eli wasted no time, using the precious few moments to finish what had been started. He pawed at the monitor, raising his hand to finish what they had started. He found Captain Juma¡¯s signal, and raised a hand to his earpiece. ¡°This is Eli Freeman, Misfit squad. Over!¡± He practically shouted the words through the earpiece. His heart frozen as he feared that he would be met with the same static as he had when they first crash landed into this warzone. The fear that all of this would¡¯ve been for nothing buried deep in his mind. His words hung in empty silence. But no static. Just when he thought that his fears had come true, there was a crackle on the other side. And then, a voice! ¡°This is Captain Juma¡¯s Chief Communications Officer, Lieutenant Harrington,¡± The voice flatly read, ¡°What is your message?¡± Eli had to suppress the urge to yell in excitement and relief and billions of other emotions swirling through him. But he had to remain calm. There were lives depending on every word he said, and every second he took, ¡°This is Eli Freeman! 17th Penal Battalion, Misfit Squad! We were sent in on a mission to make contact with the ULA¡¯s forces in Helena! We are requesting extraction, immediately! Over!¡± Sparrow and the other revolutionaries looked to him as he spoke, with Sparrow even taking a step closer as they awaited the response from Overwatch. ¡°Negative, Freeman. Airspace is blocked ¨C¡° ¡°We have disabled the enemy surface to air missiles! I repeat, the airspace is clear! Send extraction!¡± Eli repeated. The commander seemed perplexed at the statement from Eli, as told from the fact that he could hear the lieutenant whispering to others near him. They waited an uncomfortably long time for another response, only interrupted by the sound of brief ¨C though terrifying ¨C static. One of the guards poked his head up, ¡°Signal strength has deteriorated to eighty-five percent! They¡¯re already working on a counter!¡± ¡°Scrap!¡± Sparrow took several steps towards Eli, and in a fury, grabbed Eli¡¯s wrist monitor ¨C and by proxy his arm, ¡°This is Sparrow! I¡¯m the leader of the ULA, I¡¯m the guy you want to meet with! Your troops have found me, and I can verify that we¡¯ve destroyed the Avonian Anti-Air ! We need to get the hells out, immediately! We do not have time to wait!¡± ¡°Please standby,¡± Was all the voice on the other side of the monitor said. ¡°What? No!¡± Eli shouted back into his earpiece. Another wave of static. ¡°Signal strength has deteriorated to seventy percent!¡± ¡°Oi, you. Shut up! Don¡¯t tell me until it¡¯s at fifty percent! Alright?¡± Sparrow furiously snapped at the guard, who immediately corrected himself with a slight bow. They had no other option but to wait. Eli could only feel the beating of his heart as it raced within his chest, staring at the monitor as if that would give him an answer faster. When the commander finally did speak, he felt a slight burden relieved from his shoulders when he heard the familiar voice of none other than, ¡°Captain Juma,¡± She introduced herself, ¡°Who am I speaking with?¡± ¡°Eli Freeman! I¡¯m one of yours-¡° ¡°Freeman? You''re still alive out there? Where''s Banno-¡± ¡°Bannon is dead! All of the regulars have been killed by the Imperials!" "Wha-" It sounded like Juma was trying to keep herself from vocally lashing out at Eli. If she was getting ready to accuse Misfit of murdering the Regulars that were sent to escort them, Eli really couldn''t blame her. It was a bad look that all of the regulars were dead, yet the prisoners - somehow - remained alive. He nervously glanced at Sparrow''s rebels, seeing their frantic movements to keep the signal alive. He knew he didn''t have enough time to debate this with Juma. They needed to get out. Now. "I don¡¯t have much time! If you want to, you can interrogate us when we get back to The Nexus! Send an extraction immediately, we¡¯ve got Sparrow. I repeat, we have the rebels!" Silence from the other side though it was layered with the growing sound of static. It was deafening to listen to the white noise. The possibility of Juma immediately tossing their calls for help bore heavily on his shoulders... Every second she spent in silence, the signal continued to deteriorate, and Misfit''s only chance at getting out of Helena alive slimmed. He bit his tongue, refraining himself from crying like a child, begging Juma to send something - anything - to help... Until finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, Juma responded, ¡°Understood,¡± Was all Juma said. Eli closed his eyes, knowing what he was purposefully putting off for last. ¡°There are refugees here. We need an evacuation for them back to the Nexus, they¡¯re in harms way-¡° ¡°I¡¯m sorry, how many people?¡± Asked a confused Juma on the other end of the line. Eli looked over to Sparrow, and back to his monitor, ¡°Close to one hundred¡­¡± ¡°Ninety,¡± Sparrow mouthed to him. ¡°Ninety. Total.¡± There was nothing on the opposite side for a moment. At first, a hope burned that maybe ¨C just maybe ¨C Juma was considering their evacuation as a possibility! That maybe they hadn¡¯t all been doomed to be ensnared in the path of the advancing armies. ¡°Negative Freeman,¡± And then Juma shot dashed his hopes, scattering them away to the wind, ¡°That¡¯s too many people. Too little ¨C¡° There was more signal static that obfuscated part of her speech, stronger static than there had been before. ¡°Signal strength below fifty percent! It¡¯s draining fast!¡± ¡°Con-mation ¨C only Sparrow and rebel forc ¨C extract ¨C soon as possible,¡± the deteriorating signal managing to meter out a few barely tangible words. But Eli understood enough. ¡°I understand Juma, but the Avonians are going to launch a full scale assault on our position soon! Send another evacuation team if you have to, if you don''t the people here are gonna get flattened!¡± ¡°-ay again? Repeat last ¨C unclear. Over.¡± ¡°The refugees need an exfil, dammnit! Refugees! Need! Exfil! Over!¡± It sounded like Juma was trying to speak, but the static only increased in both volume and density to the point that it made whatever she was saying completely unintelligible. ¡°Twenty percent!¡± A guard shouted. ¡°Damn it! The Avonians are about to break our hold! Pull out every trick we¡¯ve got, hold that scrappin¡¯ signal open!¡± Sparrow shouted. The guards obeyed instantly, pouring over the machine and scouring its interface to wrestle control over every button, switch, and dial. Their faces were panicked, sweat pouring down their clothes as they fought to hold the signal open. "Come on!¡± Eli was basically screaming into his earpiece at that point, but all he could hear was static that carried the vague hint of a voice every now and then. However, through some miracle, Juma¡¯s voice managed to break through the fog of static, ¡°Negat- You have y ¨C orders. You will obey our instruct- standby,¡± her voice then relapsed back into the field of static, swallowed whole until nothing was tangible through the web of the broken signal. ¡°Network status has deteriorated down to five percent! The Avonians are about to-¡° There was a whistle that pierced through the air. All of their eyes turned upwards, the eye of the breach hovering just above them. The red glow of light had dimmed considerably. The storm had quieted. The clouds no longer circled. The storm was closer than ever before. And then, from the distance, another red ball of light rocketing skywards ¨C straight into the eye. When it connected with the magical energy within, all hell broke loose. Like two stars colliding, the two sources of energy met and exploded into a sparkling barrage of white and gold particles, shooting outwards from the eye. The entire structure rapidly collapsed, with the dark red energy being obliterated by the forces of chaos surrounding it. The eye shrunk, the head of the explosion swallowing it whole! The red beam from the machine faltered and vanished¡­ And then nothing. There was no secondary explosion. No loud burst. No glimmer or array of lightworks and fire. It simply dispersed. Clouds scattered to the prevailing winds like dust. And the skies were normal once again. Eli was still mesmerized by it all. The final glimmers of the lightshow pattered out in the skies like golden firecrackers, trailing their way through the oncoming twilight of the dark sky. Shooting stars in the midst of a storm. ¡°Well¡­ at least we got the important parts through,¡± Sparrow said with a shrug and a sigh, looking away from the fading spectacle and focusing on the here-and-now. ¡°I¡¯d consider the refugees as important too,¡± Eli said. ¡°Idealism has a time and a place, comrade. If you want to survive in this world, you have to learn how to be practical.¡± ¡°If sacrificing the lives of innocent people is practical to you, then I don¡¯t want to be practical. I want to be an idealist.¡± Sparrow shook his head, wagging his finger at Eli like a annoyed parent looking to guide their younger, ¡°You¡­ I quite like you. You¡¯ve got a vision; and a lot of people don¡¯t have that. Especially since you¡¯re a prisoner. Keep that with you,¡± and then, rallying his ¡°comrades¡±, Sparrow turned heel and walked away. Leaving Eli alone to ponder the stars.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep A-17...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
April 19th, 2050 ===> Company Report: z100264867-BL
===> Outgoing Terminal: Lambda Prime (Blue Mountain Test Facility, New Mexico) ===> Receiving Terminal: Gamma Citadel [REDACTED] ===> Encrypted Transmission Established
==[BLUE MONDAY 1972]== Blue Monday 1972, was a joint American/British/Soviet scientific project launched during the thaw in relations seen during The Cold War. Blue Monday was among the first in a wide variety of joint scientific ventures between The East and West, many of which would become hallmarks of human achievement - like the International Space Station which would launch nearly twenty years after the beginning of Blue Monday. Despite its groundwork achievement in becoming a common ground for scientific progress in the opening stages of Detente, Blue Monday would ultimately fall apart as priorities shifted and politics changed yet again... However, that isn¡¯t to say that Blue Monday was completely without use. Blue Monday advanced the cause of theoretical portal research by close to a century, proving that portals were truly possible and within the grasp of mankind''s technological ambitions - just not quite feasible at the time. The ACRA of course was selected as the USA¡¯s primary representative, and as we worked with British and Soviet scientists, the tests and research gained from Blue Monday would inevitably lead us to pursuing portal research later down the line - well after the end of The Cold War. Our results were simple. Together, our ACRA scientists were able to gain hold of an extremely classified material. One that is found in extreme scarcity not only on Earth but in the physical universe that Earth resides in - however - one that is found in abundance on Narva. This material contains properties inexplicable to modern science, that allows us to engineer the very reality we reside in. The unenlightened (You, the unenlightened one reading this) might call this manipulation of our world ¡°Magic¡±. We call it science! The material in question has been classified as NM11210, or, ¡°Ekron¡±. Specifically, a sub-material of ekron known as NM11210-B ¡°Dark Ekron¡±... PICTURED: Symbolic representations of NM11210 and NM11210-B, note that due to the highly anomalous nature of NM11210-B, and the fact that humanity has only discovered less than .05 grams of the substance throughout all known Entropic zones on Planet Earth, knowledge of the material is extremely limited. Even more so than its more abundant and stable counterpart. Humanity was first made aware of Ekron in 1976, after Soviet and British scientists made the broader scientific community aware of Trinity Particles that occur rarely in our universe. The Blue Monday team built monitors to track the presence of Trinity Particles in our broader universe, and localized clusters were found in extremely minute quantities here on Earth¡¯s surface. Likely deposited during asteroid impacts and space debris deposition over time. Select quantities of accumulated Trinity Particle elements, dubbed ¡°Ekron¡±, were recovered at the Kola SG-3 superdeep borehole in 1977. Broader information of this new element was kept isolated from the larger scientific community as Blue Monday was strictly classified by the governments involved. The Soviet Union gifted the Blue Monday team a small amount of their recovered sample, and from there we unlocked a much larger understanding not just on the nature of the Trinity Particles, but on the possibility of portal technology. The material was purely something out of this world! By applying electric charges to the rock, we could ¡°Program¡± an effect into our reality. For example, using ekron, our scientists were able to lift a two-ton car! Laser-based weapons could be generated by focusing the glass-like shards of Ekron that far surpassed the capabilities of typical light-based lasers known at the time. Ekron was even used to generate fields of energy that allowed Russian and American scientists to talk directly to each other, in their own native languages, and understand one another completely without the need for a translator. The nature of how this glass-like material was able to manipulate our own base cognitive presets had completely upset our understanding of the world! It was mind blowing, and Blue Monday scientists wasted no opportunity to further research this material... Quickly, new research sites were opened across The Continental United States in areas where there was an uptick in universal entropy. As predicted, at these borehole sites, tiny quantities of ekron matter were located. Though the total quantity of the matter was miniscule (As of today in the year 2050, humanity has only been able to extract about 25 kilograms of the material from all possible locations on Earth within our current technological reach), it was enough that with careful management of the resource, we would have enough to research for an indefinite period of time. Testing on Ekron went into a sharp decline following the closure of the Kola super borehole site in 1994 and numerous other extraction points within The United States being mothballed shortly before hand. Testing was put on hiatus entirely in the 2000s, after ACRA priorities shifted to more pragmatic research solutions on behalf of the Department of Defense, and Blue Monday was shortly after classified and sealed away... Yet, with pressing issues surrounding the climate and future of our planet, ekron was placed as the object of our focus once more... And so, we are ready to unveil the latest abomination innovation that our boys in engineering have come up with! All to save the human species! For your classified eyes (enforced by ACRA Non-Disclosure Agreements and the infinite fury of our legal team), we reveal to you the culmination of decades piling on top of the Blue Monday research! Meet, The Portal: So... how does it work? Who the hell knows? But what we do know is that it does work. Somehow. Every time we ask the engineering department about it they bring up Clarke''s Third Law. This confirms our suspicions that our engineers might secretly be wizards belonging to a creed of global demonic sorcerers and summoners. Let me take the opportunity to remind everybody (Especially you, our dear investors) that witchcraft and the dark arts have been strictly banned from ACRA research, not just in our dimension, but in all dimensions where an native ACRA establishment is present. We are truly sorry for violating the laws of nature, if the engineering department has indeed been contacting the underworld for assistance in the creation of this portal. Yet, if they are, we can''t really do anything to stop them... Err, anyways, is the portal safe? Yes. Probably. Actually, we''re not sure. You have a high chance of not immediately being disintegrated upon entering into the portal - roughly ~78% give or take a 20% margin of error. Those are good odds! However long term exposure to ekron energy has not been studied nearly at all, and we are unsure if the extreme amounts of gamma radiation should be cause for significant concern. I have been assured that it is "Probably not anything to worry about" and that "The theoretical physics team is looking into a remedy".
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 46: The Mirage >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 46: The Mirage]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Thunder rumbled over Helena''s skies. The emergency lights powering the inside of the ULA base had all been shut off. The windows were being watched by armed rebels. Everyone gathered inside. There was the distinct smell of seawater in the air, and it was cool during the night. The gunfire that had become such a familiar occurrence throughout the city streets Helena had died down, for a bit at least. Sometimes there were pockets of sporadic gunfire that peppered the skies. But now, a heavy quietness had fallen over the city like a weighted blanket. Soldiers were posted around the headquarters, watching, waiting. They used their binoculars to scan the dark streets surrounding them. Eli occasionally tried to see what they were seeing, but he found nothing except the darkened interiors of abandoned tenements and empty homes. At least, mostly empty. He knew for a fact that there were still residents who chose not to flee, or who otherwise were unable to. And that was without considering the people within the ULA base... The temperature had fallen, somewhat. The muggy atmosphere had been replaced by a cool breeze which flowed through the building occasionally and brought fresh air into an otherwise stuffed interior. A mild relief, but nothing could calm his nerves down enough to make his hands stop shaking. Eli found himself idly pacing. He made the rounds through the corridors of the building, passing through the flocks of refugees... phantoms actually. Narva-Phantoms, Eli imagined their name. Most of them were either asleep or trying desperately to fall asleep. Even the children among them had slept quietly, wrapped in the arms of their parents, hoping that dawn would bring them luck and that they¡¯d be able to return home. If their homes even remained, that is. As he was conducting one of his patrols, he spotted activity among a group huddled close by the wall. Five in total. Phantoms. His squad of Misfit was mostly still awake, and it looked like they were engaged in some sort of discussion. Dutch was whispering to them, looking from one to another with wide eyes begging for them to listen. Matteo meanwhile was doing his duties as a medic, assisting the rebels with his practical expertise even during these quiet hours of the night. His medical bag looked a lot emptier than it had when they first arrived onto Narva, and judging by the way a few of the ULA''s own doctors huddled around him, it was clear that Matteo was teaching them techniques to heal wounds and tend to injuries that they''d never considered before. Right now they were observing the wounded leg of an elf child, her blue dress stained with red elven blood from the wound. Remarkably, the girl wasn''t crying despite being so small, and the injury so large. Matteo was using his most encouraging voice to reassure her, occasionally making jokes with the child as much as the nearby translation spells would allow for, and the elf seemed bubbly in response, though occasionally winces and sharp whines alluded to the fact that the girl was indeed still in pain. Carefully, Matteo tended to her wounds with the little amounts of bandages he had left, making wise use of them. As Eli watched Matteo dress the injury, Matteo no longer seemed like a Phantom trapped in the Coalition''s Penal-Unit system. He didn''t seem like a heartless monster who was willing to sacrifice his fellow Phantoms to the Coalition for his own ride back to Earth. Matteo seemed like the opposite, in fact. Like a father. What was his kid''s name again? Ottavia? Maybe there were still some pieces of his fatherhood that showed in his passion to heal others, but Eli was still having a difficult time reconciling that with his brutally pragmatic nature by default. Eli watched him from the distance, idly... ¡°Eli?¡± A voice snapped Eli out of his thoughts. Its proximity, from right behind his back, frightened him. He jumped up, turning around only to see that Otaes'' bone mask staring back at him, glowing blue eyes literally piercing the darkness and boring a hole back at him. She was leaning against a shadowy brick wall, only a few steps away from Eli. ¡°Holy hell, Otaes, you need to stop sneaking up behind me like that!" Eli whisper-shouted in response, as he felt a small bit of his soul leaving his body. "I''ve been here for an hour," She shrugged, "You maybe need to calm down." "I am calm," Eli affirmed, "I''m just..." "Panicking?" Otaes interjected with a slight nod of her head. "On the inside. But otherwise, I''m calm." "Right." Eli''s gaze returned back to Matteo. The man had finally completed the wrap around the girl''s leg, and the two were all-smiles. The girl jumped down from the seat she was in, testing out her leg, stopping to accept an fruit from Matteo''s hands. The two hugged, before she half-skipped, half-limped, back to her parents. "For someone who is as paranoid as you are, you certainly love staring at others," Otaes jabbed. Eli rolled his eyes, "Matteo and I have a complicated relationship, if that''s what you''re getting at. And uh... there''s a lot of refu- phantoms, here." "So you''re scared?" Eli shrugged, ¡°A little. But who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, you know? I¡¯m only asking because, to be honest, I¡¯m a bit nervous as well.¡± Eli grinned, ¡°Really? The great elf warrior Otaes¡­ scared?¡± She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I can still tear their throats out, yours too. You know that right?¡± Eli shivered inwardly. His lack of response prompted a strange look from Otaes, ¡°That was a joke, Eli.¡± ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s hard to tell when you really mean you¡¯re gonna violently murder me and when you¡¯re just saying that because you know you can.¡± ¡°Oh, come on now, that¡¯s not fair,¡± She gestured to herself, ¡°I¡¯m perfectly capable of humor. You should know that by now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll believe it when I see it. Besides, with that mask of yours it¡¯s kind of impossible to tell what you¡¯re thinking.¡± Otaes shrugged, ¡°That¡¯s good. It means the mask is doing its job.¡± ¡°Why do you Warrior Elf guys wear those things anyway? Are they like body armor or something?¡± Eli asked. He¡¯d been dying to ask why ever since the two had met. Otaes was the first actual person she¡¯d met here on Narva who was from the planet, and so far she seemed more human than he¡¯d expected a warrior elf to be. The only thing ruining that idea was the mask. ¡°They¡¯re cultural. Only other members of the Raritan tribe are allowed to see Kitchi warriors maskless.¡± ¡°Why?¡± He asked. ¡°I¡¯ve heard a story that centuries ago, before the Kiote Union was a thing, Kitchi used to be personal assassins for the tribal chiefs. We weren¡¯t always united. The Raritans, Ximac, Tappa¡­ they used to fight each other all the time and the chiefs were big targets. Since assassins have to remain hidden, the Kitchi of the time hid their faces with masks made out of bone," Eli nodded along as he listened to her, ¡°But that¡¯s just a tale. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s really true or not. Now it¡¯s just standard practice to make sure we¡¯re hidden.¡± ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s about time to see who you really are. Take it off.¡± ¡°Take off my mask?¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I¡¯d have to kill you afterwards,¡± She stated, very matter-of-factly. ¡°Why? Are you ugly?¡± It looked like Otaes gave a breathless chuckle from underneath her mask, ¡°No. Quite the opposite, actually.¡± ¡°Well then? You know my face, you even broke me out of prison.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t joking about killing you. That¡¯s the rule,¡± Otaes said, ¡°You either have to be part of the tribe, or in my family.¡± ¡°Well, how would one become a part of the tribe?¡± Eli asked her. ¡°You¡¯d either have to be born as one of us or somehow get married to a Kitchi. That¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°So, no face reveal?¡± She shook her head. Another silence fell between the two semi-strangers. Her eyes travelled to the floor near her boots, he rested against the opposing wall looking the other way. Still restless as he did so. The thought weighed heavily on his mind. Still unable to fully rest himself, despite sleep eluding him for so long. ¡°It¡¯s the people,¡± Eli blurted out, ¡°Dutch has been begging me to take them with us. And I know we should. The Imperials are coming and these guys are gonna..." Eli winced, not wanting to describe just how bad the situation was to her when already felt like complete shit. Juma''s flat denial had been a punch to the gut. An expected one, but demoralizing none the less, "But I don¡¯t know how.¡± ¡°You were just talking to your commanders, right? Have you tried asking them.¡± ¡°Yeah, and what do you think they said?¡± ¡°No?¡± Eli nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. The rebels are saying that the Avonians are throwing everything and the Kitchen sink at us, but there¡¯s so many people in the way. They¡¯ll get hurt. I just know it. But it¡¯s like Sparrow doesn¡¯t even care what happens to them. It''s like he wants them to get hurt. And I don''t know what to do.¡± He sighed, shutting his eyes. He could practically feel the stress on his back, like a backpack full of heavy rocks that he couldn¡¯t quite shrug off, no matter how much he tried. ¡°They¡¯ll get hurt,¡± Otaes repeated, ¡°You know, you don¡¯t have to do what Sparrow tells you to do. Or Overwatch for that matter. You should do what you think is right.¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s not like they¡¯re the ones who control whether we go back to our planet or anything,¡± he tried to resist, but his tendencies for passive-aggressive sarcasm kept bleeding through. ¡°Well, what¡¯s more important to you? You going back to Earth, or the lives of innocent people?¡± Eli was about to say that getting back to Earth was clearly more important, but he couldn¡¯t say that. It wasn¡¯t true. Not entirely. He did care about their lives. They were indeed Phantoms now. Just like him and Misfit. It wasn¡¯t just a moral obligation, but it was practically a responsibility. But going back to Earth was, of course, the entire reason he was here. Narva was not his home, and the only way to get back to Earth was to just do whatever it was that Overwatch wanted. He had no other goals than to keep Misfit alive, and get everyone back to where they belonged. In that sense, he could see some of Matteo¡¯s cold practicality rubbing off on him. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Matteo knew that the Coalition held the key to the portal. If they didn¡¯t do what Overwatch wanted, Misfit could kiss Earth and everything that they knew goodbye. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. But surely, the lives of the innocent outweighed something so seemingly selfish. Surely. Otaes had phrased the question in a way where it sounded like she didn¡¯t care either way. She wasn¡¯t blaming him if he decided to just do what Sparrow and Overwatch wanted. But she also didn¡¯t care if he wanted to follow what he thought was right. Or would she? Would she try to talk him out of it like Sparrow had? Would she even help? Afterall, her life didn¡¯t depend on Misfit as much as Eli¡¯s life did. She had Temetet and the griffon monster underneath her watch. If things went south for Misfit, at least she had her own way back home. ¡°People¡¯s lives are always more important. They¡¯re Phantoms now,¡± Eli said. Almost as if it were a sacred ritual, he patted the cyan delta on his shoulder, ¡°We look after our own.¡± ¡°Then do what you think is right. Who cares what Sparrow and Overwatch say? If you think going back home is your priority, then go back home and leave this planet. But if you really think the lives of the people are worth more, do whatever it takes to keep them safe. Even if it means sacrificing your own chances of going back to Earth, at least you would¡¯ve stuck true to your values,¡± Otaes tapped her mask, ¡°I hold my values close. I¡¯ll do whatever it takes to defend them. You should do the same.¡± Eli sighed, ¡°You make it sound easy. It''s not like you''re gonna get thrown into solitary confinement for the rest of your life. We got out of solitary once because we were lucky. Because you stepped in, as a matter of fact,¡± Eli sighed, "We''re on strike two. There is no strike three. If we fuck this up, you''ll never hear from us again." Otaes looked down at the floor near Eli''s feet, pondering what he''d said. Lost in thought. Even with the mask hiding her face, he could practically see the gears turning. It was a difficult situation to put it mildly. Misfit was caught in a Catch 22. They could shrug their shoulders and leave the Phantoms to their fates, betraying everything that made a Phantom - a Phantom. Or, they could intervene and somehow force Overwatch''s hand to allow those rebels on board - a feat in itself that would prove borderline impossible through Misfit''s actions alone - only to wind up dead-on-sight when they got back to The Nexus. Or worse, the sterile walls of his solitary cell still haunted him. Eli''s last sentence was only a few years holed up in there, and he''d gone borderline insane after spending a day and a half inside. What about the rest of his life? Nothing but the cold floor, the unreachable window, and permanent silence... "It isn''t easy, you''re right. But I don''t think doing the right thing has ever been easy. If it were, our worlds wouldn''t be in the conditions they are now," Otaes sighed. She took a few steps closer, kneeling down at Eli''s side to get level with him, though her eyes were now fixed on the walls in front of them, "You know what I mean. And, I am not ordering you to do this because I know that the burden of the repercussions are on you. This is your choice. But, I think if you want to see the world improve in at least somewhat, the first step needs to be taken by yourself. That doesn''t mean you aren''t afraid. Without fear, there can''t be courage. Bravery needs fear. You know?" Eli was silent, his gaze falling back towards the creaky floorboards. The rumble of thunder outside punctuated the loose air, filling Eli''s minds with visions of Avonian giants on the horizon. Marching, closer... "I know you humans are brave, that''s why I insisted that you were all released from solitary confinement. You helped me and you didn''t have to. You could''ve peeled off and ran as soon as we got separated. Misfit could''ve fled during the attack on the Palace. You could''ve abandoned my brother when he needed you. But you didn''t. You knew that by calling Overwatch for help, you''d be sent into solitary, and you were. But you didn''t let that stop you." "It was an easier choice then when we weren''t trying to challenge Overwatch. At least not directly." "Right... but you raided an armory, apparently attacked a guard, and deserted, just to reunite with your squadmates? Your fight wasn''t again Overwatch, but you''re kidding yourself if you thought there was any sort of a plan that didn''t involve challenging them in a way they wouldn''t accept. By calling them for help, you accepted the inevitable." Another round of silence passed between the two... Otaes shrugged, ¡°You either do it, or you don¡¯t. Do what you think is the right thing. Not what Sparrow wants you to do, not what your commanders want you to do, but whatever you and Misfit decide.¡± ¡°We''re just prisoners.¡± ¡°True¡­ but you aren¡¯t a robot. You have feelings too, right? They don¡¯t own you.¡± Eli was left somewhat unsatisfied with the answer. But how could he argue against that? She was right, wasn¡¯t she? It was their call. Surely, Overwatch wouldn¡¯t waste all that effort trying to extract Sparrow to just abandon him to die with Misfit. If he managed to get Sparrow on their side, then that gave Misfit bargaining power. Overwatch would have to do what they say if they wanted Sparrow. Bringing the Coalition down to a bargaining position would be a victory that was rare gotten for Phantoms. Non-existent for those in the Penal-Unit. It would be a first. But it would be short lived. The moment they set foot in the Nexus¡­ it¡¯d be solitary. Or worse. They¡¯d definitely get their sentences extended again. But half of Misfit knew they were never getting out of Narva free anyway. Would it have changed much? He needed more time to think about it, yet he hated the idea. Both options were horrible. But only one would leave him satisfied with the knowledge that they had at least tried to do the right thing. ¡°You¡¯ll help us out?¡± Eli asked her. Otaes nodded, ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t really have a choice.¡± ¡°You have Archer. You can always fly back home.¡± ¡°What kind of Warrior would I be if I left my friends behind?¡± ¡°So, we are friends.¡± ¡°You saved Temetet. I saved you. We definitely aren¡¯t enemies. Right?¡± Eli felt a smile creep across his face, but for only a split second before his lips fell once again to being flat. He let the back of his head fall against the wall, closing his eyes. Thinking what his next words were gonna be. There wasn¡¯t much to it. Either he did, or he didn¡¯t. Just as she had pointed out. The decision wasn¡¯t fully up to him, but he did matter. It was all a question of where he and Misfit stood. ¡°You know, I¡¯m old enough to remember this place before the Kiote War.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Helena used to be a huge spot for Kiote merchants to trade. My father was a warrior once but, after the Sacred War, he settled down to become a merchant. He used to take me on his trips across the Peninsula before Marshall Navarro overthrew the Republic,¡± She took a look out of the window, dark moody clouds hovering just above them now, threatening a downpour. In the distance, bombed out tenements and abandoned homes. The towers of Renewal stood in the distance, powerful, even in this state of decay, ¡°It was different. Most parts of the River Republic were poor, even back then. The slums were always here. But the towers, the propaganda, the military, that¡¯s all new.¡± ¡°How times change. How long ago was that when you and your dad used to come down here?¡± ¡°Years. I was thirteen when he was still alive. He used to bring me to the Port of Helena, somewhere down that way,¡± she pointed outside of the window on the wall she leaned on. Through the storm, the street continued indefinitely into the night. Through the darkness, there were a few scattered lights that illuminated structures on the horizon. Cranes. The Port wasn¡¯t too far away from the ULA base, only a half mile it seemed to him, ¡°We¡¯d pick up Oceanian candies and sodas to bring them back home. Mom always hated them, they were too sweet for her. But Temetet loved them. My dad taught me how to navigate the markets. Some merchants like furs, some wanted animal meat or their bones, others wanted rare fruits that only we could get a hold of¡­ Dad taught me to trade the things I had, Mom taught me to hunt to get things in the first place.¡± ¡°So it was your mother who taught you how to kill?¡± ¡°She taught me everything there is to be a Warrior Elf since I was a small child. She was among the best warriors in her day. She was ¡®The Mirage¡¯¡­¡± ¡°The Mirage?¡± ¡°Thirty years ago, there was a war that shattered the world. The Sacred War. And among all the chaos that the war brought with it, there was a legendary griffon-warrior who¡¯d dominated the skies above the Kiote Peninsula, defending our homes from the Oran and Valdacian Orderite exterminators. And that legend was my mother. The Mirage,¡± Otaes¡¯ eyes trailed off into the darkness of the room, somberly. Her voice sounded bittersweet, as she recalled the legend of her mother. Eli couldn¡¯t see it, but he could tell that through the mask, she was smiling. ¡°I thought you were The Mirage?¡± Otaes shook her head, tapping the mask, ¡°Technically I am. It¡¯s a title I inherited from my mother. The oldest child of a Warrior takes up the mantle. She gave me this mask. And this photo of her¡­¡± Eli observed the fine details of the mask once again. The tropical green paint that covered the bone-like surface, dark colors mixing with the lighter ones in the background giving it a unique ¡®camouflage¡¯-like color. And then finally a red slash of paint across the eye. It was a unique design, one that he harped on long enough for her to notice, ¡°That¡¯s my addition,¡± she said, tracing the line of red paint with a finger, ¡°My contribution to her legacy.¡± Otaes dug a hand into one of the pockets along her tunic, producing a small paper ¨C wrinkled and even a bit yellowed with age and wear. There were cuts and tears along the paper¡¯s surface. Eli carefully took it into his hands, flipping the surface over only to be greeted by an image ¨C or rather ¨C a photograph. It was an old image, clearly. Black and white were the only discernable colors with thick dark shadows and bright white lights. A mile above the ground, up in clear skies interrupted only by a few scattered clouds just above and small tears in the image. Two griffons were flying in a formation. One griffon ¨C mostly white with a few black markings ¨C was trailing not too far behind another one, flying deep towards the sun and the horizon. Looking closer, Eli could make out the riders flying on the backs of those griffons, two of them. The one in front was difficult to see, and Eli could only make out vague impressions of their form. But the one behind was looking at the camera, wearing a mask like Otaes¡¯ own, pointing towards the rider and griffon at the lead. The picture was beautiful, even in spite of its signs of age. Eli found himself staring at the black and white surface for far longer than he thought he would, taking in the sight of two griffon riders chasing each other in the clear skies. ¡°That¡¯s both my parents closer towards the end of the Sacred War. Mom was the one up front; Dad was the one trailing her. The picture was taken by one of their buddies in the griffon squadron, but I think he was shot down before the war ended. This is the only image that I have of either of my parents¡­ The Mirage and her wingman, my Dad.¡± Eli chuckled as he handed the picture back to her, ¡°Your parents met in the war?¡± ¡°That¡¯s where they fell in love, so my Dad used to say anyway,¡± Otaes replied sounding equally amused in her own right. ¡°Some love story.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­Isn¡¯t it?¡± Hearing about The Mirage, a legendary warrior of the Kiote people, as Otaes¡¯ own mother made Eli pause to consider for a moment. Otaes wasn¡¯t exactly trying to hide it, but she must be constantly striving to be like her once heroic mother. Trying beyond all else to live up to the name ¡°The Mirage¡±. And suddenly, everything about her seemed to make sense. Her insistence on being the best warrior there is, her persistence, her strength, and her determination to ensure that Temetet too was mentored properly ¨C much in the same way that her mother had mentored her likely, she too would mentor her brother. But, there must¡¯ve also been feelings of inadequacy somewhere behind that mask. Constantly having to live up to the name of The Mirage, staying in her shadow. It would¡¯ve been rough for anyone, ¡°So where is she?¡± Eli asked her. She shook her head, ¡°Dead.¡± ¡°Both of your parents?¡± Her eyes closed somberly in confirmation. Eli frowned, ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡° ¡°It¡¯s alright. It was a while ago anyway.¡± ¡°How long? If you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± Eli asked her. ¡°Both of my parents died during the Kiote War, but at different stages. Mom served on the frontlines during the beginning, but she was downed when I was twelve,¡± her eyes narrowed, and her tone shifted into one of pure spite, ¡°They say she was cornered by a squadron of elite Imperial dragon riders, but I find that unlikely, she was too quick to let that happen. More likely, she was shot down by a missile or some other Avonian anti-air system, new technology that she hadn¡¯t been familiar with. My father took care of us alone for two years, until he was also killed during an Imperial bombing run on Raritan.¡± Eli stumbled, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry to hear- ¡° ¡°Again. It¡¯s fine. Nothing you could¡¯ve done about it,¡± Otaes brushed it off, though beneath it all Eli could hear the lingering pain in her voice. She tried to laugh it off, ¡°You know¡­ it¡¯s funny. Really. Sometimes I still wonder if she was really shot down at all. Maybe, The Mirage is still alive. Somewhere near the border. Terrorizing the skies for the Imperials, even now. But then I remember that the war¡¯s over and she still hasn¡¯t come back. Or at least the war was over.¡± They both sat in another brief period of silence. His attention was drawn to the hushed chatter of Misfit not too far away. He could hear the first pitter pattering¡¯s of rain falling on windows. Thunder rumbled in the distance like a vibrant background of drums being struck. The world wasn¡¯t his to defend. But the people were real. They had their own lives and families too. It wouldn¡¯t be fair to them if Eli didn¡¯t at least try. Nobody should live their lives as a Phantom, especially not alone as he had. He listened to the rain drumming against the wall. It was soothing in a strange way. It probably had something to do with talking to Otaes, maybe. Strange to think that when he first laid eyes on her, he was utterly terrified of the warrior. But now? She was more human than Major Kovic or Captain Juma ever were. That¡¯s for sure. He pushed off from the wall, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± she asked, watching him stand upright. ¡°I¡¯ll try to get the people to safety. At least, relatively. But I need to convince Sparrow first, and I don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Why him?¡± ¡°Sparrow¡¯s the only one who has the power to force Overwatch¡¯s hand. He¡¯s what they¡¯re after. If they can¡¯t get him, they¡¯ll have wasted this entire operation for nothing¡­¡± He trailed off, looking to the stormy skies, seeing as the raindrops fell against the window, splattering across the glass. The damp and humid weather fogged the glass, blurring whatever source of light managed to trickle through ¨C be it the flash of lightning, or the rare flashlight of a rebel patrolling outside, ¡°They¡¯ll be forced to do what we say.¡± He frowned, looking at her again, ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Sparrow¡­¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter,¡± She told him, ¡°Just do what you know is right¡­¡± Eli smiled, ¡°It¡¯s about time we did something good for once. Not for The Coalition, not for any of that¡­ but for the sake of it.¡± He nodded, pushing off the wall to go towards his squad. Otaes¡¯ eyes trailed him, watching the human disappear into the group.
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===[Chapter 47: Clear Skies Over Helena]===

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Storm. Rain. Downfall. Bursts of thunder crackled over the base like distant drums echoing on the horizon. A warning for the weather to come, if the harsh dank smell of salty seawater wasn''t warning enough. Eventually, there would be no need for the warnings, as the first pitter-pattering''s of raindrops thudded against the antique structure''s walls. Pitter-pattering''s soon grew into a constant stream, and the stream morphed into a downpour. Rushing water washed against the windows, making it difficult to see outside, obscuring the few glowing towers of Renewal behind a curtain of raindrops and foggy mist while the rotting tenements of Helena''s core were shrouded in darkness. The coming rainfall enforced an odd peace within the base, though outside the echoes of gunfire could still be heard making it difficult to tell bloody revolution from natural thunder. It all blended together no matter what with the sound of rain, and Eli may have found it soothing if he''d been anywhere else. Anywhere, but the middle of it all... Many of the rebels and almost all the refugees had fallen asleep, or at the very least, had quieted down during the night. A few lamps were allowed by the groups that were still awake, but the rebels were adamant that the building¡¯s lights be turned off for fear of Imperial detection. Not like it would matter anymore, with the lightshow in the skies acting as a beacon for the entire army to move in and pursue them. And that''s if the Imperial sentry hadn''t already alerted the entirety of the River Republic and Avonian Empire to the presence of the ULA base, which it most certainly had. If the Imperials had a target in mind for their counterattack on Helena, the ULA base would''ve been priority number one. Eli knew it, Misfit knew it, Sparrow and his rebels knew it, everyone did. Each rumble of thunder and flash of lightning made Eli''s heart jump, his mind raced to the march of an Imperial sentry and its red eyes peering through the darkness down at him, or the fiery pit of a dragon''s throat. His talk with Otaes had helped solidify where he stood on the matter of helping the refugees held here, but overcoming his own uncertainties was probably the smallest hurdle in that vein... There were rumors, whispers of a safe ride to a new spot outside of the warzone that Helena had become. Human, elven, and beastkin families alike whispered ideas of cautious optimism to one another. But nobody quite knew how that would transpire. Misfit, perhaps, knowing least of them all. ¡°It has something to do with the Ostralanders¡±, they would say. Casting glances at Misfit¡¯s direction. But if he could at least try and do what he knew was right, then maybe it would work out for Misfit too? He sighed when he realized he was being foolish at best, an idiot most likely, and purposefully obtuse at worst. Ultimately, the choice was not his. It was Misfit¡¯s. "It''s only the right thing to do," Dutch said. "It isn''t our call! We don''t have the power to decide who lives and who dies here," Matteo rebutted, but the usual sternness of his voice had long since faded, "We''re here to do a job and nothing else. We physically cannot do anything else. Eli already asked Juma, she said no. Sparrow clearly doesn''t care! That''s it! We''re done!" "So if there was something we could do about it, would you support it?" Asked Rafael, leaning in to Misfit''s huddle talk. Matteo sighed as he withdrew for a moment, his face dark. His fingers idly ran against the surface of his medical pouch, and the consternated look in his eyes told Eli that he wasn''t fully sure. Matteo was there with the refugees, healing them, caring for them as if they were one of his own. Eli could see how the thought of doing nothing to help them tortured him. The old man slowly shook his head, "You aren''t seeing the bigger picture." "Bullshit. You don''t believe that Matteo," Rafael muttered, "I know you want to help. You just won''t do it. Why? Fear-" "What the fuck else am I supposed to feel? Huh? For God''s sake I have a daughter on Earth! I can''t die here or stay here in prison for years, Rafael! I-I can''t. You might be able to say ''fuck it'' and throw caution to the wind because you don''t have anything to lose! But I don''t have that luxury! I..." Matteo''s voice suddenly wavered and in the midst of his impassioned argument, Matteo gave up, "I already know you think I''m terrible for saying what I''ve said. Some of you more than others..." Matteo glanced at Eli who grimaced and averted his gaze, "I don''t want these people to get hurt, at all. But ignoring the obvious fact that we physically cannot do anything without Overwatch''s say-so, I don''t see a scenario where we can help these people and not get ourselves killed or tormented in the process. The only thing we can hope for is that the Avonians won''t deliberately target their own people. It doesn''t make any sense... right?" "An Empire that uses brainwashed bio-mutant slaves as frontline expendables?" Eli muttered. "What?" "That''s what a shock trooper is. I''ve seen them before with my own eyes. I don''t think the Avonians will deliberately target their own people either... They probably aren''t. They just don''t give a shit, they''ll go through civilians if it means killing their enemies. Look at Raritan," Eli gestured wildly to nothing in particular in order to accentuate his point, "I''ve seen Avonian soldiers kidnap and kill civilians for no other reason than to cause collateral damage and weaken morale..." "Then why are the rebels keeping the people here?" Asked Badger, "That doesn''t make any sense. Surely, they''d know that the Empire isn''t going to second guess mowing down civilians to get to them? I mean, if the ULA is using phantoms as meat shields - that''s bad enough. But knowing that it isn''t going to stop the Avonians? Why..." A pause, a moment of silence. Badger''s voice trailed off to leave the squad to conclude something far more dreadful than they wanted to admit... what if, the rebels had no pure intentions here at all? Otaes had warned him about trusting Sparrow, and though she was vague about her reasons - Eli trusted her. Even Sosa, one of the ULA''s own, had warned Eli about trusting Sparrow. He knew that he shouldn''t trust the man, but he couldn''t believe that they were warning him of something so major... "Sparrow," Eli said through gritted teeth, "It''s got something to do with Sparrow..." "You need to find out what it is then," Badger said with finality, "Sparrow is what Overwatch is here for. And without Sparrow being onboard, I don''t think we have a shot at saving anybody. If we convince Sparrow to resist Overwatch''s exfil, we might have a chance." "W-what if they leave us for dead?" A small voice peeped through the conversation. Their heads turned to see Omar''s face listening closely. He''d been pretty silent since they''d arrived in Helena, almost afraid to speak or do much of anything, "I also have a family at home... I want to see my mom again. But, if we make Overwatch upset they could just abandon us. Can''t they?" Eli shook his head, "I doubt it. This entire revolt, the invasion Helena, everything was purely to get the ULA back to the Nexus. If they fail to do that then they''ll have wasted so much time, money, and resources to come back empty handed. Even if Juma says no, if Sparrow doesn''t cooperate then they''ll have no choice but to accommodate him, at least briefly." "So that''s that. We convince Sparrow and we save the refugees," Dutch threw up his hands, "Simple." Rafael muttered, "Simple, but not easy. Now, you have to convince Sparrow, and I doubt he''ll be willing to listen unless you do something crazy." "You''re a revolutionary like them, right? Why don''t you go talk to them?" Dutch asked. Rafael offered only a chuckle and shake of the head, "My revolution is different from the ones these ULA people preach. I''ve seen their types before back in Brazil, they don''t fight for freedom at all. That is not their vision." Otaes, Sosa, and now Rafael himself. Three people all telling him the same thing. Do. Not. Trust. Sparrow... "Only one of us has been close enough to Sparrow to have any kind of pull over him," Badger gestured towards Eli, "You''re going to have to change his mind yourself. I don''t know how, but you know him best." Of course, the burden of this would have to fall on Eli''s shoulders squarely. He was the squad leader, he was the one Sparrow talked to the most, out of all of them - Eli had the biggest say, no matter how small even that was, "I''ll do it, if we''re all in agreement of course." He looked around Misfit, waiting for their reaction. Dutch, Rafael, and Badger were all committed leaving only Matteo and Omar. Omar was the first of the two to speak, "I think... I think we should. I want to go home of course but, they''re phantoms. Like you said before, Phantoms look out after Phantoms. We''re the only ones who will. So I say we do it if we can." "Smart kid," Dutch said. Omar smiled briefly at Dutch''s compliment before it faded once again. Now it was just up to Matteo. His hands were clasped together and the look of fear hadn''t quite left him fully. But slowly, he sighed, "I still don''t think it''s possible... but I won''t stand in the way of the squad. We made an agreement after getting reunited that anything we do, we do as a whole. If you want to do the right thing, who am I to say we can''t?" And like that, there was a collective feeling of relief that washed over Misfit. Matteo forced a grin to accentuate his point, but it was clear that he was apprehensive. Yet, changed. He was not the same old man who was willing to sacrifice half of the squad to their deaths only a short month ago. He''d changed, and truthfully, so had Misfit. With that Eli nodded, willing his exhausted body into motion to track Sparrow down...
It took several moments of searching through the dark interior of the base. The walls from the inside were coated in classical green paint that seemed to chip around the foundations. Bookshelves and ornate furnishings were tethered to the wall as the last reminders of the structure''s history as a university before it became a Junta stronghold and then a ULA rally point. The halls were long and winding, with the windows large enough to easily dwarf a man, letting him see the full extent of the city within the storm. Of course with the rainfall and relative darkness, Eli wasn''t able to see much at all. Though the moon''s light did manage to soak through the storm clouds at some points and paint the interior with a dark nocturnal blue. Eli passed by squads of ULA rebels on patrol, and though their purpose was to guard the base, their presence was no longer comforting with the suspicions of their motives piling. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Locating Sparrow was difficult enough and asking the rebels was out of the question for he had neither the benefit of Otaes¡¯ translation spell or Sparrow¡¯s communication device. So, he had to rely on the good old tried and true method of looking over every single floor, awkwardly staring at groups of rebels until he found him. As he wandered through the base without aim, he saw two familiar figures. Neither of which were Sparrow, but they were close. It was the wolfkin Sosa and his human companion Vega. He flagged Sosa and Vega down, getting their attention. Vega pulled out a translation device, covering the hall in familiar red bubble of ekron energy. "Well, well, well... if it isn''t the alien," Vega chuckled to himself as Eli approached, "Sparrow was looking for you, you know?" "Alie- wait, he was?" Eli raised an eyebrow. Sosa snarled at Vega for the comment, giving him a slight elbow into the smaller human''s side, "How many times do I have to tell you not to bring the ''Earth'' thing up. That''s still classified!" "Sorry, it''s funny, you can''t blame me." Sosa rolled his yellow canine eyes, before settling on Eli again, "And yes, little human, Sparrow just gave me a call to find you. In fact, that is exactly what I was going to do now." "What for?" The two rebels both gave each other concerned looks before they looked at Eli again, "You haven''t heard?" Asked Sosa with a twitch of his grey ear. Eli shook his head. "That Imperial battlegroup we''ve been so anxious about? It was spotted at the edge of the city. The Imperials are here," Sosa said, "We need your Coalition bosses to come and relieve us right now! The Kiotes have already declared their retreat from Helena, and so far it looks like the city''s been lost to the Republican Guard! Without the Coalition, we''re surrounded!" "There is some good news though, comrade. Marshall Navarro is dead and the Republic will fracture without him... and that''s about it." "Very helpful, by the way," Sosa gave the human a rather unimpressed look. "I do what I can." Eli shrugged, "I don''t have contact with Overwatch. The radio jam is still up! I don''t know when they''ll come." "It''d better be sooner rather than later. If the Imperials overwhelm us here at the ULA base, which they will, then we''ll have no choice but to go to plan B," Vega raised a pointed finger out of one of the dark windows towards the horizon. Above the roofs of the nearby tenements, there were tall structure in the distance that manage to have some definition through the fog, "The Port of Helena. Those are the cranes near the water. You can see it isn''t too far away, but trying to run out there in the rain will be chaotic if we get surrounded. If not, almost impossible. We''d lose a lot of people, but we''ll have no choice but to regroup there." "And if we can''t make our final stand before the Coalition comes... it''s all over," Sosa''s ears flattened behind his head, "They''ll kill everyone." That was terrible news, and it only magnified the problem. They were on a ticking timer, with each second counting down until they would inevitably be flattened. It seemed the rebels had given up hope on trying to fight the Avonians head on, which was likely the correct assumption. But if the rebels couldn''t even ensure their own survival... then... "What about the people?" Eli asked, looking up at the duo, "That''s what I needed to ask Butcher about. I need to convince him to let the refugees go to the Nexus." Sosa and Vega both shifted uncomfortably, "Eli, I don''t think that''s really possible right now or a priority in his mind," Sosa growled, "Sparrow is difficult to convince of anything. He''s thick skulled. He believes that since everything he does is to fight the Avonian Empire, that makes everything he does morally right. You can''t convince people who are like that. I''m sorry." Eli refused to accept that as an answer and he took a confrontational step forward, "Maybe I can''t, but you two are his right hand men! You have to at least try! Or help me out!" The two were silent for a brief moment, thinking. That on its own was a good sign. They were at least considering Eli''s offer which was more than what Sparrow could''ve said. In fact, if Eli looked hard enough, it seemed like they actually agreed! But of course, they had their own concerns. "You know, I have been concerned about them too. I''ve been saying that we should at least try to get them out of here. But Sparrow told me that if there were people here, that would make the Avonians hesitant to attack us..." "So you want to use them as meat shields?" "No not... fuck," Vega bit his lip, averting his gaze, "Yes, as meat shields. That was Sparrow''s strategy. And if that didn''t work-" "Bull - fucking - shit! That''s ridiculous! You can''t go along with that!" Eli shouted, "Those are Phantoms we''re talking about, people like me!" "But how? Even if we manage to convince Sparrow of this, we''ll be bleeding time!" Sosa offered as a rebuttal, "The Imperials will slaughter us all." "Isn''t that the point of revolutions? It''s people sacrificing their lives for a better world! That''s what revolutionaries do!" Eli pleaded with them, "Come on... help me. Please! You can''t go along with Sparrow! Help us get these guys to relative safety!" A moment passed, and then another. In the distance, Eli could hear thunder rumble - though it sounded louder than usual, stranger too. The decision was difficult, and Eli knew he was asking a lot from these two, but he also knew that it had to be done. Vega was the first to open his mouth, "You know what... you''re right. I''m a revolutionary at heart! I''ve always said that I''m willing to die for a better world that was free from the Imperials. Fuck Sparrow, I''m with you," He said with finality, "He doesn''t decide what I do! That might be true of Bell and the others, but not me!" Eli smiled as Vega came around. Leaving only the wolf. His yellow eyes closed as his claws pinched the bridge of his snout, but finally he too relented, "I have a job to support the ULA but personally I''ve never actually believed in the ULA''s cause... at least not while Sparrow was calling the shots," Sosa growled, "I''m no rebel, but I think I have a responsibility to do right by the people here. Count me in." "Yes!" Eli nearly shouted in joy, before tempering the volume of his voice, "Look, thank you. We just need to go find Sparrow and get him onboard too." "I believe Sparrow is on one of the lower floors talking strategy with Bell and the other rebels," Vega said, "I doubt the Energy Lance is being used, and that''s the only thing-" ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Sosa turned to the window. The three all turned their focus to the outside world, and there they saw it. Golden flashes of light streaked their way through the clouds, momentarily being obscured by the storm before flashing into view again. They were tracing their way up across the horizon, arching over like a shooting star, and falling... fast. Eli was confused, but he watched Vega take a step back, his eyes widened in pure terror. ¡°AVONIAN ARTILLERY! GET DOWN!¡± Eli heard something akin to a whistle screeching through the air outside, bombs falling over their heads. Not lightning, not rain, but pure devastation incoming. He dropped to the floor, arms wrapped over his head, eyes closed shut. The whistling stopped. Only followed by an explosion. The pressure wave rocked the building, blowing out windows and sending glass flying into the air. The sound of the blast was enough to nearly deafen Eli, who moved his hands to his ears instinctively in pain. More shells dropped onto the base, and among the sounds of explosions and the disorientation of the shockwaves, he could hear the distinct roar of screaming from downstairs. The Avonians weren¡¯t just going to try and take out the rebels. No, they were going to bring the entire building down ontop of the rebels and refugees alike. Eli shakily stood, hardly able to get proper footing the way the artillery shells rocked the very core of the building. The fear that one could tear through the roof and obliterate them all at any moment kept him paranoid, ducking his head as he ran through the halls flooded with panicking rebels. And in the midst of the chaos, he could hear screaming. A chorus of hundreds of voices from downstairs, yelling, shouting, screams of the innocent as they struggled to find safety. He realized it was coming from downstairs. Right where Misfit and the refugees were. At some point he stopped, running out of breath. He had no idea where in the building he was. Everywhere he looked he could only find rebels running in opposite directions, and people shouting in a language he could not understand. To his right were glass windows. His eyes turned to the night sky. The golden stars falling to Earth, crashing and exploding with each impact. There was one star in particular which only grew larger. It was coming straight for him. He could only shield his face as he anticipated the impact. The artillery shell hit the ground in front of the wall, but the resulting explosion was enough. The windows burst, sending shards of broken glass flying at him. The shockwave was enough to take him from his feet, and the force of the blast sent his body flying to the other side of the room. His back was thrown against the wall, as was the glass which scraped and dug itself into parts of his uniform and body. Mind foggy, he smelled something burning and could taste iron in his mouth. A distinctly warm and reverberating pain in the back of his skull and his tongue. His eyes slowly opened, blurry, unfocused. The windows had been broken in front of him, and the bright orange glow of fire ebbed just underneath the open space. Raindrops and the distinct smell of seawater blew into the room, sometimes washing over Eli¡¯s body with the large drops of rain mixed with ash and smoke. He struggled to his feet, though more of the shells kept falling over the building. No matter what, he needed to get downstairs where it was safer. He could already see parts of the roof giving way, with the artillery shells screeching overhead. From the darkness though, a figure rushed towards him. A familiar claw. ¡°Get on your feet, Eli! Come on!¡± When Eli did manage to grab ahold of Sosa''s paw he was practically lifted from the ground by the strength of the wolfkin''s arm. Without wasting a second, Sosa spun on his heels and made a dash to the interior of the building with Eli, clumsily, stumbling after him. His world was still spinning and his mind was nothing but painful fog. He could feel his wounds bleeding as he hustled alongside Sosa to exit, and he felt a sharp pain stab at his side. But he had no choice but to ignore them. He had to keep running. He had no idea where Vega was or what happened to him, and he could only follow after the canine form of Sosa as the wolf took the lead. As they ran through the winding halls, the artillery kept pounding on the building. It shook the very structure, distorting every step that Eli took, threatening to knock him off from his feet once again. But he kept running. Sosa took a turn down a narrow corridor towards a staircase that would lead them to at least temporary safety. Yet, Eli was lagging behind. He tried to rush, giving it his everything to reach the stairs. But he could hear the distinct whistle of an artillery shell falling through the sky, right over their head. And then impact...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 48: Dragonscrap >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 48: Dragonscrap]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> [CLOSER. CLOSER. YOU CAN FEEL THE HEAT. YOU CAN NOW HEAR THE PAGES TURN. YOU CAN NOW FEEL THE WEIGHT OF THEIR EYES WATCHING BEHIND YOUR VERY OWN. THE END IS CALLING YOU. PICK UP WHEN THE PHONE RINGS, AND TELL ME WHAT THE VOICE ON THE OTHER SIDE SOUNDS LIKE. WILL YOU HEAR IT THEN? WILL YOU HEAR THE PHONE WHEN IT CALLS? THEY''RE CALLING YOU ELI... WATCH THE DOVES. SEE HER FEATHERS. YES, PURE. SEE THE BLACKBIRDS TOO, THE SILHOUETTE OF THE RAVEN, AND TELL ME WHAT HER STARRY QUILLS REMIND YOU OF. IF FREEDOM AND BEAUTY ARE AS NATURAL TO A CREATURE SO SIMPLE AS A BIRD, THEN I PROMISE THAT IT WILL COME TO YOU AS WELL. BUT THAT WILL ONLY COME IF YOU LISTEN... LISTEN ELI...] >>> [WATCH OUT. THERE IS SOMEONE BEHIND YOU. WATCH OUT, LISTEN AND ANSWER THEIR CALLS. BEFORE SPRING COMES THE FALL. BROKEN WINGS WILL NOT REMAIN BROKEN FOREVER. YOUR TIME WILL COME. BUT FIRST, LISTEN...] >>> [YOU WILL KNOW WHAT TO DO WHEN THE TIME COMES. ONE FOOT IN FRONT OF THE OTHER. REACH OUT FOR ME AND I WILL EMBRACE YOU. PUT YOUR HAND IN MY CLAWS AND ALLOW ME TO BE YOUR GUIDE. I CAN SEE THROUGH THE FOG THAT BLINDS PREAWAKENED EYES. I CAN HEAR THE COSMIC THREADS SNAPPING AND PULLING, THE WHEELS OF FATE SPIN, AND THE TABLES OF DESTINY TURN. I AM AWARE OF ALL OF THESE. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS.] >>> [EYES BEHIND THEIR OWN SEE. I ORCHESTRATE. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Eli¡¯s eyes were sealed shut. Darkness clouded his vision. He could breathe. He could move, slightly. He could feel his heart beat steadily within his chest. He could even feel pain. Dull. Aching. Tender. He welcomed the feeling of pain. It meant he was still alive. And if he listened hard enough, he could hear something breaking through the darkness. The flapping of wings. Birds. Doves and Blackbirds flying in unison through the void. He watched them emerge from nowhere and vanish into nothingness. Hundreds, thousands of birds. Enough to fill his entire field of view. A flock big enough to swallow the Sun. But the flock would eventually pass. And in their wake, it stood. Left behind like the last remnants of a wax candle melting to reveal the wick buried inside. It called out to him through the darkness. Asking his name. Repeatedly. It was that voice again. Cold and unnatural. Glassface''s voice was inorganic, and to Eli it sounded as if he were listening to someone speak through a dusty old radio. Glassface''s voice was a multitude joining into one. Like an alien that was shifting itself to fit in with human expression, not fully understanding what or how humans communicated... but learning. Or maybe it was Eli that was the alien in Glassface''s world? Whatever the case, Glassface only kept watch from a distance. The soft curve of its blank mirror-like face illuminated somehow in the darkness by an unseen source, but the rest of the cogs and wires that made up its body were left obscured by the dark robes draped over its frame. Eli could hardly say that he was familiar with the strange creature by now. In fact, he felt as if he knew less about it than he ever had before. But if it was true that Glassface was just watching him from a distance, then maybe it was benevolent. A strange creature, one not interested in harming him ¨C per se. What if it was responsible for his life? A guardian angel, working from the shadows? Protecting Eli. He could count far too many times when his death seemed all but assured, only to somehow emerge on the other side, injured, but still alive. Both on Earth and here on Narva. Was that all Glassface¡¯s doing? A private guardian angel, protecting him from the constant and present dangers surrounding him? As the two held stares in the infinite abyss, Eli narrowed his eyes, thankful that at least this time around Glassface had granted Eli the ability to govern the movements of his own body. Such a creature evaded his understanding. Really it was foolish to try. But he knew that it was no longer something that had once been a figment of his imagination. Unless it was, and he really had gone utterly insane. Though a part of him doubted it. He felt himself falling. He couldn¡¯t see much. But he knew he was. Moving through the air, through rock, through debris. His body was moving on the other side. He was being taken. Pulled rather. Pulled through the chaos of the artillery strike and the collapse, pulled back into reality. Drifting out of the void, sucked back into ¡°real¡± world. He lost sight of the creature. ¡°Eli Freeman,¡± it¡¯s voiced reverberated in his mind. Back and forth, rattling around like a rubber ball bouncing infinitely off the walls in his head, Again and again and again. Over and over and over. ¡°Awake, you are awake. Fight. You must fight. You¡¯ll know what to do when the time comes. Your story does not end here. Every frightened step you take, every precious breath you inhale, I''ll be there. Watching. Waiting. This is only the beginning. They listen. Can you hear them?¡± Glassface¡¯s ethereal ¡®voice¡¯ whispered to him. Nothing that it said made much sense, aside from the obvious. It was clear that Eli was being watched by Glassface, the only question with regards to that was "for how long"? What exactly did Glassface know about him? Its voice was there during Chief Ani''s mindreading attempt, or "soul searching" as she called it. So clearly, it was at the very least aware of Eli''s most core memories and tightest secrets. The burning question to which Eli needed answers was... why? Why was it watching him? What did it want with him? He could feel a palpable sense of dread fill his veins as he feared that his life may not have been as private as he had hoped. And most importantly, he could sense that Glassface was alluding to something big in the future... The circular red spot that dimly glowed beneath the surface of the glass surface ebbed for a moment, concentrating on Eli. And for a moment it seemed to consider something... the creature took a step back, and the void shifted in retreat. Eli braced himself for its next words, whatever they may be... ¡°Wake up," was all that Glassface said. And like that, his eyes opened. Eli was no longer asleep, and he found himself sprawled across the floor half-buried in rubble and dust. The muscles in his body were aching, a deep-rooted type of pain that not only burned but ebbed within the core. But for what it was worth, he was still alive. Drops of water fell from above and wet his face, it was only then that he noticed the massive hole in the ceiling. Parts of the roof hung over him, jagged and broken. Wooden pillars of the original base and dark steel beams from the Imperial modifications poked through the holes in the ceiling, snapped in half by the bombardment. The shaky walls threatened further collapse. He awoke to find himself in roughly the same spot he was when he lost consciousness, however any trace of Sosa or Vega was missing. It was likely Sosa managed to get out. As for Vega... who knew? Slowly struggling to his feet, despite the massive splitting headache, Eli realized just how lucky he was. The stray artillery shell should¡¯ve vaporized him then and there. Yet, not only had he survived, but by the looks of things he emerged from shelling relatively unharmed. Of course, he had his fair share of cuts and bruises and he¡¯d have to reserve time later to check for more serious injuries that he couldn¡¯t immediately feel. But overall, something told Eli that he was lucky to be alive at all. If ¡®luck¡¯ had anything to do with it at all. The image of Glassface lingered in his mind. He could feel himself getting closer to Glassface, somehow. Whatever it was and wherever it was. It was moving towards him... or rather, he was moving towards it. He wasn''t exactly sure of which, perhaps it was both. Nonetheless, he knew that this would not be the last time he and Glassface would cross paths. He dreaded the circumstances their next meeting would require. If Eli could remember correctly, each meeting with Glassface either came just prior to or just after a life changing event. He''d first seen Glassface lurking underneath the tree in his garden, right after the portal and the Utopia Project had been revealed. Then he saw Glassface again, watching him enter the portal, after they''d been attacked by the howlers in the jungle. Once more of course in Raritan before they were convicted and sentenced to solitary confinement, and again in Helena after they''d crashed into the dirt and wound up stranded. If this track record of Glassface lurking ominously around major events continued to hold true, Eli was certain that only doom lay on the horizon. Their situation was bleak as is, and any chance of it getting better seemed far fetched at best. If not, fully impossible... Eli stood on his two feet. Aside from being somewhat dazed and feeling the bruises he''d recieved, he felt no other major pains - even after putting pressure on both legs - which was a good sign indeed. After shaking off the last remnants of drowsiness from his face, he took stock of the situation. The smell of smoke filled the air and mixed with the smell of rain, sour and dank, the worst combination. Most of the windows in the upper floor had been blown out. Across the ceiling around the building he could see more holes. Places where the shells had struck, destroying nearly everything in its path. But the shelling had ceased. For now. Checking his body, his assault rifle was still safely slung over his torso. He was about to breathe a sigh of relief that he still had his gun, when his hands glossed over the magazine to find that the box felt noticeably hollow to the touch. Detaching the magazine from the gun, and feeling a lighter than usual weight, he realized that it was about half-empty. Probably using the other half in his fight with Sparrow to destroy the missiles. He was about to swap the magazines, when he checked his pockets, and found that they were all empty. Eli swore under his breath, pulling his rifle close to his body. He wasn¡¯t sure where everyone had gone, but if the Imperials had already stormed the base, he¡¯d be practically defenseless until he could regroup with either Misfit or the rebels. He placed his hopes in tracking Sosa down initially, until he remembered the fact that the stairwell had been blocked off by rubble, and there was no chance in hell that he''d have enough strength in his tired body to move any of it. He needed to find another way downstairs, preferably before the Avonians launched another salvo. Freely, he walked around the bombed-out base, hand trailing along the wall to guide himself in the near pitch black darkness of the room. Trying to find his way either to a new stairwell or in search of anyone who was still alive. But as he looked, eyes peering through the thick darkness interrupted only by the flashes of lightning ¨C and ears strained by the cracks of thunder ¨C he found no one. Only bodies of people that were once alive, lost to the artillery shelling. Among the dead, he was sure to search the bodies for anything of use. A gun, one that was loaded preferably. And also one he knew how to shoot. But the bodies here were all unarmed, and what little he could see was shrouded by thick clouds of darkness. The drumming beat of heavy rain smashing against the walls were the only constant throughout the quiet floor. And through the open windows, he could feel as the storm rushed its way back inside. His mind fought off memories of his childhood home again, and mostly won. Mostly. He could feel his heart tear, but a little less than it used to whenever he thought about it. Maybe he was starting to forget about that part of his childhood too? That wouldn¡¯t be so bad if he could. He¡¯d rather feel and remember nothing about his past, than to only harp on the bitter memories. He continued fumbling his way through the darkness. He found his way through a double door that was slightly ajar. The room on the other side was quite expansive and circular. Chairs surrounded a large table with papers and documents spread across its wooden surface. The flag of the revolutionaries hung on the wall facing a line of windows, which let in some small amount of ambient light from the outside, illuminating the room ¨C but only barely. On the table, his eyes landed on a gun. A rifle, one not too dissimilar from an old Cold-War era Kalashnikovs back on Earth. Like a man dying of thirst to a puddle of water, he rushed towards it. Hopeful that having a second rifle would give him enough ammo to defend himself for a while, at least more so than the half-full magazine his current rifle had. His hopes were dashed when he picked up the rifle, only to find that the magazine was missing ¨C and any sign of bullets had long since vanished or were hidden further by darkness. He pulled back the bolt and peered inside of the chamber. Empty. Dead weight. Frustrated, he set the foreign gun aside and carried on. As he passed in front of the windows of the room, he could hear the sound of sentries marching through the rainy night. Cautiously, he approached, peering through the stormy weather and the dark atmosphere. Through the darkness, he spotted the telltale red eyes of sentries approaching, slowly marching down the city streets and making a beeline to the base. Their distinctive red eyes being the only way Eli could see them through the storm, as their steel bodies were hidden. Judging by the number of red lights, he figured there were only four of the walking death machines, at least of those he could see right here. Who knows how many more were approaching from the opposite direction behind the building, or were just out of sight? Sparrow mentioned that the rebels had anti-sentry weapons, but that they were limited. Only around five of the rockets were left if Eli remembered right. There had to be some other way to kill them, or at least hold them off until the Coalition could arrive to relieve them. His eyes drifted down to his arm monitor, switching it on. The faint glow of the screen was marred by warning symbols telling him of the fact that the Avonian signals jam was still up. It must¡¯ve been at least an hour since Eli called in to request support. Where the fuck were they? Eli kept watching out of the windows. Though he could only see the sentries, something told him that soldiers were following them. Letting the sentries go in first to wreak havoc, and then sending in the soldiers to mop up the place. Like the artillery bombardment, it was all a matter of pummeling the rebels and the refugees into the dirt until they were too disoriented to fight. Eli looked up to the skies, hoping to spot a Coalition osprey or jet, but he was only met with dark clouds and the occasional streak of lightning. He stood up, knowing that he was only wasting time standing around. Continuing to walk through the bombed out building alone, he stumbled across a room whose roof had almost completely caved in. Even bits of the floor underneath had collapsed from the shelling, leaving holes that opened into the rooms below. Walking out into the open, feeling as the rain drummed on his helmet and soaked his prisoner¡¯s uniform, he was immersed in the grotesque aftermath of the bombardment. So immersed, that he didn¡¯t hear the flapping of wings behind him and the distinct low growl ¨C until he was right in the danger zone.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. His eyes jerked around in time to see the half-machine body of the dragon synth as it was about to strike. Sharp claws dashed at him. The image of the claws impaling him flashed through his mind, and it forced him to rush out of the way. Instead of a graceful sidestep though, he stumbled, and fell on his hands. The movement was enough that the dragon went careening into the wall, causing it to fall and flap its wings sporadically. It let out a frustrated roar as it scrambled to right itself. Eli too was on the move, already on his feet with his gun clutched in his hands. His eyes landed on the door from which he came in, and he bolted towards it as fast as his body would allow. But the shriek of the dragon was getting closer behind him, and he knew he wouldn¡¯t make it. He turned to look behind him, and in the dragon¡¯s maw was an orange glow of fire ¨C penetrating the darkness. He knew exactly what it meant. He wouldn¡¯t get to the door in time. Seeing no other option, he aimed down his assault rifle¡¯s sights, and opened fire into the brewing inferno of the dragon¡¯s mouth. And it worked. The bullets damaged something within the dragon, causing the explosive force within its throat to detonate prematurely. It swamped the room in a whirl of fire, singing Eli¡¯s skin even as he ducked for cover. Despite the fiery explosion, the pained growls from the dragon let Eli know that he had failed to kill it. It was writhing around in pain, wings and tail flailing around the room. It was stumbling over towards his direction, forcing Eli to run away from the door. Narrowly, he missed the spike-lined tail of the dragon as it swung over his head, knocking a hole into the wall. The screeching cyborg dragon was going to regain focus soon, and Eli would have to get out of its enraged gaze soon. He sprinted to the opposite end of the room, rain getting in his eyes and making the task of finding an exit difficult. The dragon lashed out at him in its injured and aggravated state, forcing Eli to remain cautious about an infuriated dragon that sought nothing more than to turn him into a past tense. His eyes landed on a door leading deeper into the building. He made a mad dash towards the exit, feeling hope that he¡¯d be able to scurry away back into the depths of the base where the dragon couldn¡¯t reach. His hopes were dashed when he felt something pull him in the opposite direction. His heart sunk. The dragon managed to get a hold onto him, biting onto his backpack and sinking into the textile with its metal teeth. He kept running, panicking, but it served him no use. With a flick of its head, the dragon lifted Eli off of the ground and threw him across the room and into the opposing wall. The impact of his body hitting the solid wall, and the fact that he had literally just been thrown like a stuffed sack, knocked the wits out of him. For a moment he swore that he¡¯d black out, yet he remained awake. His vision was blurry, his body hurt even more, and the rain kept pouring. With every muscle in his body hellbent on keeping him confined to the ground, he struggled to his feet. He could see the piercing red eyes of the dragon searching for him in the rubble ¨C getting nearer. He was crawling on all fours, his world still spinning as he desperately searched for a way out. His eyes landed on a hole in the floor, where it caved in and collapsed onto the floor underneath from the artillery shelling. He could make it, but he needed to keep the dragon off of him. A roar from the creature made him wise to the fact that he¡¯d already been spotted. He tried to move faster but couldn¡¯t go as fast as he needed to. The impact of his body had either sprained or torn something inside, as his limbs refused to cooperate with him. Knowing there was no other choice if he wanted to live, he again raised his gun. The dragon was hot onto him. Jagged steel teeth bared, ready to tear him apart. Red eyes staring him down. He aimed for the only weak spot he could think of and pulled the trigger. His bullets pierced the red left eye, forcing the dragon to halt. It stumbled and fell over itself as its left eye was destroyed. Of course, the dragon still hadn¡¯t died, but the wound forced the beast to a stop, granting Eli enough time to make it to the hole. He inhaled, gathering all the strength he could, and jumped in. He had a hard fall. Hardly landing more than he did crashing. Apparently, instead of a graceful tumble onto something pleasant as he sort of hoped for, there was more rubble underneath him. Sharp, jagged, rubble. And his body hit it ¨C hard. Hard enough to deliver him several incredibly painful bruises, as the collapsed building material tore at his skin and punched him in all of his weak and tender parts. He might¡¯ve gotten a concussion too even despite his helmet, had he lacked enough foresight to keep his head held up high. Though, he risked having his skull slam into a hard brick on the ground, a injury that would¡¯ve been devastating had it happened. It was difficult to say if the cheap refuse gear allotted to combat Phantoms would''ve withstood a nearly two hundred pound human slamming into concrete bricks and metal rubble. Something told Eli it wouldn''t. But despite the fall, Eli was still alive. Greeting him as his eyes opened to assess the situation, the dragon had rushed over to the collapsed part of the floor above, trying to fit itself inside. The jaws of the monster angrily snapped to grab hold of anything on the inside, to get at Eli who had stolen both its fire and its eye. But it failed. A shiver ran through his spine when he saw the dragon slowly pulling itself away from the hole, peering at him ¨C furious ¨C through the darkness with one piercing red eye left and the other destroyed. It screeched at him through the hole, spread its wings, and took off into the night. ¡°Yeah, screw you too. Asshole,¡± He whispered, watching the dragon retreat into the storm. Eli was on his back, lying against the concrete rubble. He let out a tense breath of air, feeling the rush of fear and combat leave his body. A ghost departing from a now empty shell. He closed his eyes briefly, thinking about how he was this close to dying. His heart slowed down and he felt himself loosen. He made it to the floors underneath, and so his job of finding Misfit and Sparrow should¡¯ve been made easier. Figuring he couldn¡¯t lie here forever, he got to his feet, body still sore. The memory of the dragon above still haunting him as if he were being stalked by it. Slowly he pushed his way into the dark depths of the interior, past a few more doors. Still not a single soul in sight. Empty rooms that the rebels had long since retreated from, and yet not one of them had anybody within. Figuring that the next pair of doors would be the same, he haphazardly placed his hands on their wooden surface. He should¡¯ve figured that something was wrong when the door provided a lot more resistance than normal. It wasn¡¯t locked, per se, but it felt like something was purposely holding it shut from within. He pushed harder, and the door swung open, causing him to almost stumble inside. He was greeted by a blue pulse of light, magical energy sent him careening backwards until he landed on his back stunned. In just one moment, he had been taken completely by surprise. Another surprise came when he saw an elf charging at him. Only stopping when the two met face to face. The elf looked unfamiliar. Dark purple skin was covered by white tattoos that looked almost tribal. The elf had a mop of curly silver hair covering his head, illuminated somewhat by the faint light that crawled its way through the darkness. It was a mess of hair growing long over his forehead and round face. Eli raised his hands in anticipation of an attack, but the Elf¡¯s once harsh gaze softened, and slowly, he backed away. Another glow of light from his hands, and the elf spoke, ¡°Eli?¡± Hearing the elf speak his name made him freeze up. A million and a half questions instantly jumped to the front of his mind. But only one made its way through his mouth. ¡°Temetet?¡± The two were locked in a staring competition, or at the very least, it¡¯d seem that way. Neither of the two said anything after they asked each other¡¯s names, but Eli knew that the elf before him ¨C unmasked and seen¨C a crime so grave that it¡¯d warrant Eli¡¯s death according to Otaes, was none other than Otaes¡¯ little brother. ¡°I-I-I¡¯m uh, I,¡± Now it was Eli¡¯s turn to be a stuttering mess before Temetet. It was like he barged into someone¡¯s shower and saw them nude. Though he couldn¡¯t tell if the fear was stemming more from his violation of what was certain to be a strong Warrior Elf cultural taboo ¨C or if it was because Temetet was going to try and kill him. The nervous, overly talkative, na?ve, but ultimately harmless elf that he knew to be Otaes¡¯ little brother. Of all people, Temetet, was going to have to be the one to kill him. Talk about irony. Temetet took a step closer to him in the dark. The blue glow of his translation spell continued to fill the room, yet he said nothing, ¡°Tem-Temetet. Look, I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t, uh, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡° Was he afraid of Temetet? The way that the young elf¡¯s face seemed expressionless as he walked closer to Eli filled him with a sense of dread. He knew Temetet and even liked him. Fighting him wasn¡¯t something he wanted to do at all. Unlike the dragon, arguably more menacing in every single respect compared to the rather small elven youth, Temetet was Eli¡¯s friend. And he couldn¡¯t hurt him. But Temetet stopped, holding out a hand to Eli. He shakily looked over the hand, and then up to Temetet¡¯s face, only to see that he was smiling. ¡°It¡¯s alright, Eli,¡± he said in the calmest voice Eli had ever heard him speak in. The hand was outstretched, ready to be taken so Eli could be helped up. He looked away from Temetet¡¯s face again, unsure if he should keep looking or not. Was Temetet not angry at him? Or at the very least, didn¡¯t he care at all about his own cultural traditions? He looked from the ground to Temetet¡¯s hand. Shakily he lifted a hand of his own and rested it into Temetet¡¯s palm, who in turn grasped his hand and helped him up onto his feet. When Eli was standing, there was a moment of awkward silence that fell between the human and the elf. Neither of them looked at each other. Temetet scratched idly at his arm while staring at some point near the back of the room. Eli couldn¡¯t help but stare at the floor. ¡°Uh, Temetet¡­ isn¡¯t me seeing your face like some kind of ¨C¡° ¡°Yeah, yeah it is,¡± Temetet answered, ¡°But I¡¯m technically not a Kitchi. Yet. I¡¯m just training for it. So uh, don¡¯t worry about it. And even if i was... I don''t really care about a dumb rule that much.¡± Although the words were supposed to be reassuring, Temetet didn¡¯t seem certain himself. Again, the two made eye contact and then awkwardly peeled away. Why did this feel so horrible? In any case, Temetet wasn¡¯t going to try and hurt him. A relief. But there was someone else who might, ¡°What about Otaes?¡± Temetet was startled by the name at first, but shrugged, ¡°Uhm, she shouldn¡¯t hurt you either. It was my fault anyways; I dropped my mask during the bombing, and it was so dark I couldn¡¯t find it. She¡¯ll understand, I know she will.¡± ¡°What if she doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I think she likes you. Maybe I could talk her out of killing you¡­ just this once.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Temetet attempted a smile but it faded away into the darkness of the room, ¡°What about everyone else. You know where my squad is?¡± ¡°Everybody is downstairs,¡± Said Temetet, ¡°The last time I saw them, they were helping move people into the cellar. Where they¡¯d be safer from the bombs.¡± ¡°What about Sparrow?¡± ¡°He''s there too. He sent me up here just before the artillery attack to go looking for you and a few of his other rebels. Sosa and Vega I think. He saw the shells coming in... But, truthfully I''m just looking for Otaes. ¡± So, that means Otaes was gone too. He¡¯d have to find both of them. But then Eli realized... "Wait a minute, Sparrow sent you up here? Right into the killzone? Temetet shrugged, "He said that I''d be more useful fighting than trying to heal people. " Eli swallowed hard. Was that true? Or was Sparrow trying to get rid of Temetet? Either way, Eli was going to have to tear Sparrow a new one. Provided Otaes didn''t murder him first. It seemed that Temetet was unaware of just how bad the implication was. He could''ve been killed up here. The amount of fury boiling in Eli was unspeakable... but first, he needed to reunite with Misfit, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go find Misfit. The entire top floor is abandoned, dragons are tearing the hell out of it. I doubt Otaes is up there.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Temetet noticed Eli checking his gun for ammo ¨C or rather, the lack thereof ¨C ¡°But before anything else, we need to find the armory.¡± ¡°Armory?¡± Eli asked. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it when me and Otaes first got here. They¡¯ve got a room where they keep a lot of their guns and supplies. It¡¯s on this floor. There¡¯re three routes to get there. We get you some more bullets, and see if we can¡¯t do anything about the dragon problem.¡± Eli was about to agree to the plan, when they heard something. Rumbling. Not lightning, but instead, marching. ¡°Sentries,¡± Temetet whispered. The marching was close enough that it shook the building¡¯s foundation, almost as if they were on the wall. It was possible that the sentries had already closed the distance and had begun scaling the wall, searching for hostiles to shoot through the windows. And if the dragon Eli tangoed was a sign of anything, then the army may have already begun their assault. ¡°Do they have any weakness other than the rockets?¡± ¡°I think so, but I dunno what they are,¡± Temetet racked his mind, ¡°I¡¯ve heard stories of Kitchi warriors and rebels using big nets to tie their legs up and bring them down. But they¡¯re just stories, and even if they were true, we don¡¯t have a comedically large net lying around.¡± ¡°Great,¡± He said. Only five rockets left, and who knew how many sentries? Unless there was some other way to kill them, they¡¯d be completely outgunned and outnumbered. And what of the people? His eyes once more drifted to his monitor, the screen was just the same as it was when he checked it ten minutes ago. Why was he expecting it to be anything different? He knew that the signal jam was still active. Maybe there was some hope in him that a message from Overwatch would¡¯ve gotten through and somehow manifest itself onto the monitor. But of course, it had not. ¡°We need to get to the armory,¡± Eli repeated. The marching sound of the sentry grew larger. They were definitely here. In fact, if Eli listened close enough, he could hear their engines humming just above them. He could hear other noises too¡­ Just outside of the window. Both Eli and Temetet froze as their gazes went to the window. Through the stormy night they could see little. But they knew the window was a danger. The sound of the Sentry was right above them now. They could hear its legs pummel the ceiling. When it found nothing, it unleashed a robotic roar, a sound so monstrous it was like listening to a living foghorn. Eli tapped Temetet on the shoulder, raising a finger to his lips and gesturing for them to hide. Slowly the two moved, careful not to make any sound that would tip off the sentry. Eli knew that the sentries could hear them just as well as it could see, and if Misfit¡¯s earlier scuffle with one was anything to go by, their hearing was their main strength. There was an overturned table near the rear of the room that provided immediate cover from view of the window. Leaving the room would¡¯ve taken too long, and even if they made it in time, there was no guarantee they¡¯d be safe. It was already too late to run. Now they had to hide. Eli crawled into cover. He tried to find Temetet, but he was nowhere to be seen in the darkness, even the blue glow of the translation spell was gone. There was an urge to call out to Temetet, but he knew better than that. And right on cue, the red glow of robotic eyes erased the darkness. The near pitch black room was suddenly bathed in red light. The engine of the machine like a growl just behind him. Eli swore he could feel the eyes on his back, seeing his cowering body straight through the table. In the red glow, dark shadows were cast in the room. The window frame, the table, the furniture inside, all cast with a red halo and a black silhouette on the wall in front of him. Eli¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen, yet he still tucked his limbs in for fear of them hanging loose. He inhaled, and closed his eyes. Fighting sentries was not something possible, for there was no fighting them. The only times when Eli even stood a chance was when he was surrounded by an entire team of allies who had access to the rockets. But it was just him and Temetet now, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. He eyeballed the door off to their side. Running was an option, but he was still recovering from fighting the dragon. His injuries just as painful as they were then. Did he really have it in him to start sprinting for his life? The more thought he gave the idea, the more his wounds cried out in searing pain. If he decided to run, when? How soon was too soon? How slow was too slow? There was another noise from the ceiling. Boots. He heard gargled conversation, just like between the soldiers he fought in Raritan. His mind flashed to the Shock Troopers and the Avonian Squad Leaders, somewhat robotic, somewhat elven. They were disembarking some kind of aerial vehicle and storming the building from the top down! If Eli had spent too long up on the ceiling, he would have been annihilated! But down here, he was trapped with Temetet once more. What could he do? When was his chance? It was agonizing! Right then, the feet of the Sentry began to move once more. It crawled, a massive spider who¡¯s every step sent Shockwave coursing through the structure. The red eyes looked away, and Eli¡¯s chance came. He rose to his feet, ignoring the pleading calls from his body to slow down and rest. He peered through the darkness of the room to look for Temetet and he found him, tucked in a corner of the room hidden behind a cabinet. Eli reached out his hand. ¡°Come on! We have to go!¡± He said in a hushed shout. Temetet said something else, but in his native language. Eli couldn¡¯t understand him, but it sounded like he was confused. ¡°Temetet, they¡¯re going to box us in! Come on!¡± He said, but he dropped the hushed whisper. Now he was almost shouting. Desperately pleading for Temetet to get on his feet and start running. But whether he was frozen in fear, or genuinely thought hiding was the better option, he wouldn¡¯t budge. It wasn¡¯t until there was a roar from the sentry outside, probably provoked by hearing Eli on the brink of shouting, that Temetet got up. Eli took his hand, pulling the young elf to his feet, and not a second later the two were sprinting. The door was closed, but Eli didn¡¯t even have time to fiddle with the knob to open it. Instead, he gathered his speed and weight, and crashed into it, making the door burst open. When the two left the room, Eli could see the distinct red glow of the sentry¡¯s lights fill the room once again. There was a roar as the sentry watched them flee. The sentry''s main cannon charged¡­ And it opened fire.
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===[Chapter 49: A Mild Case of Severe Brain Damage]===

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The resulting fireball was enough to blow out the remaining glass in the windows ahead of them. Heat burned hairs on Eli¡¯s neck, and the blast of air pressure was enough to knock him to his hands. He fell, hands scraping themselves against the shattered glass on the floor. Temetet was knocked on top of him, and the two fell over each other onto the floor. The blast incinerated the room behind them, destroying more chunks of the ceiling, vaporizing the furniture inside, and punching a hole of nothingness into a space where there once used to be a wall. The world around him was spinning, and he could feel a burn on his exposed skin. An aching burn that refused to subside. Despite the befuddled state of his mind, he knew that he could not stay here. The sentry would follow, and every second that he spent motionless was a chance for the soldiers upstairs to draw closer. ¡®Get up¡¯ He whispered to himself, forcing himself to roll over onto his chest and stand. It pained him to do so, but he had to. He saw Temetet, grabbed hold of him by his clothes, and forced him to his feet. It was clear that Temetet was just as dazed as Eli had been ¨C had they been a second too slow they would¡¯ve been incinerated by the sentry¡¯s main gun. Just as Eli was about to carry Temetet, they both caught a glimpse of the red eyes staring at them, the black shadows of the room were dashed by the angry red, illuminating the two stragglers. Luckily, Eli and Temetet were far enough away that the sentry would have an awkward time trying to fire its machine guns in order to confirm its kill, giving the pair an extra few seconds to make their escape. But the sentry would follow... They ran ¨C more limped ¨C into the building. Running through open doors, away from the windows where the sentry couldn¡¯t get them. The marching of boots upstairs grew louder and closer in proximity, but they kept running. There was no way to tell if they were going in the right direction or not, but it hardly mattered. Eli could¡¯ve sworn he heard gunfire. In fact, if he listened over the sound of his scattered breathing and pounding heart, he could hear the familiar sounds of shooting from downstairs. The assault had already begun, there was nowhere to run, no way to hide. The only option left would be to fight. He turned back briefly to make sure Temetet was still following, which he was. Though Temetet was clearly struggling. Fresh blood stained his tattooed face, turning parts of his curly silver hair into a mess of bloody strands that stuck to his head. He looked rough and judging by the familiar taste of blood in his mouth, Eli figured that he didn¡¯t look so great either. Not like it mattered now as they both scattered, running to safety. Eli searched for a stairwell that would reunite them with Misfit and the rebels downstairs. Continuing to run despite his wounds, screaming at him to stop, and his lungs burning for air. A set of double doors appeared right in front of the duo as they turned a corner. Eli was about to go through them ¨C reaching a hand out just in front of him to push the doors open ¨C when he stopped. For the first time since the sentry started hunting them, he ceased running. Causing Temetet to collide into him. But even then, Eli didn¡¯t dare take another step forward. His hand was frozen just out of reach of the door handle. He felt something horrible on the other side. It was as if the door itself was sending a signal to his brain that there was danger ahead. But what? Was he being irrational? Probably. No, there was something wrong. The marching of boots upstairs had gone quiet. He didn¡¯t know where the central stairwell was. The location of the pursuing soldiers was a mystery to him. They could be anywhere. And if the door led to the stairwell¡­ Eli could almost feel Temetet¡¯s confusion, but he refused to say anything. He must¡¯ve known that something was scaring Eli. He took a step away from the double doors. Cautiously eyeing them as if they¡¯d spring to life at any moment. One step. Two steps. Three steps back. Nothing happened. Four steps. Something snapped. He heard the sound of a gun go off, a hole was punched through the wooden doors and the red glow of ekron pulse energy cracked through the dark hall like a lightning bolt. More rounds were fired from the ambushers waiting on the other side, punching dozens of holes into the door as they fired blindly at Eli and Temetet. The two fled, but in the confusion of having to move backwards so quickly, Eli tripped over something and fell on his back. Rounds of energy were fired at him, scraping just over his head. He kicked away from the door, scrambling ¨C unsure if he should rise to his feet or not. The choice was made for him when someone kicked the doors open. Filling the doorframe was the uniformed body of an Avonian soldier. It was massive, wearing a helmet that covered it¡¯s head entirely ¨C face and all. The only discernable ¡°eyes¡± were clusters of bright orange-red lights that Eli guessed were cameras for the user inside to see outside. Though similar to the Shock Trooper, this thing was a lot different. Its uniform was a dark grey, black armbands on the shoulders contained writing in the Avonian script. Instead of wearing armored plating all over its body, it only had what appeared to be an armored vest. This soldier wore a thick dark grey trench coat that hung down to the knees, almost meeting black leather boots. The gun that this soldier carried was far larger, akin to a light machine gun rather than a shotgun. While clearly not being a Shock Trooper, Eli got the message that whatever it was ¨C it certainly wasn¡¯t ULA or even the River Republic¡¯s basic militia. This was clearly an Imperial. Not that it mattered much, no matter what, Eli was in the midst of the danger zone. The soldier spotted Eli on his back, said something garbled, and lifted its weapon with considerable effort. Hands on Eli¡¯s back pulled him back up to his feet, Temetet¡¯s hands, and he forced to run once more. They snapped to the left, barreling down a parallel hallway, just as the soldier opened fire. The entire hallway was filled with an orange barrage of light, thousands of rounds launched down the hallway every second. They destroyed everything, punching holes into the wall, destroying furniture and cover, illuminating the dark room like millions of tiny flashlights. It took everything in Eli¡¯s mind and body not to slip, risking being caught by that thing and its machine gun ¨C capable of laying down thousands of rounds per second. The only advantage they had over it was that the weapon was slowing it down, and it took far too long for it to fire. But they had to keep moving. If they were slowed down, or hit even once, it would be devastating. Eli was the one following Temetet, running through the dark hallway which curved as it continued along. There were wooden doors and other hallways intersected their own from the left. To the right, windows to outside world and the stormy weather. The blue glow of Temetet¡¯s translation spell returned, ¡°What the hell is that thing?¡± Eli asked him, feeling his voice crack under the pressure. ¡°Alpha Suppressor! They¡¯re Avonian Synths!¡± ¡°Like the Shock Trooper?¡± ¡°No, Shock Troopers are conscripted prisoners and slaves. Alpha forces are volunteer elites! They''re NSE!¡± ¡°Can we fight them?¡± ¡°If you know how, then you¡¯re free to tell me! I¡¯m all ears!¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± As they ran, there were objects on either side of the hallway. Lampstands, shelves, potted plants, Eli tried his best to knock them all over behind him as they ran. Anything to slow down their pursuers. But as they continued running, they heard the familiar robotic growl of a sentry hot in pursuit. The walls shook as the spider-like monstrosity crawled along them and its red eyes filled the hall with its light. ¡°Left! Go left!¡± Eli shouted to Temetet as they approached an intersecting hall. The sentry opened fire with its smaller gun, shattering glass windows, punching holes in the wall, and forcing the duo to duck for cover. Temetet nearly fell trying to avoid having his head taken off by a round that came far too close for comfort. Eli wasn¡¯t much better off. They took a sharp turn left down the new hall, rushing further inside of the building away from the sentry ¨C much to its anger. But the soldiers were still in hot pursuit, and if the sentry could communicate with them, then they¡¯d know in which direction. Signs on the wall served as their only sense of direction in the narrow corridors. Apparently, Temetet spotted them too, ¡°The armory is up ahead! We can get there and hold them off!¡± Eli nodded in approval, following Temetet¡¯s lead as he took them towards what was sure to be a better location to defend. Of course the armory would be up here, it¡¯d make more sense to keep the armory upstairs away from the lower floors. But that could very well be the exact target of the Avonian forces. If their target was to secure the armory then it would only make sense that they¡¯d try to infiltrate the building from the roof rather than pushing through the lower floors. On the far end of the long corridor was a solid steel door with a computer terminal on the wall. The fear that it was a lock, and a complex one at that, came to Eli¡¯s mind. From his satchel, Temetet produced his multitool and held it up to the computer. When it switched on it produced a high-pitched whine before he jammed it into a slot on the computer. Eli knew that Temetet was good with technology, proven the use of his drone tapping into Imperial communications back in Raritan, but out here? In Helena? Temetet must¡¯ve sensed his uncertainty because he snapped around to say, ¡°I¡¯ve gotten through Avonian computer systems with this thing. While you were gone with Sparrow I tinkered with the Rebel¡¯s stuff and it turns out, they¡¯re the exact same!¡± There was a chime from the computer, a green light, and then like clockwork the solid steel door slid straight open. Smooth as butter. Looking satisfied with his work, Temetet carefully put the multitool back into his satchel, ¡°I told you this thing would come in handy.¡± ¡°No kidding,¡± Eli said, admittedly impressed. Temetet was the first one inside of the armory, and Eli followed soon after. The armory was exactly what Eli had expected. Guns, ammunition, and more guns. Lockers and shelves kept them all stored and sorted, yet he could find none of the rocket launchers or even rockets for them. Any chance they had of trying to fight the sentry or dragons went out the window, knowing now that the rebels had long taken them to fight. The faint glow of another computer monitor on the inside illuminated the room with a dim blue hue. The rebels might¡¯ve cut power to the lights, but they were wise to keep emergency power running to the locks. With a few more pushes of buttons from the other side, the doors slid shut sealing off the two from the outside world and their pursuers. Temetet was also right about the fact that there were multiple routes to the Armory. Another massive iron door led to more hallway on the other side of the room past a few lockers. The armory must¡¯ve been somewhere near the middle of the building, if not, dead smack in the center, since the halls on that side of the door looked identical to the ones Temetet and Eli had emerged from. When the door shut behind them, they wasted no time. Eli poured over everything available. There wasn¡¯t a lot. Most of the guns had already been taken by the rebels, leaving behind dozens of empty slots in the storage units. Even the amount of ammunition left behind had a decent chunk taken out of it. But there was enough, certainly more than what Eli had just a moment ago. He immediately grabbed a familiar looking gun from off the wall. One part, Long barreled, with a sliding pump on the front end of it, and two barrels stacked on top of each other. The other part, sleek black alloy, a port to feed ekron ammunition, and a variety of gas lines and cannisters attached all around the frame that were completely alien to anything back on Earth. It was an odd hybrid between an old double barreled shotgun back home, and one of the alien-like Avonian pulsers. Hanging just underneath the pulse shotgun was a cartridge full of circular shells, glowing a dim, ekron, red. By picking it up and holding it near the port of the gun, the cartridge - by some force magnetic or magical - attached to the feeding port and the gun was ¡°switched on¡±. The sides of the gun glowed an almost sinister ekron red, and a low electronic whine escaped from the cold black machine. Sliding back on the pump loaded the gun, cycling an ekron shell into the contraption. The gun looked powerful, but whether it¡¯d be enough to take on the Alpha Suppressor or not was a different story. It was certainly better than the rifle and the five or so bullets in it that he had previously. Just when Eli was about to assume a position at the mouth of the door to defend the armory, Temetet dragged his attention away, ¡°Hey, Eli! Good news!¡± ¡°What?¡± Eli asked him. When he turned around, he saw Temetet looking inside of a crate full of steel objects that he couldn¡¯t quite discern. Though Temetet was clearly happy. ¡°I found a bunch of explosives! I think we can use these!¡± He said, cautiously taking one of the explosives out. It was a small circular tube about the size of his hand. Big enough to cause serious damage if used correctly. But how? Eli wondered, ¡°Maybe we could make a trap?¡± ¡°That¡¯ll take too long I think.¡± ¡°What about your drone?¡± He asked. ¡°My drone?¡± Temetet asked him, raising an eyebrow. He took a look into his satchel, pulling the small metallic box out from inside of it. He turned to the bomb and then to the drone, and back to the bomb. Eli could practically see the sparks fly from his brain, ¡°Oh! Oh! Oh! Good idea! Really good idea! I could strap a bomb to this thing, wire it to detonate and then,¡± He held his hands up for dramatic effect, ¡°Boom! Turn those Imperial guys into uh¡­ uh, something violent and really cool sounding.¡± Just when it seemed they had a plan for a trap, Eli could hear the rush of Avonian boots about to overtake them. There must¡¯ve been an entire squad of soldiers flanking the Alpha Suppressor, because Eli could hear several pairs of heavy boots smacking against the hard floors. ¡°Damn it! They¡¯re already here! You work on the drone, I¡¯ll try and hold them off as best as I can!¡± Eli shouted to Temetet. They split off, with Temetet retreating further into the room for safety, while Eli took a shaky position near the door. His back against the wall, his hands clutched the Pulse Shotgun tight. So tight, he swore his fingers would punch straight through the solid alloy. But this gun, realistically, was the only means he had to defend himself. He could risk it using his own assault rifle, but who knew how many bullets were left in the magazine, and if they brought out a shield then it would¡¯ve been worthless. Besides, using Avonian weapons to fight the Avonians was a type of ironic justice that Eli just couldn¡¯t pass up. Let them come! They¡¯ll have to fight against the very weapons that they¡¯ve made! He could hear their boots marching, growing louder, getting close. Drowning out the storm, drowning out his thoughts, drowning out everything around him. Just him, the steady thud of his heartbeat, the gun, and the coming wave of enemies. When they seemed about ready to turn the corner down the hall, he braced himself. Finger sent over the trigger. Ready to shoot at a moment¡¯s notice. But nothing came. The boots stopped rushing. He couldn¡¯t hear much. In fact, they went silent! They stopped! But why? Were they reconsidering? Were they lost? Did they not know that Eli and Temetet had taken refuge in the room just around the corner? Or had they been spooked by something? If they knew that the armory was just around the corner, then they must¡¯ve known that the pair had prepared at least some form of defense. There of course wasn¡¯t enough time for anything special, but even Eli taking up a position with this gun would count as a threat to them. They wouldn¡¯t just rush out into the hallway, exposed, like idiots. Of course not. They were smarter than that. Just then, he could hear something like metal clashing against metal. And from around the corner, at the far end of the dark hallway, he could see something rush out into view. Small, dark, with a few glowing red lights. Eli couldn¡¯t quite make out what it was, until he spotted the familiar sight of four metal blades spinning in the darkness. Another reconnaissance drone, just like Temetet¡¯s! It clumsily flew into the hallway, turned the corner, and crashed into the opposing wall before regaining itself and hovering towards Eli. A massive white spotlight just above the camera switched on, illuminating everything in front of it, and blinding Eli whose eyes had only just adjusted to the darkness. He fought the urge to shield his eyes, pulling the trigger to bring the drone down.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. The gun kicked hard. It had enough force to push Eli back quite a lot, like being kicked in the chest by a mule. It nearly shoved him to the ground. And it was loud, painfully so. But the shotgun wasn¡¯t just all bark. It had a bite that was equally nasty. From the barrel, a frenzy of red energy flooded the hall and made a beeline straight for the drone. Caught in the middle, the drone was ripped to pieces, with chunks of steel and glass being torn off while it was mid-air. The chaos made the drone catch fire and then explode as it crashed into a wall. Eli was about to smugly congratulate himself when another drone flooded the room. And another. And two more. He pumped the gun, knowing what the Avonians were up to, yet having no choice but to play along. He fired the gun, time after time. Destroying one drone, and then the next. Damaging yet another until it caught on fire and backed off. Yet the last drone closed the distance. It charged straight at him, metal blades aimed directly at his head! He ducked down just before the drone buried itself into his forehead, yet he couldn¡¯t miss the scrapes of metal blades slicing bits of his cheek and ear until the blades were halted ¨C thankfully ¨C but his helmet. The pain was immense, striking him immediately. It took every nerve in his body to not instinctively swing at the drone, potentially losing a finger or a hand to its sharp metal blades. Instead, he lifted the pulse gun, and point blank decimated the drone. The blast was so powerful that it immediately disintegrated into metal bits, torn apart by the blast upon contact. Despite the drone being dealt with, Eli was still left floored from pain. Sharp, stinging heat burned across his face, and even raising a hand to gingerly touch the wounds were enough to inflame the pain and make it burn ten times hotter. When he pulled his shaking hands away, the fingertips were drenched in red blood. His breathing was erratic, and he knew he had to calm himself down. He couldn¡¯t lose his mind to a distraction tactic. He tried his best to ignore the pain, yet he was constantly reminded of it by the warmth of blood practically pouring down the side of his face. He couldn¡¯t tell if the blood loss would be deadly, there was no time to dress the wound. He¡¯d just have to hope he didn¡¯t pass out in the middle of the beating that the Avonians were about to unleash. And unleash they did. Just as Eli scrambled to his feet, two Avonian soldiers made a dash for the hall. Not the Suppressor thankfully, but normal Avonian infantry. They opened fire immediately, red Ekron energy rounds phasing straight past him as he narrowly took cover against the wall. A moment later and they had to stop to reload, Eli¡¯s opportunity. He sprung into motion, raising the shotgun up and blasting a hole into the chest of one soldier. His body was sent back flying from the force of the impact. The other soldier was covering for him, as he immediately returned fire, but a quick pump and pull of the trigger nailed him in the shoulder. The other soldier dropped his gun, falling to the ground when Eli shot him a second time. Just when the first two soldiers were taken care of, more came from around the corner. Three of them. Two of them were normal soldiers like the others, but one was different. Dressed in a similar fashion to the Alpha Suppressor from before. In fact, Eli remembered the soldier from before. His mind took him back to Helena, right when he and Otaes were held at gunpoint by a squad of Avonians. The one speaking to them, the squad leader, it was that soldier who was right here before them. It must¡¯ve been another Avonian synth, an ¡°Alpha Unit¡± as Temetet described the Suppressor. The synth squad leader, rallied the other soldiers in the squad around it with a wave of the fingers. The three-man team formed on the flanks of the Alpha Lieutenant while Eli was busy reloading his shotgun. The squad leader fired round after round, not hitting Eli while he was in cover but obviously trying to keep him suppressed and to remain in cover. When Eli did get the opportunity to shoot back, provided only when the squad leader itself had to reload, he pounced on it. Peeking out from over the wall to open fire with his gun. He managed to nail the soldier on the left. Right when he was going to turn his attention onto the other two, the squad leader deployed a shield. Ekron energy formed together, and a red barrier protruded from a small device on its wrist. It was smaller than the shield that the Shock Trooper used only covering the Squad Leader¡¯s torso and head entirely, yet it was enough to provide cover both to it and the soldier next to it. He tried to shoot at the shield, hoping that he''d be able to inflict enough damage to break the protective barrier, but the rounds were useless, being absorbed by the shield and vaporized upon contact with its vibrant red barrier. Eli focused, taking aim for the head of the Lieutenant. But right then, at such a critical moment, the Alpha Suppressor once again turned around the corner. Its red eyes glowing from the mask, flanked by at least three or four other soldiers. He was completely outnumbered. Eli tried to take a few more potshots, but they did little to slow the Imperials down. He knew what was going to happen next. The Alpha Suppressor charged up its machine gun, and Eli ducked for cover. A millisecond after Eli hit the ground, a frenzy of bullets filled the doorway. They punched holes through the walls, tore apart the storage units, and destroyed anything even close to resembling cover. Broken debris flew into the air, swarming Eli¡¯s head and face, threatening to blind him should he keep his eyes open. Right at the peak of the machine gun¡¯s assault, Eli faintly heard a voice somewhere in the corner of his mind, ¡°It¡¯s ready! The drone is ready!¡± ¡°Throw it! Now!¡± Eli shouted back to Temetet. He saw Temetet¡¯s young face, petrified but determined as he crawled his way towards the door to launch the drone, narrowly avoiding being turned into a memory by the flood of bullets pouring into the room. Like a dove being released into the air, Temetet opened his hands, raised his arms, and threw the modified drone up into the air. The little drone was carrying the explosive underneath it, and it nearly looked like the weight of the bomb was too much for it to carry. Yet, it flew. The metal blades flew up and over the bullets, over Eli¡¯s head and out the front door. Eli shielded his face, bracing for what was to come. The drone worked perfectly. From the end of the hall came a massive shockwave that blew Eli¡¯s body across the armory and into a nearby shelf. The shaking and rumbling of the blast deafened him, rocking his world until he was left dazed and confused. He tried to keep his eyes closed, but for a brief moment he could see the devastation of a fireball incinerating the Avonian soldiers and the entirety of the hallway. Fire billowed out into the armory, filling everything, everywhere. The rumbling stopped, and he was left wrapped in a cocoon of half consciousness. He felt something warm continuing to trickle down his face, and the taste of old pennies stung his tongue. He didn¡¯t dare move until he was sure that everything was over. He waited, one minute, two minutes, who knows how long it was until he took the first step up. As he opened his eyes, he could feel the room spinning around him, slowly. His head kept travelling to the left, as if a side of his face was being magnetically attracted in that direction. It wasn¡¯t until he reached a hand up to the side of his face, that he realized that his left ear could hear nothing. A complete void of information on his left flank. His right ear was hardly better, with a high pitched ringing drowning out most other noises. He could hear his own scattered breathing and drum-like heartbeat. Looking at the hallway, the explosion was far larger than he had expected. Many walls had been completely destroyed, leaving a destroyed hole into rooms that were once sealed off. A hole had even been blown into the exterior wall, allowing gusts of the storm to wash inside of the building. Eli could feel cold mist from the storm caress his burning face, carried by the rushing wind. The soldiers in the hallway had been blown apart. He could hardly see their vaporized remains. He exhaled, finally. Letting the tension escape from him for once. Still alive. Yet again, he was still alive. ¡°Eli?¡± He could hardly hear his own name being called, as his left ear was completely deaf for the moment, and his right ear fairly useless on its own. He panicked when he heard it, searching around like a wild animal for the source. Looking his way, was Temetet. The elf¡¯s silver curly hair had been completely frazzled by the explosion, he had a few minor scrapes, but overall looked fine. Yet he was looking at Eli like something was wrong. ¡°Eli¡­ are you okay? You don¡¯t look so good.¡± Eli raised a hand to his face, knowing what he should expect when he pulled his hand away. Of course, blood. It completely swamped his face, leaking, stinging his eyes. He felt dizzy and light headed, like he was about to fall over. Temetet reached out a hand to grab Eli just before his legs gave way, ¡°Woah! Hey, I¡¯ve got you, don¡¯t worry.¡± He lifted Eli¡¯s arm around his shoulder. Eli hardly wanted to burden Temetet with the task of carrying him, but he knew he wasn¡¯t exactly in a state to protest. Relenting, he allowed himself to rest his weight onto Temetet. Trying to make words in his befuddled mind, he managed to croak out, ¡°I¡¯m ¨C I¡¯ll-I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Meh, I don¡¯t know. You could have a mild case of severe brain damage, you know? You¡¯re bleeding from the head. Head trauma is always the worst kind.¡± ¡°I can give you a mild case of severe brain damage if you want.¡± ¡°Uhhh, you¡¯re functioning well enough for sarcasm, so on second thought, you should be alright.¡± ¡°Who said I was being sarcastic?¡± Eli felt himself involuntarily smile, before he turned to watch the destroyed hall once more. The smile vanished. Looking out at the destruction, at the half-eviscerated bodies of those who were once living, it left a sour feeling in his chest. It was self-defense sure but¡­ this? Resorting to blowing them up? ¡®It was us or them¡¯, Eli whispered to himself, hoping that the mantra would help ease the burden, ¡®It was either us or them.¡± It didn¡¯t really. Temetet gave Eli¡¯s shoulder a shake. His long elven ears were twitching in the darkness, and he was staring at the other door, ¡°Someone¡¯s coming,¡± he whispered, ¡°Lots of people.¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s the rebels?¡± Eli suggested. Temetet nodded, ¡°Yeah. I think so.¡± Eli strained to listen for footsteps. Even Temetet¡¯s voice was cloudy to him. His right ear was getting better with the constant ringing dying down enough for him to hear other things over it. And there was some sound coming in from his left ear, at least enough that his entire left side didn¡¯t feel like a constant dark void to his senses. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go meet them. If Otaes is there, I¡¯ll deal with her. Okay?¡± Temetet said to him, ¡°Let me do all the talking.¡± ¡°You do that anyway.¡± ¡°Or alternatively, I could just let her disembowel you. That¡¯s an option too.¡± ¡°Point made.¡± With Eli leaning on Temetet for support, the two turned to face the door. Eli felt a knot grow in his chest. If Otaes found her brother without his mask, would she be understanding? And even if Eli escaped her anger, what about Temetet? Eli didn¡¯t want to see him get punished for this at all. Temetet just saved his life. Without Temetet, Eli most likely would¡¯ve been a memory. Surely a silly mask shouldn¡¯t be the deciding factor in all of this, right? In the corner of his vision, right as they were about to face the door, there was movement in the halls. In the midst of the destroyed hallway, among the bodies of those incinerated by the blast, one of them stirred. Rising to its feet. The Alpha Lieutenant rose back to its feet. Eli could feel the blood drain from his face as the realization set in. The fight wasn¡¯t over. Not by a long shot. ¡°Temetet! He¡¯s still alive!¡± Eli warned. Temetet snapped around, confused, only to stagger back in surprise. Eli broke away from Temetet¡¯s supporting hold, reaching for his gun. But the Lieutenant was faster, getting to its gun before Eli¡¯s fogged brain could. In a instant, it opened fire, forcing both Temetet and Eli to split away. Disoriented, and quite weak, Eli fell back on the floor landing quite painfully on his hands. Eli rolled onto his back, his weak hands desperately trying to get his gun steady. The Lieutenant rushed towards the armory, sensing that both Eli and Temetet were down. Through his half-destroyed hearing, he could also hear the rebels reaching the armory on the other side of the armory. Someone was pounding on the solid steel door, trying furiously to get it open¡­ The Lieutenant barreled into the armory. The red eyes on its mask locked with Eli¡¯s. Eli snapped his gun onto the Lieutenant, aiming right for its torso and pulling the trigger. The gun unleashed a blast of fire onto the Lieutenant, but before Eli even knew it, the shield was already back up. The ekron fragments getting caught in the field of energy and disintegrating before his eyes. Eli pumped the gun again and kept shooting, knowing that the shield could be broken if it took too much damage. And yet, blast after blast, it remained. Eli pumped the gun a third time and pulled the trigger, but he was only met with a disappointing click from the gun. He looked at the shotgun¡¯s ekron port, and the box of ammunition had ceased glowing. He had run completely dry. His heart sank in fear of what was to come. The Lieutenant¡¯s shield went down, and it raised its pulser, intending to send a round straight into Eli¡¯s forehead. Just before it could pull the trigger, Temetet jumped onto the Lieutenant from behind. In his hands, a small dagger, repeatedly being stuck into the armor of the Lieutenant. The gargled voice of the Lieutenant cried out in pain with each repeated stabbing, and the pain was enough to make it drop the gun. Eli knew he had to get to it the moment the pulser dropped fell on the floor. He got up to his feet, every single muscle and joint screaming at him to stop. But he couldn¡¯t. Though Temetet was trying his best, he was being thrown off by the Lieutenant. Temetet¡¯s blade did damage, but not enough. It was being caught by the armor padding the Lieutenant¡¯s body. It looked as though Temetet might be able to at least severely injure him, but that hope was dashed the moment the Lieutenant raised its arm up. Eli saw something move. From silver device around the Lieutenants forearm, a long blade sprung open. Like the claws of a praying mantis. The Lieutenant had the same type of cybernetic modifications that Sparrow had, except this one was a hidden blade. With one swift jerk, the Lieutenant brought the blade down. Eli could only watch as the blade sunk into Temetet¡¯s collarbone. The elf screamed in pain, his blue eyes going wide in shock, as the blade dug itself deeper into his torso. ¡°Temetet!¡± Eli shouted out. He sprung up to his feet, with an energy he knew he couldn¡¯t have had ¨C but nothing else mattered more than getting the Lieutenant off of Temetet. The banging on the door grew louder. He could hear the muffled voices of someone else screaming in the distance, but that was all the way at the back of his mind. Not thinking straight, he charged directly at the Lieutenant, tackling it and sending them all barreling straight to the floor. The blade was taken out of Temetet¡¯s body, and he fell away from Eli and the Alpha Lieutenant. It tried to send the blade into Eli¡¯s chest, but he caught it¡¯s arm before the mantis-like weapon could reach him. He didn¡¯t know what the plan was from there, only raising his fist to repeatedly punch the Lieutenant in its head ¨C but of course his fists were being slammed against its protective mask doing little, if anything at all. The Lieutenant kicked, a boot straight into his chest, knocking the wind out of him. And when that wasn¡¯t enough to get Eli off, it punched him square in the face. The blow was enough to knock what remaining energy Eli had out of him, like being hit in the jaw with a dumbbell. He landed on his back, having the wits knocked from his mind. His muscles were weak and trembling. His vision blurred. Slowly, Temetet came into view. Alive, but squirming as he bled out. The screaming and yelling from outside was loud, a constant buzz in the foggy reaches of his mind. Temetet¡¯s body had split into two, one real, one a mirage. Eli¡¯s fudged mind, dazed, confused. But the Lieutenant¡¯s gun was just next to him. He saw its alloy surface, glowing a hot red from the ekron ammunition loaded into it. The Lieutenant was struggling to its feet, grunting through its robotic vocoder as it struggled. It too had been severely wounded by Temetet¡¯s stabbing and the explosion from earlier, and now its armor was painted fresh by its own blood, punctures and tears. There was just enough sense left inside of Eli¡¯s brain to reach for the gun. He struggled to crawl on all fours towards it, his limbs filled with lead, every tiny movement was torturous. A herculean effort. But he managed. His shaking hands grabbed hold of the gun, and he turned around just in time to see the Lieutenant raising an arm up. The mantis blade ejected from its forearm, barely visible in the darkness. Poised to strike. He raised the gun. The Lieutenant brought its arm down. Eli pulled the trigger.
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]== Name: Alpha Units Type: Imperial Special Forces (Bioaugmented Elite) Country of Origin: The Greater Avonian Empire Information: The cybernetic arm of the Avonian Empire is one of its most nightmarish components. From the forceful biological augmentations performed on Shock Trooper battle thralls, to the living machines of the Avonian cyberdragons. Living flesh turned into mere machine, engineering the perfect soldiers for use in the various conflicts that dot Farewind and Planet Narva. Though to many the cybernetic augmentations seem horrifying, to many more the prospect of offering ones own body and life in service to the Emperor is a dream that only fools would waste... Alpha Units are the Elite of the Elite, employed primarily by the National Service of the Empire for use in hazardous combat environments - not too dissimilar from their slave counterparts, The Shock Trooper. While the specific augments and implants vary from unit to unit, the core of the Alpha Units is that they are engineered not only for their warrior prowess and aggressive nature - but also for their intelligence and leadership skills. Taken from willing, loyal, recruits across the NSE and Imperial Armed Forces, Alpha Units have been selected for their abilities and skills to lead and train regular units in the varying combat situations that threaten the Phoenix''s nest. Alpha Units have been distributed across the Continental-Unity Pact to nations like The River Republic, Valdacian Magedom, and North Oran, to train and equip local forces to counter and kill Belford-Aligned troops. Within the Avonian Empire''s service, Alpha Units take the lead in counter-demonic operations, political repression, psychological warfare, close quarters combat, counter-terrorism operations, and any of the numerous highly dangerous combat situations that routinely threaten the integrity of the Avonian Empire. The very best of the best, Alpha Lieutenants for example, are equipped with the ability to directly tap into the interfaces of the mind-controlling augments of nearby cybernetic-dragons, giving the Lieutenant the ability to command the normally autonomous lifeform directly from the frontline. This ability to command nearby synths extends even to sentries, giving a vital force multiplier to an Avonian fireteam. Thorough psychological conditioning has made these individuals die-hard loyalists to the Iron Phoenix, and with surgical precision, Alpha Units can easily dismantle even the most dangerous threats to the Empire. Conventional or Supernatural... ==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 50: Anti-Cooperative Element >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 50: Anti-Cooperative Element]===

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The body of the Lieutenant fell, collapsing onto the hard ground. Void of life. Blood erupted from someplace unseen, painting the wall behind the Lieutenant in a final confirmation of the kill... Eli had fired blindly in a fit of utter panic and desperation, his mental faculties far too scattered and with too little time to make aiming an option. Yet, he got lucky. So very lucky. For his bullet managed to find the one weak spot in the Lieutenant''s armor, the small circular glass inserts within the helmet for the eyes, glowing red. Eli''s bullet had sliced clean through, shattering the optical sight. In that moment, the glowing red eyes glowed no longer. Dark, empty, dead, lifeless. The mantis blade fell uselessly as the arm to which it was attached hung limp. Eli had won. Somehow... He was left alone, lying on the floor, gasping for air and reeling from pain. His befuddled mind was trying to make sense of the world around him. Solid objects appeared to liquefy in his vision and a constant ringing pain in his jaw kept his brain unable to form coherent thoughts. He managed to make out the shape of Temetet, still moving, still alive, but very much so injured. Just how injured or life threatening his wounds, Eli could hardly tell. His thoughts were far too scattered to keep track of what was and wasn''t. There was so much pain, so much heat, and in his mouth he couldn''t get rid of the metallic taste of his own blood. The door on the opposite end of the armory slid open. He saw lights. Someone yelling. A masked elven form sprinted towards Temetet¡¯s body, falling over him. A blue glow illuminated Temetet¡¯s pained face and the mask of the elf over him. A red slash over the left eye of the mask, Otaes'' very own. She had instantly started healing her younger brother, a good sign as it meant he was still in a salvageable state. Eli''s blurred attention shifted as more rebels filled the room. He saw Sosa''s form rush through the shadows with a gang of other rebels as they took point in the hallway to ensure more Imperials weren''t following. But there were none. And then he felt someone grab him from the dark. When he looked up, he saw Dutch''s face. His lips were pulled taut to either side of his face in a deeply concerning grimace. At first, Eli was worried that Dutch had spotted more Imperial soldiers or a dragon, or even a sentry! But slowly he came to the realization that Dutch was looking straight at him, and his face. The look confirmed that Eli was in a terrible state, but for what it was worth, he was still alive. Just barely. But alive still... Dutch yelled out to someone else ¨C Matteo. He came into the picture, reaching into his medical bag and crouching over Eli. Someone, Badger judging by flash of white hair, shone a flashlight into his eyes, blinding him. He felt something cool being applied to the side of his head before the sensation turned into a stinging burn. Cloth was wrapped around his forehead, and more wound dressings plugged up the other profusely bleeding lacerations all over his exposed body. The next thing he knew, he was being carried. His arm had been slung around the shoulders of Matteo and Rafael. Eli was hardly coherent enough to understand what they were saying, but from the looks on their faces, it was nothing short of surprise and even awe. He could turn his head to see Temetet also being carried by his sister¡¯s arms. The bleeding from his collarbone soaked his clothes red. But despite the injury, he was still alive. If nothing else, Eli could finally feel relieved as he watched Otaes carry Temetet off to relative safety. ¡°Hey, Soldier Boy,¡± Rafael¡¯s voice was the first thing to break through the fog in Eli¡¯s mind, ¡°You still alive?¡± giving him a nudge. Eli nodded in response, still dazed but somewhat coming to his senses. He could feel the blood drying against his skin and clothes. The bleeding ceased under the pressure of bandages wrapped around his head. Despite his mild recovery, his fingers dug into the plastic-like material of Rafael and Matteo¡¯s prisoner uniforms, fearing that if he didn¡¯t hold on tight ¨C he¡¯d fall and wouldn¡¯t get back up. ¡°Nothing short of a miracle. If we were a moment too late, he¡¯d have bled out,¡± Matteo said, ¡°One hell of a fight too. You and Temetet just brought everyone a lot of time. We were scared that the Avonians had already secured the armory by the time we made it up here ¨C at least until we heard the explosion.¡± Rafael nudged him a bit, ¡°I¡¯ve got good news and bad news, Soldier Boy. Which one do you want to hear first?¡± ¡°The good news,¡± Eli said. There was enough stress from the last few hours to last him a lifetime. He¡¯d rather hear something good happen for once. ¡°Our ride back to the Nexus? It¡¯s here.¡± Eli felt something inside of him leap for joy. Finally. It felt like they had been in Helena for weeks doing nothing but fighting. In reality, the time from their helicopter crashing into the propaganda-laden slums of the city to now ¨C was only a day. One single day of chaos. Their ride back home after this mission ¨C a successful mission at that ¨C finally had arrived. Success would bring them one step closer to their own freedom. Ultimately, the Coalition would have to reward them in some way for completing a job that Headhunters should¡¯ve been sent on ¨C much less prisoners. The fact that Misfit was all still alive was a miracle. The Coalition would probably reduce their sentence. By how much, who knew? But any reduction would be an improvement. But then Eli remembered what was at stake here. They weren¡¯t alone in the ULA base. ¡°The bad news¡­¡± Rafael began. ¡°There¡¯s still people here,¡± Eli finished. Rafael nodded, ¡°You can probably guess where I stand on the issue, Eli. To hell with Overwatch. But¡­ I can¡¯t blame you for wanting to high tail it out of here.¡± ¡°We really should let the rebels sort it out themselves,¡± Matteo sighed, ¡°How would we even do that? We can¡¯t just force the refugees onto the helicopter. They¡¯ll just leave us here.¡± ¡°We¡¯d need leverage,¡± Rafael said, ¡°Something they want.¡± That was true. And Eli knew what. ¡°Sparrow,¡± Eli said, ¡°They want Sparrow.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already ask him? And didn¡¯t he say no?¡± ¡°I can convince him.¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± Matteo said, ¡°Just look at you. Not to be a jackass or anything, but you¡¯re a mess right now.¡± Eli grunted, pushing off the shoulders of both Matteo and Rafael. His legs were still somewhat weak but his mind was back to normal, save for a constant droning headache that burned hot on his temples. The two shuffled to try and keep Eli where he was, but he insisted on standing of his own volition, ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± he said, ¡°Look. There¡¯s only one way we can get out of here with the refugees. And that¡¯s if we can convince Sparrow to stay here. The Coalition wants Sparrow, and they¡¯ll get him. But they¡¯ll be forced to do what we want first.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll punish us for that,¡± Matteo warned, ¡°You can¡¯t expect to humiliate Overwatch and get away scratch-free. They won¡¯t beg. Remember how they threw us in solitary?¡± ¡°We got out.¡± ¡°That was a one-time thing.¡± ¡°What¡¯s more important, making a stand for once to show Overwatch that we¡¯re not their puppets and to do something good for once? Or to just save ourselves?¡± Eli asked him. ¡°You know the answer to that question. I¡¯ve always been in it to save myself. Always have. Everything else comes second, and don¡¯t lie and say that it isn¡¯t for you either. Because I know that¡¯s not true,¡± Matteo poked a finger into his chest. He wasn¡¯t angry though. In fact, his face softened and he took a step back. He was giving Eli a sympathetic look, ¡°But I¡¯m also not going to stand here in opposition to what Misfit thinks is right. I made a pact with you, all of you, that I¡¯d respect your leadership and any decision Misfit made together. I know that we¡¯re probably not going to get back to Earth, at least not any time soon¡­¡± Now it was Eli¡¯s turn to be concerned, ¡°At least not anytime soon,¡± Matteo continued, ¡°All I¡¯m asking is that you understand what the consequences of this are. And that whatever happens next¡­ it was you who promised to keep us alive.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t forget,¡± Eli responded, ¡°Not even close.¡± He stole a glance past Misfit, searching for Temetet and Otaes, but they both vanished. He wanted to tell Otaes everything that Temetet had done. That her boneheaded little brother saved his life. That he owed him enough to at least stick up for him. But they were both gone, too far away now for Eli to make amends to either of them. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go get Sparrow.¡±
The emergency generators had been switched back on. It was pointless hiding from the Avonians now. Dim flickering lights turned the main hall of the base into an almost nightmarishly suffocating space. The massive windows had been blown out leaving wind and the rush of cold rain to blow over the refugees trapped inside. A crowd of about one hundred had formed in the main hall, being brought out of whatever bomb shelter or cellar they had been herded inside. The Militia and Imperials were pulling back at least somewhat, though rebels maintained a strong line of defense along the walls. There were several more people who were injured during the artillery shelling both rebel and civilian. Only adding to pile of those who were already gravely wounded or sick. What few doctors there were among the crowd were having a difficult time trying to tend to each and every single person. If they could at all. Cutting through the darkness of the storm were bright white searchlights. It illuminated the gardens and plaza in front of the main entrance. A distinct and deafeningly loud chopping sound was the key to the source. Their ticket home. A massive helicopter was descending onto the plaza, bearing Coalition insignias and crewed by a few regulars. He saw the metal hull of the helicopter through the shattered windows, feeling as the rain tickled the injured skin underneath his bandages. Their ticket back to the Nexus and some semblance of normality, potentially even to freedom if Eli ignored the people. But he couldn¡¯t. None of them could. The Nexus had doctors. The Nexus had beds. Dutch had said it best, if Kovic wanted to build a Utopia ¨C a real one ¨C then he could start here. Not with the businessmen and wealthy politicians who only saw Narva as a place to take refuge from the world they helped to destroy. Earth was a broken world, and it was the types that Kovic invited here to be a part of his Utopia that had broken it. What about the destitute? What about the people? He saw Sparrow standing somewhere in the center of the crowd, issuing orders to the rebels around him. As if he had sensed Eli¡¯s eyes falling on him, Sparrow made eye contact with Eli. His white beard and matching hair made him stand out among the crowd. ¡°There he is¡­¡± Dutch said, ¡°Listen, Eli. If you can¡¯t get him to agree, well, I won¡¯t blame you. It wasn¡¯t our decision to make.¡± Eli nodded, silently thanking Dutch for his words. Eli split off from the rest of Misfit, walking up to Sparrow alone. He felt weary, whether he was nervous or still out of his mind from the fight with the Avonians ¨C he wasn¡¯t quite sure. ¡®A little of both¡¯ he figured. It must¡¯ve been. Sparrow beamed as Eli approached, oddly happy given what Eli was about to tell him, ¡°Eli! You scrappin¡¯ monster! You¡¯re still alive!¡± ¡°Thought I died?¡± ¡°It crossed my mind one or two times. Maybe more. Either way, I knew something was wrong when we saw the Avonians landing on the roof. The gunfire I assumed was from someone who managed to stay alive up there. I sent Misfit and Otaes up as soon as I heard ¨C ¡° ¡°Sparrow, the people,¡± Eli didn¡¯t care about what had happened. They were bleeding time. The helicopter was right there, and the decision loomed over his head. Better to get on with it now. ¡°What about them?¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°We have to take them.¡± Sparrow rolled his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose, ¡°Look. I¡¯ve already told you why that can¡¯t happen. There is no time! At all! There¡¯s only one transit out of here and it¡¯s reserved for me, my rebels, and your squad. That¡¯s it!¡± ¡°If we stay behind and make the people go first, Overwatch will be forced to send another helicopter to get you!¡± ¡°You want to stay here? The brunt of the Imperial Army has already crossed the border, they¡¯re closing in on Helena as we speak! The soldiers we¡¯ve fought against so far have only just been the Militia and small units that the Imperials sent to assist them. When the Imperial Army comes in, they will flatten this city! Everything that we¡¯ve seen has only been the beginning!¡± ¡°Which is exactly why we should stay behind and let the people go first!¡± Eli argued back against Sparrow, ¡°Why even have them here in the first place if you weren¡¯t going to help them?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t my call!¡± ¡°Then whose was it? You said it yourself; you¡¯ll chase your goals no matter what happens. You believe in the ends justifying the means, right? Why is this any different?¡± Eli¡¯s voice was wavering on a shout, but he stopped. The realization of why Sparrow was so reluctant to do anything dawned on him. He looked up at Sparrow, narrowing his eyebrows feeling for once ¨C clarity. It all made sense. ¡°But helping the people was never your goal, was it?¡± Eli asked him. ¡°Freeman-¡° ¡°The refugees here aren¡¯t refugees. They¡¯re hostages.¡± Sparrow¡¯s face confirmed it all. He didn¡¯t try to deny it, nor did he try to talk Eli out of it. He was apprehensive in a way that told Eli that it was true. Everything made sense. Why Otaes didn¡¯t trust Sparrow. Why he seemed so reluctant to do anything to help the people despite having them here. Or why Sparrow was so committed to his revolution that he¡¯d do anything to see the Avonian Empire humiliated and destroyed. "Don''t deny it," Eli started, "Sosa and Vega already confirmed what I knew. And like some kind of psychopath, you sent Temetet up to go looking for your soldiers knowing that he wasn''t gonna come back... or at least he wasn''t supposed to. You disgust me." It was all a stunt. He wanted the people here in harms way because it¡¯d make the Avonian assault that much worse. He knew the rebels here had cameras. He knew that the rebels were in harms way. That was exactly what he wanted. Whether it was just to make the Empire look bad or if it was something that ran deeper ¨C perhaps to make the revolutionaries more sympathetic, Eli couldn¡¯t exactly tell. But that point was clear. No matter what the end goal of Sparrow was, the point was never to help anyone. It was all a part of his plan to fight the Avonians. Eli took a step away from Sparrow. He could tell that he looked beyond enraged from the look the man was giving him. He didn¡¯t know what to do. Misfit was so far away, the crowd of rebels and civilians cutting him off. His mind was frantically bouncing from idea to idea. Something had to be done. Someone had to do something to get these people out of here¡­ ¡°Eli, Eli wait!¡± He tried to grab at Eli¡¯s sleeve, but he snatched his arm away. He¡¯d been toyed with, trying to help someone who was borderline insane. Tricked by both Overwatch and Sparrow. Like he was a fool. No, he didn¡¯t want to be a useful idiot to those with ill intentions. Even if Sparrow truly was a revolutionary fighting on the behalf of the people against the Avonian Empire, intentionally putting those innocent people ¨C phantoms ¨C in harm¡¯s way was far from an acceptable answer to Eli. And if Misfit knew, he was sure they¡¯d agree. He turned to the crowd, raising his hands in the air, sucking in a breath of air, feeling his skin go cold and his hair stand on end. ¡°Everyone! Follow us!¡± He screamed out to the crowd. He waved his arms, gesturing to himself and then to the Osprey outside. Eyes fell on him, he reconsidered. Realizing just what exactly he was doing, his fear choked him up. But in the midst of the turmoil within, he realized that he knew exactly what he was doing and why. In the midst of rage, lost in the heat of the moment, he found clarity. His headache was gone, his mind at ease. Just like when himself, Omar, Dutch and Matteo decided to venture out into the unknown to save Rafael, Badger, and Cato. His mind was clear, and he believed in what he was doing ¨C finally. He felt another hand clasping down on his shoulder, Sparrow¡¯s grip was tight this time, mechanical fingers digging into his soft flesh. He was squeezing tight, ¡°No! You don¡¯t understand! I can¡¯t take them! You have to listen!¡± ¡°No! You can, you just won¡¯t! But I will!¡± Eli jerked himself away from Sparrow once more, ¡°Follow us! We¡¯ll take you to safety! Come on!¡± Another voice from among the crowd, one that was familiar. He saw Dutch shouting something. Gesturing outside to the helicopter. Echoing Eli¡¯s words. Soon enough, all of Misfit joined in. Even Matteo ¨C if begrudgingly. And Omar whose voice seemed even smaller and younger than it normally was. Faces turned, people began moving towards the exit. Rebels at first tried to stop them, but they too were confused. Attention turned to Sparrow for answers on what to do, but the man was strangely silent. He was staring at Eli, saying nothing, doing nothing. Eli closed the distance, walking right up to the man who could probably annihilate him with that mechanical arm of his. But he couldn¡¯t let Sparrow intimidate him. ¡°You say that you fight against the Imperialists, right? For the people, against the evil that has me as a prisoner? Maybe that¡¯s true,¡± Eli said to him, ¡°But this is how I fight for what I believe in. I¡¯m done taking orders from people who only see me as a number, or a statistic. I¡¯m done making the world a worse place because that¡¯s the practical thing to do. That¡¯s true for Overwatch, the Avonians, AND you!¡± Silence. Sparrow remained stone faced, staring Eli down as the two locked eyes. Death glares. Eli made his point. He knew what he wanted, the only thing standing in the way was Sparrow. From the assembled crowd a figure shifted closer. Eli recognized the tall stature and canine features anywhere. Sosa yellow eyes switched from both Eli to Sparrow. At first, Eli feared that he was coming to restrain him. He immediately took a defensive posture, unsure how exactly he was planning on winning a fight against the wolf. But, much to his surprise, Sosa only held up a claw before getting close to Sparrow. He leaned in to the side of Sparrow''s face, whispering something Eli couldn''t hear... Sparrow grimaced... and then sighed. ¡°Stand down,¡± Sparrow said to the rest of his troops, ¡°Refugees and wounded Rebels on that helicopter first. Everyone else, stays behind and fights! Let¡¯s go!¡± The rebels listened immediately, making way for the crowd of people and for Misfit to lead them to the Osprey waiting outside. Sparrow turned to Eli with the same unreadable smirk stretched thin across his bearded face, ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of scrappin¡¯ nerve. Don¡¯t you?¡± He took a step towards Eli, and for a moment Eli feared that he¡¯d be incinerated by Sparrow¡¯s hand cannon. But instead, he just shook his head, ¡°Good. It takes a lot of nerve to be here,¡± he turned on the heels of his boots, gesturing outside, ¡°Come on, Eli. You¡¯ve got a lot of explaining to do I¡¯d imagine.¡±
Stepping outside was akin to stepping through another portal. In the middle of the storm, being assaulted on all sides by heavy rain and the strong gusts of air that blew ripples within Eli¡¯s uniform. He was soaked and he hadn¡¯t been outside for more than a few seconds. He walked alongside the rest of Misfit towards the helicopter. It was a massive vehicle, certainly large enough to seat about fifty or so people sitting ¨C but ninety? There was definitely no space for Misfit and Sparrow¡¯s rebels. That is, if they could even pull this off in the first place. For now, the difficult part. Getting the people on the helicopter in the first place. Coalition Regulars had already disembarked from the transport in confusion as they laid eyes not just on Misfit but¡­ everyone else. It must¡¯ve been an extremely confusing situation for them, considering the communications jam from the Avonians. Though¡­ if the Regulars here couldn¡¯t find a way to communicate with Overwatch, then the Avonians might¡¯ve inadvertently done Eli a favor. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Eli asked Misfit. Rafael, Omar, Badger, Dutch, and Matteo. All of them standing around him. He knew that they were. But he had to ask. He was terrified. Sparrow and his rebels were one thing, but Coalition Regulars? They were his direct superiors. It was the regulars who¡¯d decide what happened here. Whether they¡¯d acquiesce, standing aside to let the refugees on board, or if they¡¯d refuse. Making Eli look like a complete and utter fool and sacrificing the lives of nearly one hundred to whatever grim fate awaited at the hands of the Imperial army and Sparrow¡¯s cruel revolutionaries. He felt a hand clasp his shoulder, gently so. Dutch¡¯s hand. Through the heavy rainfall and the dark shadow of night, Eli saw that Dutch was giving him a smile. One both reassuring and genuine, ¡°We¡¯re right behind you. We didn¡¯t come all this way just to back down, now.¡± ¡°Overwatch can¡¯t make us their slaves,¡± Said Rafael, ¡°Not forever at least. We shouldn¡¯t let them.¡± ¡°We¡¯re doing the right thing,¡± Badger added, ¡°Even if this doesn¡¯t work, at least we can say we tried. That¡¯s more than most can say.¡± Eli felt a flicker of a smile trace its way across the corner of his mouth. At least Misfit was with him. For better or worse, he had their words of encouragement. Maybe they were all wrong and committing themselves to doing something catastrophically stupid. Or maybe they were just being blindly na?ve. Foolishly optimistic. An idealist, as Sparrow would put it. But what Sparrow thought didn¡¯t matter to Eli. For now¡­ The Regulars. Eli walked up over them, closing the gap between the assorted crowd of refugees and rebels, to the helicopter and the Regulars standing guard around it. The helicopter blades were still spinning, enough to blast cold rain directly into his face ¨C soaking his bandages that were already threatening to fall off. He eyeballed each of the Regulars, knowing that once upon a time he was one of them. A soldier. He approached the most senior of the Regulars, dressed in full battle gear. His chest grew tight. He felt his mind race. What was it that he wanted to say again? Where exactly was he? Wasn¡¯t he going home? He fought to keep his mind straight. He stopped when the regular looked at his shoulder, eyeballing the cyan delta trapped within the orange circle. The regular held out his hand for Eli to stop, warning that he was getting to close, before she addressed him, ¡°Identify yourself.¡± ¡°Eli. Eli Freeman.¡± ¡°Who is your commander?¡± ¡°Captain Juma.¡± ¡°Misfit?¡± Eli nodded. The regular looked from him to the crowd and then back to him. Here it comes. The make-or-break moment. Like standing on the bow of a sinking ship, knowing that the only way out was to jump into the frigid waters below. ¡°We need Sparrow, his accomplices, and the rest of your squad.¡± He forced himself into the leap of faith. ¡°The crowd is coming with us.¡± The regular was stunned for a brief moment. Perhaps she couldn¡¯t imagine the sheer magnitude of stupidity Eli was suggesting. She shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that. You, Sparrow, and Misfit ¨C ¡° ¡°And the crowd. They¡¯re refugees. They need to get back to the Nexus.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have space for refugees-¡° ¡°Yes, you do,¡± Eli pointed at the helicopter, ¡°That helicopter can fit one hundred people standing. Take the people first, they are civilians! Most of them are wounded. They¡¯ll be flattened by the Avonians if they stay here any longer, you have to take them!¡± He begged her. ¡°They aren¡¯t allowed!¡± The regular protested. Other soldiers moved to her flank, staring Eli down, ¡°Can¡¯t you understand me? Those are direct orders from Overwatch, prisoner.¡± The way she said the last word, prisoner, a word full of spite and dismissal at the same time. Eli was not the Regular¡¯s equal, to them, his ideas were none of their concern. For Penal-Unit to make demands of Regulars, PCT¡¯s at that, was bizarre. To say it never happened would be like saying grass was green. At least, grass was green back on Earth. Here, in this bizarre world in this bizarre situation, maybe the grass wasn¡¯t green ¨C nor the skies blue. And in this world, maybe Penal-Unit Phantoms could make a difference against Overwatch Command and their lackeys. A loud voice drummed up behind Eli. He recognized it as Sparrow¡¯s, clearly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t understand,¡± he walked up next to Eli as he addressed the soldiers with his signature smile, ¡°I¡¯m Sparrow, the man you¡¯re looking for.¡± ¡°You need to come with us,¡± Said another Regular, ¡°The deal was to extract you and your rebels.¡± ¡°The deal¡¯s changed,¡± Sparrow said, ¡°You aren¡¯t getting me until every single civilian has been evacuated out of this city to safety. Either you take them first and come back for us, or you¡¯ll get nothing at all and you¡¯ll have to face your¡­ how do you call it ¨C Overwatch?¡± He looked to Eli for confirmation. Eli nodded, but cautiously so, ¡°You¡¯ll have to face Overwatch empty handed and with complete mission failure. Now I don¡¯t know about you but judging by all that Overwatch has already sunk into this little pow-wow, I bet ¨C actually ¨C I¡¯m certain they¡¯ll be more than a little upset if this entire operation ends in failure because you didn¡¯t make the right call.¡± The soldiers were thrown for a loop by Sparrow¡¯s statement. Matteo was right. Overwatch was only here to get Sparrow and his rebels on board with them, and they¡¯d only listen to Misfit if they couldn¡¯t get Sparrow otherwise. If they decided to cut their losses now and abandon Misfit, the civilians, and the rebels, all the resources they had spent trying to assist the invasion of Helena would¡¯ve been a complete and utter waste. On the flip side, if they decided to heed to Misfit¡¯s demands and bring the civilians with them first, they would¡¯ve been legitimizing a direct act of resistance by the Penal-Unit. It¡¯d be a disaster for Overwatch Command, and it could very easily turn into a complete catastrophe if word of that act of resistance ever trickled down to The Penal Unit ¨C and news among the Penal Unit spread fast. Either way, Overwatch would be humiliated. Even though it wasn¡¯t really an act of defiance from Eli, at least that was not the primary goal, it didn¡¯t matter. The message would come across that way all the same. An act of rebellion. It was a lose-lose situation, both for Misfit and for Overwatch. There was no universe where Misfit got out of this unharmed, Overwatch would make certain of that. The soldiers didn¡¯t know what to do. They attempted to radio Overwatch command, but as predicted, their signals were afflicted by the communication jam. They had no direction, no order. Eli was right, the Avonian signal jam was doing him a favor, even if indirectly and without their knowledge. The regulars on the other hand¡­ they knew what Eli knew. If they returned to the Nexus empty handed, they would be punished with the fury of Overwatch who had invested all this money, guns, and resources into a operation just to wind up with nothing. Whoever was put in charge of the operation might get fired. And the regulars here sent to handle the situation, they might get it even worse ¨C for there was a risk of them becoming part of the Penal Unit too. Without orders coming in from Overwatch, there was little they could do to protest. Either they caved, letting the refugees on board first just to come back for Sparrow. Or they returned to the Nexus, defeated and with empty hands and wasted time to show for all Overwatch¡¯s troubles. For once, Eli felt confident, watching the regulars squabble among themselves like a pack of headless chickens. Although it was small, and by no means permanent, a victory against The Coalition like this was hard to come by. The regular in charge ¨C a Staff Sergeant by the rank on her shoulder ¨C looked Eli square in the eye. The look was brief, but it said everything. Spite. Hatred. Devastation. She had to resign to the Phantoms, just this once. The Coalition¡¯s hand had been forced. There was no other choice to be made. She didn¡¯t talk to Eli, for he was a prisoner and not worth being legitimized in that sort of talk. Instead, her words were fully on Sparrow, and Sparrow alone ¨C not daring to bat an eye at the rest of Misfit standing cautiously just behind the two, ¡°Fine,¡± she said before heaving another sigh, knowing what kind of hell Misfit had just unleashed ¨C not only onto the regulars¡¯ hands, but to themselves ultimately. For the Coalition¡¯s wrath never just dissipated, they never forgave nor forgot. The moment those refugees stepped foot into the Nexus, Misfit ¨C all of Misfit with no exceptions ¨C would be a squad of dead men walking. Overwatch''s most wanted. ¡°Let them come.¡±
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===[Chapter 51: Hold]===

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The process to load all the civilians onto the helicopter out of Helena was gruelingly long. Misfit and the Rebels worked shoulder to shoulder, carrying the wounded and assisting the elderly first ¨C and then the masses. They tried to ensure that those who could not stand were given seats aboard the transport, but of course those were limited. The helicopter had become overcrowded, and there were still at least a dozen others left. They all had to squeeze in, like packing sardines into a can. It made Eli somewhat concerned that the helicopter might actually struggle to carry the weight, but of course, weight was little to no issue for the massive blades and the sheer power of its engine. The storm had weakened to the point that when the last civilian was ushered into the transit, the rain was only a drizzle. Misty droplets of water gently scratching against Eli¡¯s skin, a stark contrast to the storm of water pouring from the skies above Helena. Misfit stepped away from the helicopter, exhausted, while the regulars shut the doors. The squad of prisoners were weary, saying little to each other as saw the regulars off. They would be left behind, but Overwatch would have to come back for them. Though, the lull in the Avonian assault wouldn¡¯t last forever. Eventually, the Imperial Army would arrive, and with them, the brunt of their assault forces. If Overwatch didn¡¯t return soon enough, the Rebel HQ would be flattened to rubble along with anyone inside. Eli knew that perfectly well. He could only hope that time was on their side. He wanted to be happy as he watched the blades of the helicopter spin to full power, blowing air, dust and rain into his eyes. Feel a sense of relief that he had done the right thing. That this was in fact, good. That he¡¯d stuck true to his values and that of Misfit¡¯s and that they had done something that brought more good than harm into the world around them, for once. But he had trouble feeling that way. There was a fear that Eli might¡¯ve accidentally cosigned the refugees to a fate even worse than death here in Helena ¨C living under whatever dark plans that Kovic and the rest of Overwatch held for them. Would they too wind up as slaves? Working for someone else, laboring away to build Kovic¡¯s Utopia, for pittance in return? He could feel the insides of his body rotting, like a weighted stone placed right in his core. Though the storm was giving way, he knew there was another on the horizon. And the second verse promised to be worse than the first. As the helicopter ascended into the increasing light of grey morning skies, Misfit and the Rebels watched from a distance. Saying nothing. All was quiet save for the blades of the helicopter and its engine, even that slowly fading as it flew further away. For it was only the calm before the real storm. Before true hell was brought onto them. When the helicopter had lifted itself into the light grey overcast above and disappeared out of sight, there was nothing left except for that weight buried in his chest. No happiness, no feelings of excitement or relief, no triumph against Overwatch, nothing. At least no feelings of that happy variety. All that remained was that feeling of hollowness. Decay. Uncertainty. Like looking towards the horizon of Seoul on that fateful day. Watching as a mushroom cloud enveloped the sleek skyscrapers and laid ruin to the surrounding world. A reminder that although they had escaped the worst possible outcome, something terrible was lurking just around the corner. Watching. Waiting. As he walked back inside of the base to dry off, he couldn¡¯t help but dwell on the feeling. There was just too much uncertainty. What would the regulars tell Overwatch once they had gotten out of range from the Avonian signals jam? Would they abandon Misfit? That wouldn¡¯t make sense, to take the refugees and leave Sparrow behind. They¡¯d just shoot themselves in the foot. And then there was Sparrow himself, a man who Eli was torn on the issue of trusting. He couldn¡¯t trust him. At all. But why had he stepped in at all? Why did he let Eli win? Not only letting him win, but actively supporting him against the regulars who had been sent to save him. What exactly was Sparrow thinking? Was he thinking at all? Was there any kind of plan going on in Sparrow¡¯s mind? Nothing made sense, and the harder he thought about it, the more it made his head spin. His hand went to caress his forehead, feeling a migraine incoming. He was met with the bandages wrapped around his forehead, a reminder of what had happened only a few short hours prior. The fact that he was here walking at all was nothing short of a miracle, only to have the feeling of relief robbed from him. Speaking of which, where had Temetet and Otaes gone? When he opened the doors, he was met with complete silence. Scarce traces of lights filtered in through the broken windows, grey and monotonous. The absence of the refugees made the inside of the base feel like a ghost town, with the only remnants of their existence being the bloodied makeshift beds and the belongings a few had left behind. A stuffed dragon was lying on the floor next to a certain bed, perhaps a child¡¯s toy which had been dropped before they were evacuated. He felt his eyelids growing heavy and he knew that the lack of sleep was getting to him. He resolved to take advantage of the lull in the Avonian assault, finding a spot somewhere in the base where it was quiet and isolated from Misfit. He didn¡¯t want to face them yet, and the last person he wanted to speak to was Sparrow. There was something else that he was forgetting, but the cobwebs in his brain were beginning to grow thick, and he really needed to get some rest. His search took him through several doors, through the decaying halls peppered with bullet holes, through which small gusts of air carried the scent of the nearby ocean to his nose. It was oddly peaceful, walking through such an empty facility. Where there was once either the sounds of hundreds of the sick and wounded, or the unceasing barrage of gunfire and warfare, now only the echoing percussion of his footsteps greeted his ears. What life he did manage to find up here though were few and far in between. The odd rebel here and about. Eli was pleased to know that the rebels no longer considered him and his squad as a threat. But with the stunt they¡¯d just pulled off, he wondered how much longer that would last. And in typical fashion, his peacefulness could not last. For everywhere, he could feel a hint of anxiety settle in. His conscious feared that at any moment, an Alpha Suppressor or squad of militia would turn the corner and start shooting while he was unprepared ¨C yet of course, that would not happen. He decided to let his guard down. He was relatively safe here. At least he wasn¡¯t in danger of being outright murdered out here. It was no safe harbor, that¡¯s for sure, but it was better than nothing, and especially so given their situation only a few short moments ago. Though, it would not last for long. The Avonians would return with their cavalry, and the relative safety of this intermission would vanish into thin air just as quickly as it had arrived. They had barely won against the Imperials the first time, once more ¨C against the brunt of their army and with most of the rebel¡¯s resources drained, even without the refugees to take care of, nobody¡¯s survival was guaranteed. Just as he turned a corner and past a particularly heavy door to be spat out into what seemed to be a dormant room his eyes landed on someone that he didn¡¯t want to see. Someone that he¡¯d been unconsciously trying to avoid. It wasn¡¯t Sparrow nor anyone from Misfit. But the warrior elf herself. Otaes. Her mask was being dimly lit by the soft glow of early morning light that managed to trickle in through the windows. The slash of red paint over the left eye distinguished her mask as being the one and only Otaes. She was alone, with zero sign of Temetet anywhere nearby, nor the big griffon Archer. Eli froze the moment he recognized who it was. Hoping he hadn¡¯t been noticed yet, he turned heel and made his way back for the door through which he¡¯d came in. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that pacing isn¡¯t helping anymore, right?¡± Her voice stopped him before he could even complete his turn. His throat was suddenly dry and faulty. He didn¡¯t want to face her. He had enough to worry about right now, being murdered by Otaes for seeing her brother¡¯s face was just something he didn¡¯t want to deal with right now. ¡°It never did,¡± Eli said, his back still half-turned to her. ¡°Ah. And we¡¯re right back to square one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re scared again?¡± ¡°Nervous,¡± Otaes admitted, ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be?¡± ¡°Certainly not you.¡± ¡°You think too highly of me.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we have this conversation before?¡± ¡°We did, then again aren¡¯t we in the same situation as before?¡± ¡°Not really. Look, I¡¯m sorry Otaes,¡± Eli spat out finally. Deciding to get to the topic immediately rather than doing this silly dance around it where both of them were stalling to the point. He knew what was wrong. She knew what was wrong, ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see Temetet without his mask. I know it¡¯s a cultural value to you guys, I get that entirely. But you shouldn¡¯t be too hard on Temetet. He saved my life! That kid protected me! Without him, I wouldn¡¯t be standing here right now!¡± ¡°He saved you?¡± She sounded surprised. ¡°Several times in fact!¡± ¡°Strange. When I was talking to him he swore up and down that it was the other way around, that you were the one who saved him.¡± ¡°Look, I just don¡¯t want to see anything bad happen to Temetet because of what I did. It was an accident.¡± He saw her eyes close almost wistfully behind her mask, leaning back further against the wall, ¡°It¡¯s too late for that. I¡¯m not going to do anything, to you or him for that matter.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t the rule that-¡° ¡°I know what the rule is. Truthfully, it doesn¡¯t matter now. Temetet was only a Kitchi in training. Besides, it was an accident. It wasn¡¯t like you forced it from him. I saw the way the two of you fought against the Imperials. You¡¯d die right there to defend each other. I¡¯m not going to be upset at that.¡± ¡°So¡­ I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s where the good news ends?¡± ¡°Temetet isn¡¯t a Kitchi in training anymore. In fact, he¡¯ll never be a Kitchi. Ever.¡± The news was delivered bluntly, as if it were an obvious fact of life that Eli had somehow managed to miss. At first he wasn¡¯t sure what exactly to say, and so he just stood there like an idiot, trying to process what had been said. He dragged his eyes away from her, staring at the cold floor now. In the distance he could hear the distinct rumbling echo of thunder crackle once more over Helena¡¯s ruined slums and artificial core. The fact that Temetet had somehow been automatically barred from ever being a Kitchi warrior didn¡¯t sit right with him. Eli knew how much he had wanted that title. From his time spent in Raritan to right here in Helena. Temetet craved that title like a starved man does an exquisite meal. But it had been taken from him, due to no real fault of his own. And what was worse was that Temetet had gone far above and beyond what was required of him. He¡¯d stuck true with Eli and done right for him, saving his life was enough to make Temetet more than a friend. But one of Misfit.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s not right,¡± Eli said finally after he¡¯d had enough of the awkwardly stretched silence. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. He saved my life. He¡¯s the only reason why I¡¯m here talking to you right now,¡± Eli told her as if she was the one making the rules. Of course, Otaes couldn¡¯t help it, judging by the way she lethargically sat against the wall, looking at the bombed-out slums of Raritan, ¡°This whole thing¡­ the entire reason why you¡¯re here helping me at all is because of Temetet¡¯s training, right? If he can¡¯t even become a Kitchi ¨C because of something that wasn¡¯t even his fault ¨C it makes everything pointless!¡± ¡°I know,¡± There was a certain inflection in her voice that made Eli pause. It was strange coming from her. Like a squeak almost. Or something else. It wasn¡¯t until Eli heard her sniffling, and noticed the wet stains across her tribal clothes, that he realized she¡¯d been crying before he walked in. And he felt horrible. He stepped closer, ¡°I¡¯m sorry-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to-¡° ¡°It¡¯s not your fault,¡± She repeated just as simply as she had before. Again, he was at a loss for words. Trying to find some way to make her feel better. But he was no Dutch, not quick with a light hearted joke. The only thing he could think to do was to just shut his mouth and let her speak. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He asked her. She hesitated for a moment. He noticed Otaes turn her back to him as she reached underneath her mask. Wiping her tears with a sleeve, adding another damp spot next to all of the others. He gave her the space she probably needed, ¡°It¡¯s everything,¡± She coughed out something that sounded like a dry chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s funny really. Half of me is relieved that Temetet can¡¯t become a Kitchi anymore. I saw him after the fight. His injuries¡­ bleeding from everywhere. I thought¡­¡± She gasped for air, clearly struggling through her words. It was difficult to listen to, as Eli stood there, just across the room, listening. ¡°I thought I wouldn¡¯t be able to save him. Something about it just reminded me of when I was young and the Avonian bombs had killed my father. And it was just me and Temetet. And Archer. Of course, we had Archer too. But we were so vulnerable. Back then, it felt like any day I could just wake up and,¡± She raised a hand up, snapping a fingers, ¡°They would be dead. And I¡¯d be alone. I never wanted to feel that vulnerable again, you know? That¡¯s why I did everything that I did, so Temetet could stay as far away from here as possible. And where did that lead to? He gets stabbed in the neck by a cursed Imperial. That¡¯s what I get. I get to stand over him and fight to keep my own brother from bleeding out onto the floor. That¡¯s what I get in return.¡± Eli unconsciously had taken a few steps closer, not even aware of what he was doing ¨C and certainly not why. It just felt appropriate to not stand halfway across the room from her. He wasn¡¯t sure why it wasn¡¯t. But something told him so. He was listening though. No matter what, he was listening. He couldn¡¯t help but listen. This elf, a creature he had no idea could ever possibly exist what seemed like a few short weeks ago, was spilling her heart out to him. And in that vein, she seemed more relatable than ever. ¡°I do everything right, and it doesn¡¯t even matter to them.¡± ¡°To who?¡± She shrugged, again wiping another tear way from underneath her mask, ¡°The Council of Elders. Ani. It doesn¡¯t matter what I do for them, it¡¯ll never be enough. I could cut my heart out and serve it to them on a silver plate and they¡¯d take it, turn around, and ask for my brain next. It doesn¡¯t matter. And I just feel so betrayed all the time. This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to happen.¡± Betrayed by those in charge. The image of Kovic¡¯s sterile face formed in Eli¡¯s mind. Not necessarily Kovic himself, but the idea of Overwatch Command as a whole. Of the Coalition. It took him back to his first night on Planet Narva, just after the battle when everything was quiet. Back when Cato was still alive and had just convinced two of Misfit¡¯s members to flee into the jungle away from the ever-present danger of The Nexus. Badger had told him something like what Otaes told him now. Betrayal. That after everything they had sacrificed, nothing stopped them from being thrown into the Penal Unit as expendables. Even worse, sent out into what was effectively a death sentence here on Planet Narva. Eli lost his home to storms created by the very people Kovic wanted to build a utopia for, he lost his closest friends in a war that the Coalition had started, he¡¯d lost everything to them. And when he had the nerve to leave, after so much abuse, he ended up as a slave. Freedom, as basic of an idea as it was, that too had been stripped away by their hands. ¡°It¡¯s not fair,¡± Eli said to her, feeling his own anger boil in his heart, ¡°You give, and they take, and you give, and they take. But when you ask for a break, they take everything from you. It just isn¡¯t fair.¡± She heard what sounded like a hint of laughter from her, ¡°At least you understand what I mean.¡± ¡°How could I not? I¡¯m a Phantom. We¡¯re experts in being used.¡± Otaes looked Eli up and down, as if only just now realizing who was standing before her. Something seemed strange in the way she looked at him, which should¡¯ve been impossible to discern due to her masks complete obfuscation of her face. And yet, Eli noticed. She cocked her head to the side, gesturing for Eli to come closer. ¡°The bandages. You¡¯ve gotten them dirty.¡± He was once again reminded of the cool gauze''s presence wrapped across his forehead and face. He raised a half-aware hand up to feel them, noticing how stiff and soiled they had become in such a short time, ¡°Oh¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± She drew closer to Eli, reaching a hand to him, ¡°May I?¡± she asked. Eli leaned closer to her, bringing his head to about the same level as her torso. They were both about the same height, and Otaes by no means needed the extra space. But it was a gesture that Eli was willing to trust her with his wounds. She placed a hand onto his forehead. The tips of her fingers were cold against his skin. Maybe he was running a fever? Whatever the case, she proceeded taking off the bandages wrapped around his skull one by one. ¡°They¡¯re well done,¡± she commented, ¡°Who did these?¡± ¡°Matteo. He¡¯s a natural at this stuff you know?¡± ¡°Matteo¡­¡± she repeated the name, ¡°That¡¯s the older human with you, right? With the beard?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡± ¡°Tell him that he needs to teach me how to dress wounds like this.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need that. You¡¯ve got magic elf powers, right?¡± Eli half smiled, ¡°It¡¯s only us boring magicless people that have gotta do stuff like this." ¡°Here on Narva, they¡¯re called NoMaj, the Non-Magical. Besides, remember Raritan? You can block magical energy, even natural magic, but you can¡¯t block¡­ well, this I guess. Really, sometimes elves rely on their magical abilities too much. I''ll admit that much." Eli chortled, "Don''t get all soft on me now. We''re only human." Otaes gave Eli a quick glance before returning back to the bandages, "You know... on Narva, when humans say that, they usually mean it in a kind of supremacist way." Eli froze for a moment, "Oh! I didn''t mean-" Before he could take back what he said, Otaes interrupted him. "Let me finish... when you say it, you Earth humans that is, I know you don''t mean it like that. It''s more like you''re putting yourselves down, if anything. Saying that there''s something uniquely lacking or bothersome about being human. Why is that?" He shrugged, "Well... on Earth, we''re the only sapients, you know? We''re the only ones above nature in a sense. The natural world functions the way its supposed to. You get the idea that there aren''t any mistakes in nature. Life continues the way it was meant to, animals hunt, animals die, animals reproduce, life goes on. Mistakes are a human thing. We''re the unnatural ones. We''re the ones who build governments, we''re the ones who came up murder and slavery. We''re the ones who wage wars and commit atrocities. We''re the ones who make mistakes. So when you say, ''only human'', you''re admitting to being inherently flawed. You''re made of flesh and blood. You''re born to make mistakes, they''re a given. But even despite that, you still try to do what''s right. You have to live. There''s nothing else you can do. And part of your journey is trying to overcome your own humanity and be better than that. That''s how I understand it." "Hm," Otaes gave a pleased sounding hum, "Oddly humbling. A lot of that translates over to being an elf. For all that our magical touch grants us, we''re not perfect beings. Despite what some Orderites and supremacists might say, being in touch with magic doesn''t make us inherently superior or above imperfection. Humans are not unique in being flawed. And elves are far removed from purity. But we try our best... most of us anyway," Suddenly Otaes paused, "Do you think you''d murder someone?" A serious surge of dread burned a hole through Eli''s chest at her question. The image of his gun, his Staff Sergeant, the blood that followed and his escape. The flash of nuclear fire over the desiccated husks of Seoul''s skyscrapers. The neglect. The regret. He grimaced briefly, hoping she didn''t notice. Part of his mind wanted to admit what he''d done to her. Perhaps she''d be forgiving. But now didn''t seem like the right time. Especially since he still hadn''t told Misfit yet. But if not now... when? After this, if Overwatch did ever circle back to lift them out of Helena, this would almost certainly be the last time Eli and Otaes would see each other. Hell, it may have been the last time Eli and Misfit would see each other. If they weren''t outright shot like the two phantoms Kovic executed in front of the crowd, they would be thrown into solitary. Sentenced to rotting away alone. If Eli didn''t open up to them now, he would miss the opportunity. And he''d go down as a liar on top if it all... "Well... I''m capable of it," Eli gave as a half-answer. "Capable huh..." Otaes mused. Thankfully, she moved on, continuing to take off the bandages, "On Narva, very little separates Humans from Elves. Temetet knows more than I do, he likes reading the scientific articles he can get his hands on, but from what I understand we''re essentially the same species. Just one has magical powers and the other doesn''t. And yet, a lot of elves and humans like to act like there''s something inherently different about us that justifies the inferiority one and the superiority of the other. Both humans and elves do this. The idiots don''t even realize that they''re only providing more arguments for how close they are to each other. We''re kin species, as Temetet calls it. And if Humans and Elves are so similar, virtually the same species, I find it difficult to see other species as much different either. Even the Kobolds and Sentient Dragons." "The Avonians are elves aren''t they?" Otaes gave him a middling gesture, "Mostly. Emperor Kirk calls himself the ruler of all elvenkind, as idiotic as that idea is. Trust me, I hate the sound of it more than you can imagine. But there''s other species living inside the Empire, usually as a second class. The Imperials, as evil as they are, aren''t Orderites. Racial purity isn''t the primary motivation of Imperial cruelty." The last strip of gauze was slowly peeled from Eli¡¯s skin. He could tell by the way it stuck to his forehead, refusing to let go, that it had become completely soiled both by Eli''s blood, sweat, and whatever dirt had managed to get kicked into it from the few short hours since. The thought of her touching all of that made Eli wonder¡­ and then he thought some more as a greater silence fell between the two. ¡°Otaes. Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Go for it.¡± ¡°Why¡­?¡± Eli trailed off, not sure exactly how he wanted to frame it. She looked down at him. ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why are you helping us so much? You aren¡¯t us. You don¡¯t have to stay here. Temetet can¡¯t become a Kitchi anymore, so it¡¯s not like you have to stick around so he¡¯ll pass. And all this waiting for the Imperial Army to come in and destroy us¡­ it is really my own fault. It¡¯s my problem, not yours.¡± She didn¡¯t respond immediately. Like she too was trying to come up with some sort of answer or explanation of her own to counter Eli¡¯s concern. Her rebuttal was signaled by a shrug of the shoulders, ¡°You and Misfit. You¡¯ve been on Narva for¡­ what, a month now? You aren¡¯t strangers with them anymore. You can¡¯t abandon them right?¡± ¡°We are aliens to you though.¡± Again, she shrugged, ¡°In a literal way, sure. You are aliens in the literal sense that you weren¡¯t born here on Narva. But what did we just talk about? It''s not like I''ve never seen a human before. Misfit is friendly enough. You¡¯ve saved Temetet twice now, and he certainly likes you. There¡¯s something familiar about that. You know what I mean? I don¡¯t want to feel like I¡¯ve abandoned you guys after you¡¯ve done so much for us. It wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± ¡°I¡¯d understand.¡± ¡°Of course, you would. That¡¯s your issue. You trust people too easily.¡± That last line from Otaes threw Eli¡¯s brain for a whirl. Him, trusting people too easily? That¡¯s what she thought was wrong with him? How did she come to that conclusion? He chuckled to himself in a vain effort to mask his confusion, ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Or was she talking about someone in specific? Sparrow. While it is true that he had trusted him a while ago, he didn¡¯t know anymore how to feel about him. The fact that he so often bordered the line between friend and foe. Someone there to help him get to his goals, and someone there who stood in the way. He had done nothing to directly harm Misfit, just disagreement over methods to what appeared the same cause. And hadn¡¯t Sparrow proved that he was an ally with his sudden show of support in the face of the regulars? All of that though, when just minutes prior, he was suggesting that they leave the crowd to their deaths. Had he really stuck up for Eli and Misfit because he thought that it was the right thing to do? Or was there another goal for him? An ulterior motive. For Sparrow was the type who was far smarter than he let on. There had to be a plan for all of this. His spontaneity, his effortlessly cool persona, his revolutionary speak, all of it was artificial. Some parts more than others. But those were not the constructs of a real person. They were a fa?ade. A mask to hide something far worse that lay underneath. He couldn¡¯t trust Sparrow, not now, not ever, not at all. Eli wanted to ask Otaes about her relationship with Sparrow. He trusted her enough to know that she wouldn¡¯t lie to him. Or at least he hoped he could. He opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by a distinct sound piercing through the air. A droning whistle from outside. Otaes and Eli immediately stood up completely, turning to the window. A single glowing artillery shell fell from the skies. He braced for another artillery barrage, just like before. But it was only the one shell. None other. In the split moment that he could be aware of it, he wondered why it was alone. Until the shell burst into air and its contents spilled out, swamping the entire area. Strawberry red gas. ==[REACH OUT ILL BE THERE]==

===[REACH OUT I''LL BE THERE]===

===[SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION: SABER GROUP]=== Type: Emergency Report Sender: Agent Watchman [RDI SPECIAL OPERATIONS DIVISION IN THE KIOTE PENINSULA: SABER GROUP] Receiver: Secretary Neil Ford Date: FROST - 44 - 1240 Operation: KIOTE GUARDIAN >>> Operation Goal: Successfully neutralize the Imperial counter-offensive before the situation spirals out of control >>> Searching Transcript... >>> Please standby... >>> Initializing... ==[Know All, Fear None]==
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Attention! The Mass Invasion of the River Republic carefully planned by both our allies in the Global Strategic Coalition and the Kiote Union is rapidly beginning to stagnate. Though our new friends in The Coalition have an undeniable superiority in technological fields, military prowess, and tactical thinking, that makes them an invaluable ally for the Free World - it appears that they too have their flaws. The primary one being logistical. Due to an as of yet unresolved supply crisis afflicting the Coalition, they have been unable to follow through on necessary plans in order to ensure that the Kiote Offensive would end in success. Recon flyovers of the Coalition Nexus and limited reports from our intelligence officers embedded alongside the Coalition corroborates this. In the words of one of their own, they are dealing with a logistical nightmare, as supplies have been strained from their native Planet Earth. The effect of this is that on nearly every front, Republican and Imperial forces have defeated Kiote troops, sending our forces back on the defensive at such a crucial stage in the conflict. It goes without saying that the decapitation strike in Helena is likely to end in abject failure. A retreat now would only guarantee that the crisis will turn into an absolute slaughter. Imperial forces are estimated to completely overpower Kiote defense troops with ease. The death of Marshall Navarro is a welcome sign of potential pain in the Iron Phoenix''s side. As I am writing this, the River Republic is estimated to collapse within the next forty-eight hours if the situation with regards to the war does not rapidly improve. However, this is not going to fundamentally alter the balance of power in the Kiote Peninsula. All potential armed factions within The River Republic that are aligned with Belford Alliance interests lack significant strength to be of any real potential to win a imminent Riverlander Civil War. The breakaway forces within the River Republic are cliques led by various ultra-nationalist, absolutist, and virulently anti-Commonwealth military officers within the River Republic who command large swathes of the Elite Republican Guard Forces and the massive - though poorly trained/equipped - Republican Militia, as well as numerous smaller paramilitary forces that contain ideological views ranging from "Imperial lapdragons", to "Riverlander Ethnic Supremacists", and even "Neo-Orderites" at worst. It goes without saying that there is a slim chance of convincing any of these factions of the benefits of Commonwealth cooperation. The situation in The River Republic is nothing but dire. Whatever pro-democracy forces there are within the nation are preparing for the worst... With more Imperial forces crossing the border, if the Republic does wind up shattering, we are certain that the Empire will spend its resources invading their former ally in order to recentralize control and establish a military government from Helena that is 100% obedient to Avonian commands. This is a process that may result in the deaths of thousands, military and civilian alike... but there is nothing that we can do to prevent this. The Avonian Empire likely sees the collapse of the River Republic not as a setback, but as an opportunity, to purge Riverlander leadership of anti-Avonian ultranationalists that were of significant presence and strength within Marshall Navarro''s Government of National Salvation. It is likely that the NSE - and by extension, the Imperial Armed Forces - have detailed plans on a invasion to solidify control over the Republic, and with several battalions worth of Imperial troops massing on the Riverland border waiting for a single go-ahead from an increasingly bloodthirsty Emperor Kirk, we can only predict the worst outcome... The decapitation strike into Helena has been nothing short of an abject failure. Our only redemption is that all hope for ULA leadership to come into contact with the Coalition''s forces in the Nexus is still underway, though latest reports from our foreign friends have been grim to say the least... And on the front of the Kiotes, we have even worse news emerging from there as well. The Warrior Elves - historically the most politically influential of the Kiote nations that constitute the Confederation - have recently voted to dethrone Grand Chief Matriarch Ani. Chief Ani - mind you - was one of the last remaining pro-Belford leaders within the Warrior Elf nation. While there is no trace of Imperial sympathies among any of the Kiote nations, the new leader of the Warrior Elves - Grand Chief Patriarch Zee - is an traditionalist who fervently believes in ending the war against the Avonian Empire even if that means negotiating with the Avonian Empire on terms of a pro-Imperial ceasefire, or even a total Kiote surrender. Though many of the other Kiote nations still remain staunchly committed to the Belford Alliance and fighting the Avonian Empire, the Warrior Elves currently sit at the seat of the Kiote Union, meaning that Zee will effectively dictate policy for not just the Warrior Elf tribes but the ENTIRE Kiote Union.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. With this, we predict the following: 1) The River Republic will collapse, shattering along ideological, political, and ethnic lines in violent warfare. 2) This collapse will be justification for the Avonian Empire to launch a mission to "Stabilize" the Republic immediately on their southern border, effectively turning the Imperial Emergency into a formal declaration of war against their own ally. 3) The Avonians will centralize control, and Imperial forces will expel Kiote troops back across the border fully, preparing for an overwhelming assault on the Kiote Union that our ally will be both unable and unwilling to ward off. 4) The Kiote War will be over with the Avonian Empire obtaining absolute supremacy in Western Farewind, shattering Belford interests in the continent, faith in our alliance for freedom, and the very integrity of national resolve. This outcome can very well end the Cold War effectively, with Imperial absolutism achieving near total victory across Farewind, squashing the light of our torch... perhaps forever. Not to mention the mass destruction such an Imperial victory could cause. If the Empire unifies the Kiote Peninsula under military rule or the rulership of a new Riverlander puppet state, the ethnic violence that will follow from the Riverlanders attempting to enforce their supremacy over the Kiote people will be nothing but catastrophic. On a scale unseen, perhaps, since the Sacred War. The death toll and numbers displaced could range from the hundreds of thousands - to the millions... Follow this line of reason and you will see how we cannot allow this to happen, no matter the cost, the Kiote Union MUST remain aligned to the Belford Alliance. Imperial Forces cannot be allowed to win. This is a non-negotiable. As such, the RDI recommends the Premier and the Secretary of Defense to provide the Commonwealth Armed Forces permission to deepen Commonwealth involvement in The Kiote Crisis. This will escalate the crisis further, and we will have to prepare for a Second Kiote War with full intervention from our forces. We may need to fight on the frontlines against Imperial and Riverlander troops. This is not ideal, but we have no other choice in the matter. The Empire has forced our hand. Operation MKSHUFFLE: To be undertaken by the Oceanian and Ostralandian Justice Department, as well as the Provincial Bureau of Safety (PBS). MKSHUFFLE recommends that the Commonwealth state apparatus begins approval of funds to media agencies reporting on the Kiote Crisis, with the intent of generating public consent for the wartime effort. It is undeniable that popularity for fighting this war, even despite its defensive nature, is at an all time low. In order to ensure ease of conduct and to allow us to commit to a ground war if need be, it is vital that public outcry is mitigated. Deliberate censorship campaigns through fines, lawsuits, harassment, and intimidation can be leveraged against major anti-war factions and personalities throughout the Commonwealth. If this does not work, RDI subcommittees have been given approval to seek out more direct ways of eliminating them while reducing the chances of RDI or Commonwealth implication. Operation KIOTE GUARDIAN: Is an "Limited Air War" intended to destroy and delay any Imperial forces crossing the border into the Kiote Peninsula. Utilizing Commonwealth air superiority in the region, we hope to be able to decimate any Continental Pact troops wishing to monopolize on the collapse of Kiote lines. But most importantly, the purpose of KIOTE GUARDIAN is to provoke the Avonian Empire and Continental-Unity Pact in order to intentionally escalate the war, where we''ll hold a more distinct advantage. Avonian political leadership is notoriously hubristic, and even small provocations - such as declaring a "limited air war" - will inevitably invite retaliation from the Empire. If we can successfully infuriate Imperial leadership enough, they will unwittingly provide us with enough justification to escalate the war through retaliatory action of their own. Something that will be necessary for the oncoming media war that will make or break the next few months of the conflict. Operation BREAKTHROUGH: recommends that the Commonwealth swells troop numbers to at least 100,000 servicemen to shore up Kiote defenses and prepare for an imminent Imperial invasion. This will be a blatant act of escalation, but the RDI can assure you that domestic resistance to intervention can be limited. Through precise dispersion of pro-war information within news reports and media outlets, we can generate consent to intervene in the Kiote War. This is our current, most direct, and most immediate course of action to withstand the threat of a complete frontline collapse in the Kiote Peninsula. While it is doubtful that entrenched Kiote Defense Forces will be defeated across the vast and notoriously difficult terrain of the peninsula, in order to prevent Imperial forces from gaining a foothold within the territory of our own allies, it is necessary that we formulate a direct military response immediately. Kiote politics presents a different and perhaps more dire threat to the integrity of our alliance. But luckily, the RDI has been acutely aware of growing anti-Commonwealth sentiment within the Warrior Elf Tribes for a while now. RDI-SOD stands adequately prepared to act on plans drafted as an emergency fallback for situations like these. Several other intelligence actions will be necessary to ensure to loyalty of the Kiote Union to remain committed to the war effort. Operation BLUE ZONE: Though Chief Ani may have been ousted from power within Warrior Elf leadership, we do still have pro-Commonwealth leaders throughout the nations of the Kiote Union who all have seats on the Kiote Council and significant sway within the nation. The largest of these is King Archibald III of the "Glorious Kingdom of Seville". King Archibald is a modernizer, and Seville currently stands poised as the most industrialized, militarized, and "modern" of the Kiote Nations - behind of course the River Republic. The strength of the Seville Kingdom and the size of its rapid rise into economic prosperity has all been at the behest of Commonwealth business interests opening up shop within the Kingdom and propping up Archibald''s regime. Many critics of King Archibald compare him to Marshall Navarro due to their similarities in brutal, militaristic, suppression of democratic opposition and fostering a cult of personality within their respective nations. However, there is no clearer choice of a person to put our faith in. Archibald is completely dependent on Commonwealth support to keep the economic boom growing and to keep his government stable. His army has been trained by the Commonwealth. He surrounds himself with advisors loyal to Commonwealth interests, and he himself has committed to shaping the nation and its people along Commonwealth ideological visions - minus the blatant authoritarianism of course. While his controversies may put him at odds with some members of government, the potential to shape the "Second River Republic" into the new head of the Kiote Union is a benefit only fools would turn down. As such, BLUE ZONE advises that the RDI Greenlights the transfer of weapons, vehicles, equipment, financial assistance, political support, and intelligence support to The Seville Kingdom in order to challenge the rise of Kiote Nationalism among figures like Chief Zee. The Kiote Union will have elections to determine which leader will head the Union, and with BLUE ZONE''s support, we can ensure that Archibald will take the seat at the Union''s head. Operation SUCCUBUS: If BLUE ZONE fails however, we have other plans. The Kiote Defense Forces and legendary Kitchi Warriors are known primarily for their informal nature. This presents the RDI with a unique opportunity to exploit this. It is clear that many within Warrior Elf Tribes resent the rise of Chief Zee and see him as a danger, and this fear can be monopolized on for benefit. By careful drops of sufficient payola, engineering a few scandals within Zee''s closest advisors, silencing a couple of voices, and holding vital conversations with leaders among the Kiote Defense Forces and Kitchi Warriors - we may be able to persuade sufficient numbers within The Warrior Elves to turn their weapons against Chief Zee and oust him from power. Operation SUCCUBUS advises the RDI to secure the loyalty of Warrior Elf military forces before Zee has a chance to solidify his power. And with the help of our Seville friends, a military coup can reinforce Belford''s control over The Kiote Peninsula for good...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Loading SitRep B-3...] >>>[Going through File Directory] >>>[Standby...] ==[Loading Complete!]==
==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
[THE CRISIS IS REACHING IT''S BREAKING POINT]
==[VIDEO LINK TO KIOTE GUARDIAN]==
==[END TRANSMISSION]== ==[SO FAR FROM GOD]==

===[SO FAR FROM GOD]===

==The United Commonwealth Army Airforce== >>> Operation KIOTE GUARDIAN >>> Initiator: The UCAA (On Behalf of the Ostraland and Oceanian Commonwealths) >>> Angel Squadron (x2 A-102 Starfighters, Cpt. Michael "Solo" Falke, 2nd Lt. Jerome Carter), 87th Fixed Wing Aviation Unit, VT-2287, Ostraland Commonwealth >>> Operation Goal: Launch Air Superiority missions to conduct limited strikes against Riverlander and Continental-Pact targets in Kiote territory. Prevent collapse of Kiote frontlines. Escalate the war in order to justify further Commonwealth troop surge. Defend Democracy. >>> Searching Transcript... >>> Please standby... >>> Initializing... ==[Begin Transmission]==
Blue open skies for as far as the eye could see, deep and pure. They were only momentarily disturbed by the passing of puffy white clouds, defying gravity and nature as they hung hundreds of miles up into Narva¡¯s atmosphere. Gentle giants carried by the wind, pure snowy white. Closer to the horizon, Carter had noted that the skies took on a lighter hue. Yet the skies directly above the glass of his cockpit were dark, rich, and more vibrant. It was like human blood, but blue. And instead of liquid, it was air. So much of it. Flights like these normally brought Carter some much desired peace. Something that was sorely lacking in the intensive regimen of any airman serving within the Ostralandian Commonwealth Army Airforce. There was always training, drills, exercises. There was always more to learn. Always a way to improve. Always a way to go faster. Hit harder. Kill Imperials¡­ better. Carter dreaded the workload of course, but he was no slouch. He knew what kind of world Planet Narva was, and though the differences between borders seemed so miniscule ¨C if not entirely irrelevant ¨C up here, miles up in the skies¡­ those borders separated the free world, from one of slaves. ¡°Kiote skies¡­ really does something to you doesn¡¯t it?¡± A voice crackled over the headset. It was filtered and artifact through several layers of compression, that and the fact that the voice struggled to maintain a volume higher than the screech of the jet engine that carried, ¡°I¡¯ve never been spiritual, but I get an almost religious joy being up here. Up here, everything just seems so¡­ small¡­ petty.¡± ¡®Solo¡¯, kept his Starfighter in perfect sync with Carter¡¯s own. The aircraft flew perfectly steady, with its twin jet engines almost appearing dormant for lack of the afterburners being engaged. Those would not be necessary, not currently anyway. This was a routine sweep of the airspace. Both Starfighters were painted a metallic grey, covered in patches, numbers, and Ossie Airforce insignias. Solo was the lead of the two pilots, and his jet was slightly different from Carter¡¯s. The right wing, in clear view, was painted a bright crimson red¡­ Solo was something of a myth among Carter¡¯s airforce buddies. He¡¯d seen only a minor amount of TV and news interviews, mostly because of the fact that he turned nearly all of them down. Solo took no pride in his work, but seemed to live for the purpose of flight. Whenever Carter asked why, the Ace would get all semantic. Almost rambling, but with a clear purpose. He¡¯d talk of rebellion. Of freedom. Of borders. Solo was a respected legend as far as fighter aces went. The A-102 Starfighter was an older jet aircraft, not as fast or cutting edge as the A-24 Contender. The Starfighter was roughly on par with Avonian jet aircraft, as few of them as there were. So for Solo to make a name for himself using the Starfighter was something of a big deal. Solo had reportedly saved the lives of dozens of his fellow airmen, in a standoff deep in the Kiote Peninsula during the opening stages of the war ¨C right when the skies above the Warrior Elves were still hotly contested between the Pact and Belford. Well over 50 kills against Imperial jets, dragons, propellor aircraft, and aerial targets. And to cap it all off, being hit by an Avonian anti-air system, losing his right wing, but managing to steer the Starfighter over 500 kilometers towards a friendly airfield where he landed safe and alive¡­ thus the red wing. Thus the name, ¡®Solo¡¯. But if you asked Solo himself, he¡¯d refuse to talk much about it. Carter tried but Solo only confirmed that it all had indeed happened with a singular ¡®yeah, that¡¯s true¡¯. And it wasn¡¯t for lack of a will in conversation either. Solo talked plenty. But again, he seemed to take little pride in it. It gave off the impression that Solo only believed he was doing a job. One that he may have even despised doing, but one that he¡¯d done remarkably well. ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Carter agreed, glancing over at the Starfighter just ahead, before looking down at his mess of radar displays and cockpit gauges. ¡°More than that. It¡¯s pure. It¡¯s the last frontier. I mean, the lands been taken. The ocean is too deep. We¡¯re still struggling to get to space¡­ but the skies, the skies are still free. Sorta.¡± ¡°You like flying but you seem to hate being a pilot,¡± Carter sighed, ¡°That¡¯s weird for an Ace of all things.¡± There was a momentary pause from Solo. Though it was brief, it was enough of a interruption to let Carter know that he was striking some kind of nerve. With a contemplative voice, Solo spoke again through Carter¡¯s headset, ¡°You know¡­ from up here, all the wars, all the empires, all the vendettas and politics¡­ it all seems so¡­ trivial. Petty. Like ants fighting over shit.¡± ¡°The skies make you think of that?¡± Carter asked. ¡°Think about it. It¡¯s been a year since the Kiote War ended and they¡¯re already saying we¡¯re going back in. I mean, hell, look at us! Air wars always escalate into real wars, and they know it. I love flying, there¡¯s no experience like it. But when you¡¯ve been up here for as long as I have¡­ you see things in a different light. Or at least I do,¡± Solo said almost wistfully, ¡°Up here, far above the jungle, you reach something closer to truth. You¡¯re so close to the Gods. So far from the petty squabbles of man, elf, and dragon.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t see it as petty,¡± Carter said, sighing, ¡°The Imperials need to be stopped. They¡¯ll enslave us all, and if they can¡¯t, I bet you everything Emperor Kirk will press that big red button on his desk. Vaporize us all in a flash. We¡¯ve gotta stop the Avonians. That''s why we fight.¡± ¡°Not to sound counter-revolutionary, but I really don¡¯t see it that way. Commonwealth, Empire. What¡¯s the difference? One is upfront about it¡¯s evil, the other lies about it. Cut from the same cloth, holding the world with a nuclear gun pointed to its head. That¡¯s what I think. You can¡¯t see any differences between the Free world and the Imperial one from up here. Borders and national identities seem irrelevant. All you can see is the land, and sometimes, the people.¡± ¡°How can you say that? We fight a good fight. The Avonians hate humans. They hate elves too, shit, they¡¯re bombing the Warriors as we speak. They hate anyone who doesn¡¯t worship Emperor Kirk, and even then they still hate each other. We know this.¡± ¡°Four years ago I escorted a squadron of strike aircraft on a mission to destroy some entrenched Republican Guard¡­ this was a while before I lost my wing. Those strike aircraft were carrying rainbow gas, chemical yellow I think.¡± ¡°The herbicide?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the one,¡± Solo sighed, ¡°It was Kiote territory. Warrior Elf hunting grounds. Beautiful land from what I heard. The strikers were intercepted by a few Riverlander jets but I was able to fend them off. Won a big old thank you from those strikers, they loved me¡­ and then they dropped the gas. It was a thick yellow smog just spewing out of those aircraft. Covered everything green, stained it all long after the aircraft had passed by. No explosions, no fire, no nothing. Just¡­ yellow dust.¡± Carter furrowed his brow, his eyes studying his radar. Usually the temperamental radar would act up by generating false reads of targets or shutting itself off, likely from cloud interference, but today it was running perfectly fine. No distractions, no targets, no threats, for miles. The Commonwealth held complete air superiority. ¡°I flew back across that land to escort a different flight of cargo aircraft. And all the forest was gone. Green jungle, no more. It looked so¡­ sick. It looked like death. You know? The skies are blue and white and black at night. They twinkle with stars and moonlight. There¡¯s life and beauty in the skies. But when I saw that sight¡­ I knew for certain there was nothing down there. It was like looking at the portal to the underworld. Just decay. Rot¡­ and I saw a village underneath it all. Warrior Elf. All the homes were empty and there wasn¡¯t a single soul moving about. Which is weird, because the Warriors are a communal kind of folk, you know? They like to hang around in the communal places and chat with each other. You can see them if you fly low enough. But there was nobody there. They were gone, or dead. And given that tactical command never informed us about the presence of the village, I¡¯m almost certain that they¡¯re all dead. Our own allies¡­¡± Carter grimaced, unable to concentrate on much else. ¡°They say it takes a generation for that shit to get washed out of the local ecosystem. They don¡¯t even know how long it stays in the groundwater. But it gets in the plants, and the animals eat the plants, and the people eat the animals. It all accumulates. Gets in the people. They have kids, and now the babies are born with that shit in ¡®em. Causes all kinds of mutations and defects. We dropped that chemical on our own allies. Next to the deerfolk in Norfvamark, the Kiotes are some of the Commonwealth¡¯s best friends. Is that what a peaceful society does?¡± It was difficult to tell through the radio''s normal interference and the sound of a literal jet engine in between the two, but deep in Solo''s voice, Carter could make out a lingering type of regret that stained every word he spoke. It sounded genuine, if bordering on counter-revolutionary. Especially from an Ace with as many confirmed kills under his belt as Solo had. Carter had to admit that it was indeed a troubling story, nobody deserves to get killed like that. Rainbow Gas was a particularly unique strain of wartime horror that managed to trouble even Carter''s deep seated patriotism. The fact that the Commonwealth was not only willing, but eagerly dispensed of the toxic chemicals and biological weapons in conflicts where it saw fit was horrifying. If he''d been given the order to drop Yellow over the Kiote jungle, would Carter have done it? ¡°The Imperials are the bigger threat,¡± Carter said, justifying it to himself. He would, of course, drop it. It his duty to protect the Commonwealth. Sometimes the Commonwealth made mistakes and people were in the way. Collateral damage, Carter reasoned. It wasn''t something he wanted to say, but it made some sense. The weapons weren''t meant to kill Warrior Elves living in their tribal homes, but sometimes accidents happened. As callous as that sounded, ¡°That was a tactical error during war time confusion, not a deliberate bombing of friendly territory.¡± This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°Tactical error huh?" Solo mused in response, "I wonder what the Kiotes think about it. Do they think I¡¯m a hero for saving those pilots? I mean, of course I would¡¯ve done it, they¡¯re my fellow airmen. But¡­ you think the Kiotes will be as forgiving towards us as we are to ourselves?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for us, Kirk would have them all in concentration camps by now. They should be grateful we''re on their side...¡± "You really think so? Rookie? We''re just paragons of goodness dispensing justice always?" Solo asked, "Maybe that''s how the Imperialists think of themselves?" "They''re wrong..." Was all Carter could offer. But he knew, somewhere deep in his chest, that it was not enough. For his part, Solo didn''t hound on Carter for his zeal. But Carter could make out a rather ominous, depressed, sigh escape Solo''s radio. It was gone in a moment as Solo changed the topic, "It¡¯s just something to think about while you¡¯re up here¡­ you know? In the skies, you''re closer to the truth than ever before. On the ground, you¡¯re so far from god. But so close to men.¡± Of course, right when the conversation was over, that was when the radar picked something up. There was a buzz in Carter''s headset, and a light flashed within his dashboard to signal that Control was locked into their communications, ¡°Angel Squadron, status update! We have a positive confirmation of Riverlander targets crossing the Kiote Border. Heading three-one-one. You have a greenlight to kill. Seek and destroy.¡± ¡°Angel,¡± Solo repeated the salute, standard acknowledgment procedure. "Heading, North of your current location, fifteen degrees. Seven biological winged hostiles with possible fixed aviation in region Roger-Seven-Baker, sub, Able-One-One. Assume all contacts are hostile. Seek and destroy." "Angel." "The nearest friendly airfield is fifteen clicks southwest of your current position. Adjust maps. Try not to get shot down boys. Happy hunting. Seek and destroy." "Angel, wilco. Sit back, watch the fireworks, and put two beers in the freezer for us. We''ll be back before you know it." The line from Control switched back to dormancy, leaving Carter and Solo alone in the skies once again. ¡°Come on," Solo said over the radio, "Let¡¯s go put down some feral dragons. Dispense some more justice in this hell of a war. Eh, Rookie?¡± "You''re finally speaking my language," Carter chuckled. "Just try and keep up pace. So far as I''m concerned, you don''t have your wings yet. You''ve gotta earn them," A flash of light erupted from the engine as the Solo''s Starfighter engaged the afterburners. Plasma was sent shooting out of the rear, giving the aircraft a boost in speed. It banked left, exposing its white belly and flashing the singular red wing, loaded to the brim with deadly weapons. The Starfighter made a sharp left before dipping low to change heading. Though the maneuver was basic, it required several steps and a lot of practice in order to ensure that the pilot didn''t pull too hard. The wings of the aircraft could accidentally snap off if too much pressure was applied. And yet, Solo made the maneuver look flawless, a singular smooth motion. It was almost unnatural watching his Starfighter perform the turn. It was like a living creature. One of Avonia''s cybernetic dragons, except this one was all steel. In the blink of an eye, Solo was headed north before Carter could even complete his turn... hesitantly Carter followed... All the while, the idea lingered in the back of Carter''s mind... So far from god. So close to men, Carter wondered idly. Something to think about...
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==[WEAPONS OF THE COLD WAR]==
Top Down view of Cpt. Michael "Solo" Falke''s Starfighter
Name: A-102A "Starfighter" (Ostralandian Air Force Naming Convention), F-102A "Specter" (Oceanian Airforce Naming Convention) Type: Interceptor, Fighter-Bomber Aircraft, Air-Superiority Fighter Country of Origin: The Ostraland United Commonwealth, The United Provinces of Oceanian Information: SEEK AND DESTROY. SPEED AND AGRESSION. DOMINANCE IN THE SKIES. These three mottos effectively summarize the airforces of the two Commonwealth great powers, Oceania and The Ostralands. It''s an ultra aggressive method of thinking that could only have been born in the fires of a most existential struggle for superiority above the ground. Man and Elven kind are, quite obviously, flightless creatures. The two Kin species have been grounded, only able to watch in wonder as the Avian species, Sapient Dragons, and Fae creatures, built Kingdoms and Empires the skies above Planet Narva. Dancing among the clouds in a world out of reach for the two primates. But Planet Narva is a world of change. And like the ground below, the skies too must shift with the advance of time... PICTURED: Avonian Imperial Forces charge across no-mans-land, as Imperial Aircraft bombard hostile Valdacian lines during the Trench War Warfare entered the machine age during the late 1100s and early 1200s. And with it came the advent of propelled flying machines. Once thought impossible only decades ago, man and elvenkind were soon flying in the skies above Planet Narva. And with their presence came war. The Trench War of 1205 saw the old Avonian Empire, Bizonian Tsardom, Valdacian Magereich, Oranian Empire, and (in a limited role) the Ostralands, duke it out in the skies above long lines of trenches. High above no mans land, aircraft were crucial in delivering photographic reconnaissance, primitive close air support, and providing a major morale boost to allied infantry on the ground. Though the aircraft were basic in the amount of fire they could provide, the limited munitions technologically feasible at the time made them both awe-inspiring innovations of the future and a nightmare weapon born out of the depraved minds of nations at war. From gravity-powered fl¨¨chette ammunition, made of small steel rods dropped from the skies, falling with enough velocity to maim, pierce, and kill infantry behind cover. To air dropped canisters of primitive chlorine gas and biological weapons. These aircraft, and The Trench War as a whole, was Planet Narva''s first glimpse of the future of war. A future where warfare was void of the tales of chivalric knights and glorious commanders. One barren of glory or honor. One so far removed from the legends of old sword fighting empires and battle hardened general-kings. But rather, a world where weapons were cruel, where suffering was scientifically engineer, and where machines began to dominate the flesh. Before the horrors of suffocating Rainbow Gasses, the titanic beasts of walking Behemoths and sentries, the biologically augmented monstrosities of cybernetic dragons and howlers, and the unmatched devastation of The Glitterbomb; the first great leap forward in warfare started in the skies... PICTURED: A Squadron of Bizonian Tsarist KOL-576 ''Flanker'' Pursuit Aircraft, in formation over the skies of the Far Northern tundra during The Sacred War
PICTURED: Three Oceanian F-30 ''Challenger'' fighters flying in a "Vic Formation" over the mountainous terrain of the South Oran/North Oran border, during the Oranian Crisis.
PICTURED: A Commonwealth Army-Airforce A-102 Starfighter, dropping dumb bombs on Riverlander troop positions during the latter stages of Kiote War. Decades later, in the year 1240, in the midst of a globe-spanning Cold War, and the role of aircraft have only increased. They are faster, fly longer, are more maneuverable, and far more capable of being lethal than their Trench War and Sacred War counterparts. The human forces in The Commonwealth appear to have achieved a victory in The Cold War, as the jet-capable airforces of both Oceania and The Ostralands are the most advanced of any industrial power bloc. Yet, this belies the true nature of the conflict. Like everything else, the skies are a flashpoint for an ever evolving arms race between Avonia, The Commonwealth, and Heaven (Mostly the Kobold engineers in the United Kingdom, as Heaven has largely rejected war machines as a wicked abomination of mankind). And though the Commonwealth may maintain the lead... this is likely to change. Enter, The Starfighter. Ugly. Built like a brick. Armed to the teeth. Fast as lightning. The Starfighter was, and to a large extent remains, the chief Air-Superiority fighter of the Commonwealth Air Force. A twin-engine, supersonic, single seat, air-superiority fighter aircraft, The Starfighter is capable of breaking the sound barrier in the blink of an eye. It shattered multiple records upon its inauguration into service for the forces of freedom - all in spite of it lacking any magical technology, whatsoever. It is faster, climbs higher, and travels longer than any other jet aircraft currently in service (With exception of the still limited A-24 Contender which is planned to be the Starfighter''s replacement). The Starfighter is perhaps the pinnacle of Mankind''s daring spirit, and it embodies all three slogans of the Army Airforce for which it was purpose built. Deployed en-masse during the Kiote War, it led Belford Forces to absolute victory in the skies above the Kiote Peninsula, a victory which determined the pro-Belford ceasefire. Upon service, the Starfighter was in a class of its own. Untouchable by significantly slower, less capable Imperial Aircraft - of which there were only a small handful. Against dragons, it is the ultimate dragon-killer. It was such an effective tool that both Oceania and The Ostralands have adopted their own separate production lines and tactics, with Starfighters originating in the service of The Oceanian airforce adopting the title F-102A "Specter". Yet for all it''s glory, there is also the shadow. The Starfighter has become representative of both the pinnacle of Commonwealth air superiority, AND, the symbol of Mankind''s oppressive instincts and destructive tendencies. A multi-role platform conceptually, the Starfighter has become synonymous with Commonwealth bombing campaigns across the world. Dropping chemical munitions from the skies, destructive bombs that shatter the ground, and weapons the burn, maim, and kill all who stand in its way. Hostile, or not. PICTURED: Oceanian Marines watch the aftermath of a Napalm strike deep in The Kiote Jungle against a friendly Sevillan Village believed to be occupied by Riverlander Militia, performed by an F-102 ''Specter'' just out of view
==[END TRANSMISSION]== Chapter 52: Stone In Focus >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 52: Stone In Focus]===

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Strawberry red. Clouds of poison, red and orange, surrounded the building and quickly it began to spread, falling over the area. There had been no warning of the incoming chemical attack save for the faint whistling of the shell as it fell through the stormy weather. The Avonians were no longer willing to wait, and thus, had gone straight for the jugular. They wanted everyone dead, no exceptions. Immediately, Eli dropped his pack. He took a massive gulp of precious fresh air in as the suffocating clouds rose around him. His fingers nervously fumbled through the pockets of his pack, almost forgetting the basics on how a zipper worked. The Penal-Units signature dark blue color scheme kept the bag hidden, and had it not been for the bright cyan and orange delta stamped on a few choice places of the bag, he may not have found the zippers in time. With the bag open. he rummaged through first aid kits, spare ammunition, and now-useless electronic devices. All of this gear and weight, yet he could not find his mask. His heart was squirming like a caged rat, his search growing desperate. He tore everything out in a maddening frenzy. It had to be there! It had to be! Where? Where was it? The rational part of his brain tried to remember where exactly he had put the mask. The Regulars had shoved the bag into his arms and he distinctly remembered seeing a mask somewhere inside! Had he moved it, or taken it out? Why on Ear- Narva, would he do that? Where did he place it? Where? Where? In frustration, he held the bag upside down to search. From a hook on the side of the bag, a plastic object had gotten itself loose, and through a mess of cables and straps, fell onto the floor. The black plastic clattered onto the floor. Eli scrambled for it, his fingers reaching for the small but lifesaving device. The straps over his head, he pressed the black plastic onto his face until the rubber seal was firm on his skin. With the press of a button, he cleared the mask of the red gas trapped inside. And once he had done so, inhaled. It felt like he had been holding his breath for hours when the first hints of fresh air reached his lungs. But even it carried traces of the gas with it, forcing him to double over and painfully cough. His eyes, exposed to the corrosive effects of the gas, burned. No matter how hard he blinked, they felt horribly dry. But he could still see. Thankfully not going fully blind. But when he turned to Otaes, he found her kneeling on the ground with her warrior mask fallen on the floor. She was trying to cast a spell with the blue glow of her hands but she was faltering. The blue light flickered, only able to shine weakly, before it died. Her back was facing him, but even then he could tell that she was panicking. Her body shook with fear, and her hands desperately clawed at the air to try and summon her magic. But each time she failed. Red smoke was rising from the windows and the lower floors. He could hear someone scream from downstairs. She needed help. Eli took one massive breath of air into his gas mask, pawing at the straps and the plastic. When his lungs were full, he peeled the mask off, bathing himself fully within the orange gas. He lifted the small life-saving object up above her head and wrapped it around her face. She jerked away in shock, but she couldn¡¯t inhale. There were still trace amounts of gas that would¡¯ve been trapped inside. So he kept his hands firmly placed around her face, finding the familiar button that would force the mask to clear. She struggled still, but eventually he could feel her relax when she realized what he was doing. Her body stopped struggling, settling into his arms. She took a few quick breaths in the mask, slowly reaching for her Kitchi warrior mask that had fallen onto the floor. Meanwhile, Eli kept his breath held. Though it didn¡¯t stop his eyes from feeling irritated by the chemical soup that filled the air. His eyes burned and tears began to cascade. He hoped that the gas wasn¡¯t the type to make him go blind through contact with his eyes, but so long as he didn¡¯t inhale he should remain alive. Hopefully. After the burning became unbearable both in his lungs and eyes, he tapped her shoulder. Otaes¡¯ glowing blue eyes were cloudy behind the fog of toxic red and orange smoke. He had not seen her face at all, and still couldn''t through both the darkness and the gas attack. Otaes understood the gesture immediately. She took in a deep breath and lifted the mask off of her face to hand over to him, keeping her face turned away so that he could not see... He donned it, cleared it, and soothed his burning lungs with the filtered air. Otaes shakily stood up, keeping a tight grip on Eli¡¯s uniform as she did so. If either of the two got separated, one would certainly die without the protection of the gas mask. Her arm found itself around his shoulder, and his arm reciprocated around hers. It was beyond clear that both of their chances at survival hinged on the other, and in the foggy cloud that had now fully enveloped the base, it would''ve been a terrible idea to stray too far from one another. With painful and tentative motions, they started to move. Their only hope hinged on getting out as fast as possible before the Imperials decided to stop holding back. With the first failed wave of artillery and soldiers having failed to defeat the ULA surgically, Eli figured that the Avonians were done playing nice. They would flatten the base to rubble, and they would''ve done so with their own people trapped inside... Otaes'' hatred of the Avonians was more than justified when the realization came to Eli. She tapped his shoulder as they left the room, and the mask returned to her. His eyes were still burning, really terribly too, but it seemed like contact with the eyes alone wasn¡¯t enough to make him go blind luckily. Though he could feel himself getting tunnel visioned, as the dark edges around the field of his sight grew darker and larger. He could only focus on a narrow section of the hallway, going straight through the middle. Without the mask on, he''d have to depend on Otaes'' tugging at his shoulder for guidance, for without that he was functionally blind. The two made their way through, the building, watching in horror as the red clouds grew denser the deeper inside of the building they went. Through the dark corridors, he could hear lone rebels struggling for air. Retching as the gas claimed them. One rebel stumbled out of a room, fell over, and presumably died as pink foam formed at his mouth. His last dying gasps of air were drowned out by the foam, and his body went stiff... Mortified, he averted his gaze. Eventually the two made it to the ground floor. There were more dead or dying bodies ¨C their final grasps to life being their failing attempts to reach for air, but they were already gone. Eli feared that it¡¯d be one of Misfit¡¯s bodies among them. Every rebel that he found looked too familiar to a member of his team. Horrible images flooded his mind of Misfit taking their final breaths, mouths surrounded in that horrible pink foam, retching their organs out in a liquefied slurry. The mere thought of it horrified him beyond anything else. And yet, as he and Otaes held onto each other as they traversed through the orange fog, he could see nothing but merciless death surrounding him. Everywhere he looked, dead rebels. It took everything in Eli¡¯s power to not inhale in complete panic whenever it was Otaes who was wearing the gas mask. The feeling of being utterly helpless to save any of the rebels was a petrifying feeling by itself. To imagine one of the Phantoms Eli had grown close with dying in such a fashion beyond Eli¡¯s ability to save¡­ Otaes more or less was the one who guided Eli towards the main entrance, the doors of which had already been thrown open by those who managed to flee. She nudged his shoulder, pulling him in the direction appropriate to finally get out of the gas. Eli fought the urge to run. They may have been able to make it out faster if they ran together, but running would make both of them even more desperate for air. A risk they couldn¡¯t afford. So they half-walked, half-jogged, to the outside world. The moment the two stepped outside, they could feel the heavy pattering of rain washing over them. Water mixed with gas, forming puddles of pinkish-orange fluid on the ground that pooled around their boots. Everything was bathed in rain, quite thoroughly as the storm blew harsher than ever. Wind whipped bands of rain into Eli¡¯s naked face, and he had to squint just to see. The gas was thinner outside than it had been inside as the storm scattered much of the toxins to the area around them, but it did not mean they were safe. Far from it. Eli didn¡¯t know how to get to The Port of Helena, the fallback meetup point. Yet, Otaes seemed to know almost instinctively, pulling Eli with her down a particular segment of road away from the base. If the rest of Misfit had managed to make it out of the gas cloud alive, they¡¯d be making a beeline towards the port as well. It was the only other spot where they could hope for a rescue.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Through the rapidly thinning clouds of gas, the slums seemed more hopeless than they normally were. Long blocks of dilapidated concrete buildings ¨C now soaked in rain, bombed out, and touched by a thin layer of toxic smoke ¨C surrounded them. Yet in the skies above, Eli made out the figure of something flying. Fearing that the figure was a dragon, he flinched and almost caused both himself and Otaes to stumble. But as the sight of the figure grew clearer above him, Eli could make out the fact that it was a lot smaller than a dragon. Instead of black scales and Avonian steel covering its body, there was instead a coat of feathers and fur. A long lion¡¯s tail, two talons at the front and two paws at the rear, and an eagle¡¯s beak. It wasn¡¯t a dragon at all, but it was Archer! Otaes giddily gestured to the griffon, and to make things better, Archer was flying towards the port too! If Archer managed to make it out, surely others would have also. Of course, neither Otaes nor Eli could call out to the griffon and signal his attention, the toxic gas ¨C though rapidly thinning as they pushed on into the storm ¨C was still present. And even the tiniest whiff could be their downfall. Even still, just seeing Archer was enough to fill his heart with hope that there was a fighting chance for them all, as the griffon flew through the storm and disappeared behind the rooftops of Helena¡¯s slums. They moved faster, hoping to reunite with Archer and Misfit as soon as possible. Another block of running and the massive steel frames of the Port of Helena¡¯s cargo cranes just barely broke through the fog of the stormy weather. The lights which had previously illuminated the Port were off, leaving only dark steel to tower over the slums. The cranes were occasionally illuminated through the storm by a crack of thunder, silhouetting their shape. It sent a shiver down Eli¡¯s spine for it reminded him far too much of a sentry. Or even worse¡­ a behemoth. Otaes and Eli both stopped, now thoroughly out of the toxic cloud of gas. Eli took a daunting breath of air in, but a necessary one. Even walking to leave the ULA base left him out of breath. One breath in, another out... And he was fine. He nodded in confirmation for Otaes to take off the gas mask, and she turned her back to him as she swapped the protective gear for her Kitchi mask. He heard her whisper out a thanks to him, but Eli didn¡¯t say anything back. His attention had turned back onto the ULA headquarters. The old university. The spire of the massive building was surrounded by thick clouds, in the darkness of the early morning storm the cloud was a dirty orange of rust and decay. It enshrouded the base in its foggy layers, wrapping the building in a toxic embrace¡­ And then from the skies pierced more shells. They whistled a high-pitched tone as they came falling through the storm overhead, but they did not spew more of the toxic fumes into the air. Instead, they exploded. Bursts of fiery red, black clouds, shockwaves, the raw power of the Avonian Empire unleashed onto whatever was left of the base. Eli and Otaes could only watch in horror, hearing the horrific sounds of the artillery pounding the walls and ceiling. Dirt, dust, debris, all of it was kicked into one massive cloud that mixed with the gas. The two of them had narrowly escaped the pure devastation, and all they could do was watch as the supports of the building buckled. As the walls collapsed. And as the roof caved in. Eli was right. The Avonian Empire was going to bury them in that university, rebel or refugee, it did not matter. The sound of the building collapsing was like another thunderstorm mixed with the pounding drumbeat of falling artillery. Iron beams snapped like raw pasta, bricks were turned into a wave of chaotic destruction, glass shattered, and wood stood little chance. The university¡¯s impressive steeples and dome were the first to go under, kicking up a cloud of dust that concealed the rest of its collapse. It buried anyone trapped inside, dead or alive, it did not matter. Eli¡¯s mind wandered over first to the bodies of the dead. Of those that they had come across, how many could Eli and Otaes have saved but chose not to? How many lives had been cut short, forever doomed to be buried alive in that mosh pit of destruction? And then he thought about Misfit. What if they had been still caught inside? They may have survived the gas attack because of their masks, but did they have time to escape? Sparrow¡¯s plan to flee to The Port was only spoken of once. What if, in the chaos, they forgot? Otaes nudged Eli¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I¡¯m sure they got out,¡± She said, as if sensing what was bothering him, ¡°Temetet did.¡± ¡°Temetet has Archer. And he left before we did.¡± ¡°Have faith in your team. They¡¯re smart warriors. You wouldn¡¯t be here in the first place if they weren¡¯t,¡± She adjusted her Kitchi mask against her face before taking a step towards the port. That was a fair point, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go find them.¡± Eli followed her lead, chased by the haunting sound of devastation behind them¡­ Block after block of Helena¡¯s urban slum went past. Propaganda posters of Marshal Navarro¡¯s Junta were sent flying through the puddle soaked streets, now they were nothing more than litter. Their cartoonishly utopian dreams of The Renewal District¡¯s concrete towers were nothing but broken lies laid waste to the dustbins of history. Empty promises made even hollower when Eli could still see the towers of the Renewal District standing over the decrepit and destitute slums of Helena, and they were burning. One step after another brought the pair further north. The sun was rising and at least a small amount of light was able to penetrate through the storm, illuminating the streets somewhat ¨C but only barely. It was enough that when Eli looked up, he could see the massive cranes of the ports clearly towering over them. They were close. Soon enough, the run down tenements and squalor of the Helen slums gave way to warehouses, train tracks, and buildings of industry. Trucks carrying supplies were left abandoned on the sides of the street, their owners and occupants having long since fled during the outbreak of conflict. And just beyond a metal gate, the Port of Helena. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been around here¡­¡± Otaes said to Eli as they walked through. ¡°Nostalgic?¡± She scoffed, ¡°Hardly. Before the war this place used to be a lot different. Before Navarro¡¯s Junta and all. Helena was still poor but, at least it was free.¡± ¡°You said that you¡¯d come here with your dad, right?¡± She nodded, ¡°He would take me and baby Temetet to the open-air markets that used to be around here. We¡¯d sell our tribal stuff to the locals. Sometimes we¡¯d even sell them the things we¡¯d hunted out in the jungle. Jackelopes, wildcats, pygmy dragons, anything that¡¯d fetch a half-decent price.¡± Otaes gestured to the bleak warehouses and factories that lined the port¡¯s entrance, ¡°Now all of that is gone. The Avonians came in, overthrew the old Republic, and put their puppet Marshal Navarro in. They started to detain the Warrior Elf merchants and kill them for ¡®radical tendencies¡¯,¡± She spat out the words like venom, ¡°They sealed off the border with the rest of the Kiote Union, and then the war started.¡± ¡°God,¡± Eli shuddered, ¡°The more you talk about this place the more it reminds me of Earth.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Eli nodded, ¡°Really. Coups, revolutions, dictators. Earth and Narva are the same at least in that regard.¡± ¡°What about your Overwatch? Kovic?¡± ¡°Oh please¡­ he¡¯s the biggest fascist of them all.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you call them.¡± ¡°Rafael calls them fascists. Sparrow likes to use the word ¡®absolutist¡¯.¡± ¡°Yeah, that sounds like him,¡± she said, ¡°You know, me and Sparrow go back. We used to fight the Imperials during the Kiote War together. He¡¯s nothing if not committed to his cause.¡± ¡°Right, about that¡­ it¡¯s obvious you don¡¯t trust Sparrow anymore. Why? What happened?¡± ¡°Well, the thing about revolutionaries is that it¡¯s easy for them to believe in their goals justifying their methods. And with Sparrow¡¯s methods are¨C¡° ¡°Eli! Otaes! Is that you?¡± A voice from across the street interrupted her midway through her sentence. Their attention shifted to one of the Warehouses. An open door yielded to a familiar face waving them down. It was Dutch. Eli glanced at Otaes and she nodded back at him, ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it more later, if we get the chance,¡± She said, as the pair went to join Dutch. ¡°Jesus Christ, I thought we lost you two,¡± Dutch said when they came close, ¡°The rest of Misfit was thinking about sending someone back to get the two of you out of there, but then they bombed the base to hell and back!¡± ¡°The Imperials wanted to bury any trace of us,¡± Otaes told him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good damn thing we got those refugees out then. They would¡¯ve been crushed! Or choked out first... God.¡± ¡°The rest of Misfit is with you, right?¡± Eli asked him. To his relief, Dutch nodded. ¡°Yeah. Everybody¡¯s here. Well...¡± Dutch looked behind him, his face suddenly full of worry, ¡°For the most part. Come inside, I¡¯ll show you the bad news. And Otaes¡­ your kid brother and his big bird lion thingy are here too.¡± ¡°Archer," Otaes said, "His name is Archer. And he¡¯s a griffon.¡± ¡°Griffon. I forgot,¡± Dutch chuckled, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m still getting used to this whole planet. I think.¡± he motioned for them to come inside, holding the door to the warehouse further open. The space inside was large and cavernous, and as for illumination ¨C there was none except for the flashlights of those inside. There were actually quite a few people. A large team of rebels who managed to make it out meandered inside. Eli saw Sosa joined by Bell somewhere in the far side of the space tending to their wounds. Disappointingly... Vega was not among them. Sparrow was among a cohort of his rebels pointing a light over something that looked like a map from what Eli could see ¨C which admittedly was very little. He kept his eyes on Sparrow, turning back to Otaes briefly. All signs kept pointing to the same answer, and yet he still didn¡¯t have it. What did Sparrow do? Who is he? He lost his train of thought when he saw Matteo, Omar and Badger huddled around another figure. Matteo had his flashlight trained on their writhing body and was giving urgent directions to Omar while he searched through his medical bag. Badger could only watch, her eyes locked with Eli¡¯s. When she parted to let Eli see what the commotion was about, he nearly fainted himself. For it was Rafael¡¯s body on the floor...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 53: The Demons Convene >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 53: The Demons Convene]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
... Rafael was on the floor, or at least something taking the form of Rafael was. It was a strange sight for Eli because he could never in a million years actually picture that a person he thought of as being so strong would be reduced to this barely-alive form in front of him. But upon closer inspection... it was undeniable, that was in fact, Rafael in the flesh. The blue and orange jacket of the Penal-Unit uniform had been taken off of his body rendering the man shirtless, his front chest bare and stained by dried blood ¨C some of it smudged by a hasty attempt to cleanse it with alcohol. His chest struggled to rise, and each time Rafael took a breath of air in it sounded like pigs squealing. Painful, labored, breathing which Rafael only barely accomplished. His mouth was also covered in blood and whatever had been expelled from his core in vomit in a similar manner, any apparent attempts at cleaning him up were rushed in the frenzy of the bombardment, clearly. Eli practically dashed to Rafael¡¯s side. He was semi-conscious on the floor. His usually dark skin looked pale and miserably ill. Though that much was obvious. Also obvious was the cause of his ailment. ¡°It was the gas,¡± Matteo sighed. Eli took a kneel at Rafael¡¯s side, looking his body up and down before. He tried his hardest but horrible images of Cato¡¯s envenomated body lying motionless in the jungle kept resurfacing. Fading memories of his conversation with the dying man, how he suffered only to find redemption in his grave. Nihilistic resignation to his own inevitable death, Eli could never imagine that same fate befalling the revolutionary of the pack himself. Perhaps as some way to find reassurance that Rafael¡¯s fate would be different, he asked, ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°After everything went pear-shaped, we started running like Sparrow planned. Put on our masks, except Rafael couldn¡¯t find his,¡± Badger said to Eli while caressing Rafael¡¯s dark hair, ¡°It was too dark inside of the building. And with all the smoke and gas¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s alright though. Right? He¡¯ll survive?¡± Eli turned to Matteo¡¯s face, barely visible only for what little illumination the flashlight could provide. He could see him close his eyes and his beard contort in resignation, ¡°Right?¡± Eli was practically begging him. ¡°Eli,¡± Matteo sighed, ¡°There¡¯s only so much I can do...¡° That single admission was like a blow to Eli''s gut. It felt as if the air in his lungs had been forced out. Unsteady legs forced Eli to a kneel next to Rafael''s side where his condition looked even more grotesque up close. Not quite as horrible as Cato when he''d been envenomated by the Howler''s poison dart, but Rafael wasn''t too far removed from that either. Despite Rafael''s condition, all Eli could do was stare at him, watching as his eyes seemed to drain from out of his body. ¡°Eli,¡± Omar¡¯s small voice pierced through the darkness, ¡°Matteo is right. He tried everything to save Rafael. He isn¡¯t dead yet but¡­¡± Omar shrugged as he finished cleaning the blood from Rafael¡¯s mouth, with shaking hands. ¡°He will be if he doesn¡¯t get to a hospital,¡± Badger whispered. ¡°Even then, the odds aren¡¯t in his favor. He¡¯s in a better state now than Cato was, but I cannot stabilize him. I don¡¯t have those drugs on me,¡± the old man shook his head, ¡°When we went to go get Cato, I was more prepared. I stole the stabilizers they had in the infirmary. But for this, all they gave me was a first aid kit! I don¡¯t even have a thermometer in here, it¡¯s just gauze and¡­ painkillers. That¡¯s it!¡± Eli exhaled, feeling the familiar sense of defeatism crawl its way back into his soul once again. He wanted to try and cling on to something that would give Rafael a fighting chance. But there was none. Time wasn''t on their side, and unless Overwatch had their ride out of Helena directly above their heads - which they did not - time would remain their enemy. Either Overwatch was close, or they would be too late. At least, until Otaes spoke up, ¡°There might be something I could do¡­¡± All eyes on the group turned to her. She looked unsure. But certainly, any help at all was something, ¡°Please,¡± Eli said, ¡°Anything at all¡­¡± ¡°My healing magic can only do so much. The Imperialists create these terror weapons specifically so magic can¡¯t fix their effects. But I can¡¯t heal him completely,¡± She inhaled, ¡°But I can at least try to stabilize him. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡± ¡°You¡¯d be doing us a favor we could never repay you for,¡± Eli told her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to. You¡¯ve helped me, I¡¯ll help you. There¡¯s no need for debt,¡± Otaes took a few steps closer, still quite uncertain, ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can. No promises.¡± ¡°Well, so long as you don¡¯t kill him, you can¡¯t make it worse right?¡± Dutch shrugged giving her the space necessary, "By all means." She knelt down next to Eli and over Rafael¡¯s sick body. She stretched her hands out over his chest, hovering for a moment. Her glowing blue eyes closed from behind her Kitchi mask, and for her hands, magic. Misfit watched in awe as the blue glow cascaded over Rafael, lights dancing across his skin. Rafael took a sharp breath in, obviously affected by the magic, but his breathing was still hard and labored. Squealing each time his lungs filled and emptied. As for Otaes, it looked like she was carrying mountains. Her muscles tensed, completely locked in. She was lost in her work, and Eli feared breathing next to her for fear of interrupting her work. He held his breath too in anticipation. Would it work? It had to. At least somewhat. No matter what, Rafael could not die. And who knew when their flight out of Helena would arrive with the Imperial signal jam still active? Eli just wished there was more he, or the rest of Misfit could do. He looked across to Matteo, who closed his eyes and bowed his head towards Otaes. ¡®wait and see¡¯ Matteo was trying to tell him. Eli knew he owed a great deal to Matteo as medic, not only for helping to heal him but also for Rafael and Cato. He regretted yelling. Again. Just like that time when they were in the forest alone¡­ had Matteo forgiven him? Or was he never going to forget the time Eli pulled a gun on him? He shouldn¡¯t forgive Eli. That was stupid and irresponsible of him. Eli wouldn¡¯t forgive himself for that, neither should he. How many times would Eli completely overreact and find himself apologizing in secret to Matteo? How many offenses would he just keep committing? There was a spasm from Rafael¡¯s body. His arm twitched, his muscles strained, and his face twisted. It looked like he was on the verge of waking up! Otaes was trembling, her hold on Rafael was faltering. The blue glow waned as her strength grew weaker. And then it slipped entirely. She collapsed backwards in complete exhaustion, ¡°Otaes!¡± Eli rushed over to her, and he was joined soon by the others. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Dutch asked. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m alright!¡± She wearily said, accepting a hand given to her by Badger that helped her up to her feet. ¡°Rafael! He¡¯s waking up!¡± Omar said, putting an ear to his chest, ¡°Otaes did it!¡± From Rafael, there was coughing. Their attention drifted back to the patient, as he stirred. Otaes had done it. But Rafael¡¯s cough was a nasty one, almost like someone sick with pneumonia who could hardly breathe through their fluid filled lungs. His eyes flickered open. ¡°Rafael! Rafael!¡± Badger was the first one to call out, ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± Rafael nodded stiffly, still quiet. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Eli tentatively asked. There was an uncomfortably long period of uncertain silence from Rafael. He coughed, and he breathed in. He looked to Eli, and smiled, ¡°Still alive Soldier Boy¡­ they can¡¯t kill me-¡° He descended into another fit of horrific coughing, but it didn¡¯t stop the feeling of relief that coursed through Eli¡¯s veins. Otaes had done it. Rafael still looked unwell, just like Cato did while he was ¡°Stabilized¡± in the Warrior Elf triage. But, at least he was stable. For now. ¡°How do you feel?¡± Matteo asked him. ¡°Like shit.¡± ¡°Can you be more specific?¡± ¡°No,¡± He descended into another coughing fit. Matteo placed an ear to Rafael¡¯s chest, grimacing to himself, ¡°Everything hurts,¡± Rafael winced in pain. ¡°His insides are still all messed up. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s bleeding internally anymore. But there¡¯s still a lot of fluid left from when he was, inflamed airways, god knows what kind of damage the gas is doing if it can infiltrate his bloodstream.¡± ¡°You think he¡¯s got pneumonia?¡± Badger asked him. ¡°Possibly,¡± Matteo said, ¡°Whatever it is, he still needs a hospital. Fast. Thankfully, Otaes brought us some more time.¡± ¡°And it¡¯s precisely time we don¡¯t have,¡± The voice was a new one. Eli looked up to find Sparrow of all people, standing in the darkness just a while off looking at the scene. He gave a brief smile to Eli, almost in self-recognition of his own surprising ability to just materialize at random. ¡°I thought we were making camp here until the helicopter comes?¡± Dutch asked him. ¡°Uh-uh. We regrouped here but cannot stay,¡± Sparrow gestured towards the direction of the ULA base, ¡°The Imperials are not going to gas us and bomb the base and just let us go. They¡¯re coming, and I think that they know exactly where we are. The NSE¡¯s Alpha units are going to hunt us down, and by the time they get here we need to be gone.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nowhere else to run,¡± Otaes said to him, ¡°It¡¯s just the shipping containers in the port and then the Gulf of Azure.¡± ¡°We use the shipping containers to hide. The piers are the perfect size for one of your helicopters to land and they¡¯re protected behind the containers. We use those to set up a trap and ambush the Imperialists if we have to. But that is a last resort. Half of my men are already dead,¡± Sparrow said. ¡°Yeah. You sacrificed them-¡° ¡°They gave their lives for the cause.¡± ¡°Suspiciously, it¡¯s always someone else giving their lives for the cause but never you,¡± Otaes narrowed her eyes. ¡°You already know that I¡¯ve sacrificed everything for the revolution. I¡¯d gladly give my life too, but only when the situation demands it.¡± It was hard to make out through her mask, but the way her glowing eyes narrowed behind the painted surface gave Eli the impression of disgust. Sparrow was fanatical. That was the issue. Not even a revolutionary cut from the same cloth as Rafael, but someone far worse. Fanatics were not to be trusted. Otaes knew it, Eli knew it. Even if Sparrow hated the Imperials and Overwatch, he was not to be considered a friend. There was a reason he was willing to keep all the people in the ULA base, and he probably would¡¯ve too had Eli not disobeyed him. He could tell Sparrow was reaching for a weapon of his own. He didn¡¯t know if the rest of Misfit could see what was about to happen. But they were so close to making it out of Raritan, having the two break out into fighting now would ruin everything so far. Eli didn¡¯t have time to weigh his options. He moved to go and interrupt them. But just as he stood, there was an alarming noise from just outside. Deep, echoing, mechanical. A roar that sent shivers down Eli¡¯s spine. It was the call of a sentry. The Imperials had already arrived. Everyone looked to the wall closest to the source of the noise as if they could see through the shoddy metal construction. ¡°Scrap¡­¡± Sparrow muttered, he mean mugged Otaes one last time before turning his attention to the rest of Misfit, ¡°We need to go. Now!¡± He announced, not just to the squad of Phantoms but also to his rebels. They grabbed their weapons and what remaining equipment they had left, preparing to leave as the darkness was flooded with movement and activity. Otaes let out an angry grunt, before she too peeled away ¡°So, you almost tried to kill our ticket out of here,¡± Eli said as he walked up to her. ¡°He put Temetet, you, and dozens of innocent people in harms way just to get what he wanted. If it wasn¡¯t for you doing something insanely stupid ¨C no offense ¨C everybody would¡¯ve died. Except for him,¡± Otaes said watching Sparrow as he gathered his rebels together and linked up with Sosa and Bell, ¡°He never gets hurt by his own schemes. Only people around him. We¡¯re all just tools to him. I should¡¯ve killed Sparrow when I had the chance¡­¡± ¡°I know you want to slit his throat and have his blood spill on the floor. I do too. But he¡¯s the only thing getting us out of here. I still need him alive.¡± Otaes sighed, looking down, ¡°I know. Unfortunately.¡± ¡°Look I trust you. And if you don''t trust Sparrow, I don''t trust Sparrow. You¡¯re one of the few sane people outside of Misfit that I''ve met. You¡¯ve helped me more than I can repay you, ever. And I mean that. If I have the power to do something, I won¡¯t let him put anybody in harm¡¯s way. Not you, not Temetet, not Misfit, not anyone.¡± Otaes¡¯ eyes locked with his once more. Behind the mask, the glow seemed warm. Empty of the hate filled spite they carried just moments ago, ¡°Thank you¡­¡± She whispered to him, though her voice was shaking with an emotion Eli couldn¡¯t read. ¡°Let''s go. The Imperials are on our ass," Eli said. Misfit grabbed their things in the darkness. Matteo and Omar both volunteered to carry Rafael, leaving Badger, Eli, and Dutch to defend the squad. Of course, they were joined by Otaes, Temetet, and Archer. All three of them standing by their side. When everyone had gathered together, the doors to the warehouse were flung open, and they marched out into the storm once again. The pattering of raindrops on the streets seemed to have fallen harder than they had before, yet the darkness of the cloudy early-morning hadn¡¯t faded yet. Within that darkness, they had cover. Good news as Eli caught a glimpse of what had become of the ULA base. Among the rubble and debris, it was swarming with Imperials. Two sentries cast red spotlights over the mountain of devastation as soldiers and dragons searched. Though they were far away now, they¡¯d catch on soon that the rebels had mostly escaped. And when they did, there would be only one final battle at the port. Their last stand.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 54: Test And Recognize >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 54: Test And Recognize]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Alert! Subject Is Entering A Highly Dangerous State! Are You Certain That You Would Like To Continue? It Is Not Too Late To Drop This One. They have... Concerns. >>> ... >>> ... >>> Are You Still There? >>>[WATCH. LISTEN. TEST AND RECOGNIZE. TRUST MY DECISION. I HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR THIS PURPOSE, MY JUDGEMENT IS KEEN. I AM PREPARED TO MAKE AN OFFER SOON. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
The Port of Helena was only sealed off from the rest of Helena by a chain-linked fence and a gate that hung open. And just beyond the chain, the Port lay exposed for Eli to see clearly. Despite the rain, the impressiveness of the Port''s scale wasn''t lost on Eli. Standing before the steel cranes that dominated the coastline which were illuminated by faint white lights that glimmered through the storm, walls of steel container boxes that formed dark mountains, wide concrete roads for massive vehicles to haul cargo cut through the impenetrable walls like canyons in the midst of a mountainous desert. The Port was massive. Red and green Riverlander flags fluttered in the prevailing winds of the storm near the Port''s customs house, though they were tattered either by age or neglect. Immediately Most of them had been sealed blocking them off as potential hiding spots for the ULA and Misfit, but some were still open and empty. They would make perfect ambush points as Sparrow himself likely already figured. Besides the Customs house and the few warehouses that surrounded it, there were very few other places accessible that would prove a better place to make a defense final stand than within the containers. The narrow lanes between the cargo containers were wide but constrictive making setting up killzones between the literal walls of containers an easy feat on the defense. They might even be able to hold against the sentries, with the slippery steel surfaces of the containers perhaps proving a challenge for their claws to grapple onto. Though that was Eli¡¯s optimism shining through. Only a few rebels carried rocket launchers with them, five if Eli remembered correctly. Five rockets for two Sentries. It took one rocket to disable the sentries¡¯ shield and another to pierce their armor. And that''s if a solid hit to a Sentry didn''t wind up failing to kill it. The Mighty Mouse launchers were strong, but it seemed they were still underpowered. If everything went perfectly, they would only have just enough firepower to kill the sentries. But all of it would be for nothing if the Imperials just decided to bomb them again. But this had to be it. Overwatch¡¯s rescue helicopter should arrive any moment to extract them, finally. As for everyone else, this was it. There was nowhere else to run, nowhere else to hide. Either they warded off the Imperials long enough to get rescued, or they died trying. And Eli didn¡¯t come all this way just to die. He¡¯d survived going out into an alien wilderness on what was essentially a suicide mission. He¡¯d survived the battle of Helena, crawling his injured ass through the city to reunite with Temetet. He¡¯d survived the final battle at the Palace. He¡¯d survived a helicopter crash and all the bullshit they¡¯d been through just to get in touch with Sparrow in the first place. And most of all, he¡¯d survived the Coalition. None of that would have been possible without Misfit and Otaes. But here they all were. They were outnumbered, outgunned, and possibly even outsmarted ¨C for they were being backed into a corner. But Eli wasn¡¯t going give up here, not without a fight. He knew Misfit wouldn¡¯t let him down. And he wouldn¡¯t let them down either. He swore on it. If they were going to die here, they were going to die fighting. One last ultimate ¡°fuck you¡± to Overwatch, as their entire mission objective in Helena collapsed with the weight of the refugees now on their hands. One final act of rebellion. Either they survived or Overwatch had nothing short of a complete failure on their hands. The consequences of which could prove severe to the very integrity of The Nexus. They had to survive. There was no other choice. Just as the team approached the container ships, Archer - who was running on his claws alongside the rebels - let out something akin to a whine, stopping in his tracks. He turned his beak up to the skies, squawking with his feathery wings spread out. Something had disturbed him. Otaes tried to calm him down, searching through the skies. Though hard to see, there was in fact something there. A long scaly body, spiked wings, and snake-like tail gave it away despite the storm concealing it from the ground, ¡°Dragon! It''s scouting us out! The Imperials are onto us!¡± They had been spotted, the dragon circled over head though it didn¡¯t make a move to start dashing down. ¡°Keep moving!¡± Sparrow yelled out as the team ran through the storm. They approached the containers; Eli could smell the sea breeze smacking him in the face. He watched the salty ocean spray wash against the concrete piers, angry storms crashing over the unnatural construction, "My squad is setting up a defensive point inside the Custom''s House and we''ll try to draw their fire! It''s easier to defend! Misfit, take up an ambush spot in the containers! Got it?" Normally Eli would object to Sparrow using himself and Misfit as bait to keep Sparrow safe, but for what it was worth the plan was sound. If the Imperials suspected that the Counting House housed a makeshift ULA command post, they would concentrate their firepower on that building, luring them deeper into the shipping containers and the defensive kill zones that the Rebels were already working on establishing with their limited firepower. Before Misfit could come to an agreement, Sparrow and his gaggle of forces were already off towards the counting house. Badger sighed, "And of course, he''s using us as bait again. We''re Phantoms on Earth, and Phantoms on Narva. Some things never change," She shook her head, "What''s the plan Soldier Boy?" "We''ll play along with Sparrow," Eli said, "It isn''t a bad idea actually. We''ll find a spot to hide, maybe we''ll follow some of the other rebels?" "I could give you a lift with Archer," Otaes offered, gesturing to the Griffon. A somewhat wounded Temetet rode on his back, though there was still enough space to fit one or two more on the Griffon. "That won''t be necessary," Said a familiar voice, and it was none other than Sosa. The wolfkin looked exhausted and he was panting underneath his breath, "I can help you get up to a safe spot." "Shouldn''t you be with Sparrow?" Dutch asked, "I thought you were one of his guys?" "Not anymore," Sosa fiercely shook his head, his fangs were exposed in a scowl, "That son of a imp got Vega killed. I know it. Vega was a close friend of mine... I used to think that I was fighting for a good cause with the ULA against the Avonians but now... I''m not so sure. I''d much rather help you Earth-humans. You have good heads on your shoulders. I admire your courage.." Dutch smiled, "How''s about that... someone admires us for once. How many times does a Phantom get to say that." "Don''t get carried away, I just don''t want to see you all die here. We''re friends now, and Helena makes for a bad grave, no?" "Amen to that," Matteo nodded. In the distance, a six foot tall wave furiously crashed against the concrete walls of the pier, sending fleeting ocean water to wash over the surface sending its salty sea spray into Eli¡¯s face. His mind drifted to the final images he had of his old home. The storm crashing against the walls, shaking them furiously. The winds rushing by like a freight train rolling through. The hurricane which had sent Eli¡¯s life careening off the course of ¡°normalcy¡± and into that of Phantomhood was here again. He could feel the thunder, see the lightning, and he knew that danger lurked just behind them. He could almost feel Glassface¡¯s piercing stare in his mind once again. Despite his best attempts to remain calm, he couldn¡¯t. There was just too much fear in the air. He could feel his heart race, and his movements grow frantic. He must¡¯ve looked rabid judging by the way Omar was looking at him. But like a stabilizing force, Omar reached out his hand, placing it onto Eli¡¯s shoulder. Like a mooring post holding a ship in place over the angry seas. Eli looked into his young wide eyes, and where he expected to find more fear¡­ he found a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll get through this,¡± Omar¡¯s voice said. Clear. No longer was there any shakiness lurking within the voice of the scared boy Eli once knew. The one who had been paralyzed with fear at during the attack of the Behemoths on the Nexus. That boy was no longer there. When Eli looked into Omar¡¯s eyes he could still tell that the kid was scared, terrified even. How could one not be? But Omar remained firm regardless. Courage. He found it in Omar¡¯s smile, ¡°Together,¡± Omar said, ¡°We can do anything we want.¡± Slowly Eli nodded, though his heart raced still, ¡°Together,¡± He affirmed. ¡°You¡¯re the one who told me that, you know? And if you¡¯re scared, I¡¯m scared. So, don¡¯t be. Be you. Be strong,¡± Omar told him. Now it was Eli¡¯s turn to smile. Omar was a good kid. One lost in the chaos of¡­ everything. Overwhelming or not, he stood firm. If Eli had been his age, taken from his home by a storm, kidnapped from his family by soldiers, and sold off into the Coalition¡¯s Penal Unit ¨C only to then be shipped to another world as cannon fodder, Eli wouldn¡¯t have made it. How Omar was still not only standing in the face of madness, but standing strong, was a miracle. The boy was stronger than he¡¯d given him credit for. If Omar could pull through for Eli, then Eli would have to pull through for him. For all of Misfit. This was his vow to them. He couldn¡¯t bring them the moon, but he¡¯d do everything in his power to keep them alive and unafraid. ¡°Then let¡¯s give the Imperials a fight they¡¯ll won''y forget!¡± Eli told him, he locked eyes with Sosa, "After you!"
As the group approached the shipping containers, the dragon circling overhead banked hard, and slipped past through the storm clouds towards the fallen ULA base. There was no doubt that they had already been spotted, and within moments the Imperials would be alerted to their whereabouts. But in the shipping containers was safety. Though large, and at first quite daunting, the rebels helped Misfit scale their corrugated steel surface, slick with rain in some parts and ruined by orange rust in others. Barrels, large crates, and sacks full of goods were stocked high nearby, a perfect hiding spot for some disparate squads of rebels as they took shelter behind their shadowy frames. The lights to the Helen Ports had been cut, and where tall thin towers stood ¨C presumably fixtures to illuminate the massive facility ¨C lay only darkness silhouetted by the brightening stormy skies of the morning. Sosa led them to a wall of containers with an open one situated a few meters high sandwiched in a good, hidden, spot. With Misfit confirming their location, Otaes climbed on top of Archer''s back and took his reigns, "I''d love to stay on the ground and help, but I think we''ll be of more use in the skies to fend off those dragons. I''ll try and keep them off of your backs." "What about Temetet?" Asked Eli. "Don''t worry about me! I''m alright!" Temetet answered from behind Otaes. Archer took a few steps back, and at Otaes'' command, he spread his wings and pushed himself into the air, leaving Misfit to watch as they flew up to the cranes towering above them... Sosa was the first one to scale the containers, his massive wolfkin frame easily dwarfing the others. His sharp claws dug into the steel containers, and with surprising nimbleness he made his way up into the empty container. Powerful muscles launched the wolf up and over, where he made a 180, and dropped a rope down for the others down below to latch onto. He held the thick rope in his maw as a wolf would, clenching hard with his sharp canines as his claws kept him firmly grounded in position. Most surprisingly of all, Badger was the first one up. She grabbed the rope, beckoned on encouragingly by Sosa with a wave, ¡°Really? Badger?¡± Dutch queried, ¡°I thought you were afraid of-¡° ¡°Sosa¡¯s looking out for us,¡± Badger interrupted him with a brief glare, ¡°If he¡¯s willing to stick by us, I¡¯m willing to at least pretend like I¡¯m not afraid of him,¡± In her next movement, she grabbed hold of the rope and began to rappel up the sleek surface of the container. Her two arms keeping her tethered while her boots connected with the sides. Even making use of the various notches and kinks in the metal, Eli could tell that simply rappelling up like that was physically demanding, perhaps lightwork for Sosa¡¯s physique, but for humans not so much. But Badger was smaller, nimble, and with Sosa doing the best he could to pull the rope up while remaining tethered himself, she ascended without too much issue. Eventually she reached the dark opening of the container. In the pattering of the storm, Eli could hardly make out the furry figure of Sosa standing in the opening of it, and Eli was standing right underneath them. It¡¯d be difficult for the Imperials to scout them out as they advanced, making Sparrow¡¯s choice of position for defense nearly impeccable. Sosa reached out a claw which Badger took, and quickly she was pulled inside. Sosa let gave a wave of his claws to signal the next one up the rope, and without haste, Dutch began his attempt to climb the rope. Dutch was larger than Badger, not by much but it was enough to make a difference. His movements were a lot clumsier than Badger''s, and Sosa struggled more to help him up ¨C even with Badger doing her part to keep a hold on the rope. Regardless, Dutch made it up without concern, though with a couple of near-slips. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. For a relief, Omar was up into the container next. Sosa didn¡¯t even need to pull Omar up, for the boy was small, quick, and nimble. Eli remembered the first night when they had ventured out beyond the reach of the Nexus, into the thick jungle wilderness surrounding them. He remembered how Omar led the way forward for Eli, Dutch, and Matteo. How he was the first one to scale the rocks and hills. This proved light work for him. And within moments the boy was up in the safety that Sosa, Dutch and Badger provided. That only left Matteo, Rafael, and Eli himself on the ground. Otaes and Temetet had taken Archer and flew up to one of the cranes where they¡¯d have a vantage point over the port. Sparrow and Bell took positions on the ground near the Port¡¯s administrative building, central in the midst of the field of containers and crates. Rebels scattered around the three as the remaining hold outs found their hiding positions. Eli and Matteo both looked at each other with a knowing glance. Rafael had to be the next one up. The injured man could walk on his own, but he would not be able to climb without significant assistance. Now that Sosa was joined by Badger, Omar and Dutch, they¡¯d be able to lift him up and do most of the work themselves. But that would still take quite a while. Dutch was a stocky and quite muscular person, about the same size as Dutch all things considered. Whatever athletic effort he might¡¯ve been able to put into helping himself up would be gone, leaving those at the top to do virtually all of the work, while Matteo and Eli could only watch and act as a safety net in case he fell. It might take a while for Rafael to get pulled up, and by then Matteo and Eli would both be in harms way. Matteo again glanced at Eli as he held the rope in his hands, ¡°It has to be done,¡± Matteo told him. Eli nodded, bringing the rope in Rafael¡¯s shaking hands. The natural machismo of Rafael and the revolutionary spirit seemed to have vanished from his body. He was shivering in the rain despite it being muggy and quite hot. Occasionally he¡¯d let out a horrific sounded cough only to spit out bloody phlegm. While he might¡¯ve resisted Matteo¡¯s attempts to carry him, preferring to walk on his own two feet, the facts were clear. He was on deaths door and Rafael needed to get to a safe spot more than anyone. ¡°Raf,¡± Eli addressed him as he held the rope out, ¡°You grab hold onto this and just hang on for dear life. They¡¯ll do the work pulling you up. Alright?¡± Rafael shook his head, ¡°I could stay while you-¡° ¡°No. Rafael. I¡¯m serious. You first,¡± Eli said looking into his eyes. Eli gave him a courteous though brief smile, ¡°What kind of revolution are you gonna lead if you¡¯re dead?¡± ¡°You know the answer to¡­¡± He descended into another coughing fit, it was getting worse, ¡°To that¡­¡± hints of defeat peppered his voice. It physically hurt Eli to see him in this condition. The bold and fiery agitator of the squad, the one who pushed them forward to claim their own freedoms and destinies, the revolutionary. Reduced now to a coughing, trembling, nearly defeated shell of the man he was because of this. Eli had put them all in harms way for the sake of the people here, and Rafael nearly died because of Eli¡¯s brash actions. Maybe if they had just boarded that helicopter¡­ "Sosa said it best. Helena''s a bad place to die, and I don''t wanna lose you when we''re so close to the finish line. I don''t want to lose any of you." ¡°No matter what. We did right by the people and by all Phantoms. I would die one million times before I ever say that what we did was wrong,¡± Rafael almost sensed the kinds of thoughts that went through Eli¡¯s mind, ¡°We saved them all, Eli¡­ how can anyone say that was the wrong¡­¡± Another coughing fit interrupted his speech. Eli could hear his lungs wheezing for air, he could hear the mucus, the illness. Eli couldn¡¯t help but wince as Matteo brushed a hand over Rafael¡¯s shoulder to keep him steady. Rafael chuckled when his coughing fit ended, and with a defiant glimmer in his eyes, he spoke once again. "If I die, you have permission to cremate my body, turn my ashes into a brick, and throw me at the back of Kovic''s head. How about that?" "You are genuinely insane," Matteo chortled. Sosa growled from above, ¡°Humans! I don¡¯t know if you plan on staying down there forever, but either you¡¯re sending him up or I¡¯m dropping this rope and getting somewhere safe!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, Raf,¡± Eli handed Rafael the rope, ¡°Come on. You need to get up. Don¡¯t worry about us. You¡¯ve been through enough.¡± Tenderly, Rafael got a weak grip onto the rope¡¯s surface shaking still. Both Eli and Matteo kept their hands on him, making sure he was standing straight for when those at the top began to pull. Sosa crouched down onto all fours, gripping the rope once again in his jaws as the rest of Misfit stood behind him, them too holding tight, ¡°He¡¯s good! Lift him up!¡± Matteo called out to them. The squad at the top began to pull, and immediately Rafael began to levitate. His body was launched a few feet into the air. His legs hung limp from his body, and Rafael seemed to grip onto the rope for dear life. His body went up, slamming into the rusty surface of the container before again going airborne, ¡°Woah! Too fast! Too fast! Slow down! You¡¯ll kill him!¡± Matteo said. But Matteo¡¯s words couldn¡¯t stop what was coming. Someone grip slipped, and Rafael nearly fell five feet down before control of the rope was regained. On its own, that was bad enough, but Rafael was holding the rope so tightly that he squeezed his eyes shut. His fingers were slipping as well. Both Matteo and Eli knew what was coming and they rushed into position. A moment later, and Rafael had fallen into their arms. The man was breathing hard, as if he had just run a mile as he remained nestled in the arms of Eli and Matteo. His face looked deathly pale, and Rafael looked as if he might pass out, ¡°Not good¡­ Not good at all,¡± Matteo ran a hand across Rafael¡¯s forehead ¨C wet with both rain and his own sweat. The old man grimaced as he retracted his touch, ¡°Fever. He¡¯s barely hanging on here.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think Otaes could come back down and heal him again?¡± Eli wearily asked him. Matteo shook his head, ¡°She¡¯s unreachable right now. Besides, there¡¯s no time. Even if she was standing right next to us, it¡¯d take at least a few minutes for that spell of hers to finish. If her magical energy hasn¡¯t already been drained or however that works.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I was afraid of,¡± Eli swallowed, shaking eyes nervously wandering up to the glowing yellow eyes of Sosa as they pierced through the darkness and the rain. ¡°Send him up again,¡± the wolf said, ¡°I think I lost my hold!¡± Eli nodded, again looking down at Rafael. Cradling him in his arms, ¡°Raf? I need you to stay with me here, alright? We¡¯re sending you up again. Try and hold the rope with your feet, okay?¡± Breathlessly, Rafael nodded. He again grabbed hold of the rope, making certain that it was wrapped well around his boots, ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll just have to keep him on the ground and find a place to hide. At this rate, I¡¯m not even sure if there¡¯s time for us to get up.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do what we have to. Either way, Rafael is going to make it through, alive. I¡¯m not letting anybody else die. Not on my watch,¡± Eli said, ¡°We already lost Cato. One is enough.¡± ¡°You just don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± Matteo sighed, ¡°Cato wanted what he got. Let it go, Eli. You cannot save everybody. You¡¯re only making it harder.¡± ¡°Not while I still have a pulse,¡± Eli said to him. He looked up at Sosa once Rafael was secure, ¡°Bring him up!¡± Sosa again got back down on all fours, his tail was raised far in the air as the others crowded around him. Together they all pulled, bringing Rafael up. Slower this time, but steadily. Rafael still had a weak grip on the rope, but his feet kept him in place. He rose, higher and higher¡­ The call of a Sentry interrupted their hope. Eli and Matteo both turned their attention to the world behind them. Past the metal fence, the warehouses, and in the slums of Helena, a sentry was approaching. It was close enough that Eli could see the red eyes through the storm and it would only continue to march further. ¡°They¡¯re approaching!¡± Shouted a rebel from another vantage point from above, ¡°If you aren¡¯t in position now, you¡¯d better get into one!¡± Eli¡¯s heart froze. He turned back up to Rafael, still only halfway there. There was no time for Eli and Matteo. They could only watch to ensure that Rafael got into safety while the duo were left in the dark. Hands grabbed hold of Rafael, pulling his wounded body into the container, but by then the sentry¡¯s marching footsteps were close enough to send a subtle quake through the ground. Sosa¡¯s piercing golden eyes went back to Eli, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s time, Freeman,¡± his pointed wolven ears were flat behind his head. ¡°There isn¡¯t,¡± Eli responded, ¡°We¡¯ll stay. Just keep Misfit safe, we¡¯ll find a place to hide down here!¡± Sosa nodded shakily, ¡°Good luck. Oh¡­ and if you see Sparrow, you can tell him I said, ¡®fuck you¡¯!¡± Eli smiled as the wolf retreated back into the container. He was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder from Matteo, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°You have a gun?¡± Matteo held up the rifle that Overwatch had issued Misfit when they were assigned this mission, a day ago. ¡°Good, because I don¡¯t have mine. Matteo gave him an exasperated look, ¡°Take my sidearm. And don¡¯t lose this one, will you?¡± Matteo said, tossing him the pistol tucked in his holster. The cyan blue insignia had been imprinted on the alloy of the slide of the gun designating its use for the penal unit. For some reason, Eli held a stare at the cyan delta and orange circle as if it were a foreign symbol he¡¯d never seen ¨C strange considering that the symbol was everywhere on his body. On both his shoulders, on his back, on the monitor attached to his wrist¡­ Yet, this was the first time he¡¯d seen it in a different light. The symbol meant something different now, no longer just being a reminder of his servitude to the Coalition¡­ but something greater than that. Eli followed Matteo as they ran to cover amongst the cargo containers and crates dotting the port. Rain pooled across the concrete, sending splashes of water around his ankles as he ran through the raindrops. Thunder rustled the skies, but soon even the thunder was drowned out by the sound of the advancing sentries looming near. Quickly Matteo pointed out a large, open, container on the ground level. A few rebels had already taken up shelter within, lurking inside of the darkness. With a little more effort, both were safely within despite the tight squeeze. From the opening of the container, Eli could make out the metal hull of the first sentry advancing towards the cargo port. Stomping its way forward through the storm. The second lurked just behind it. Red eyes scanned the ground for targets as its massive legs tore through the chain link fence surrounding the port like a knife cutting through paper. By its feet, Imperial vehicles and soldiers kept in pace. Alpha units. Eli could spot several Alpha Suppressors and Lieutenants, in addition to Shock Troopers and plenty of normal Imperial Soldiers. He felt a fear work its way into his heart when he realized that there was no sign of the River Militia alongside them¡­ One¡­ two¡­ three¡­ The marching footsteps of the sentries set the cadence like drums. The rhythmic march of two giants, shaking the ground harder as they drew closer. Eli closed his eyes, stifling a nervous whimper as his mind raced to find some sort of assurance that they were all safe. Perhaps the sentries would search the port, find nothing, and leave? Unlikely, stupidly hopeful. Maybe Sparrow had access to more anti-sentry rockets than he let on. Maybe, maybe not. Besides, what would Sparrow have to gain from lying about that. Eli had seen the rebels for himself, and of the dozens that accompanied them, only five carried a launcher. Five rockets, maybe, for two sentries. Talk about the odds not being in their favor. And then there was everything else. Sure, the Sentries were the most dangerous of the bunch because of their size and raw power, Eli knew that winning against the Alpha Units and Shock Troopers would be no easy feat. Hell, even winning against standard Avonian infantry would be an uphill fight. The rebels were low on ammunition, half of them were wounded and the other half were exhausted. The Avonians would curb stomp them if the ULA tried to fight them head-on. They would all have to hope that Sparrow¡¯s ambush tactics would work, because if they didn¡¯t ¨C there was nowhere else to run. Matteo raised his rifle, his frame covered by dark shadows as he watched the imperial army advance closer. His fingers were fidgeting around the barrel of the gun as he did so. He could hear the rebels behind them chattering in hushed whispers rocked by shaky voices. The rebels knew that this was a unwinnable battle just as much as Eli did. But the battle being unwinnable didn¡¯t mean victory couldn¡¯t still occur. Defeating the Imperial forces was likely impossible for the ULA. But that¡¯s not what they needed to do. They just needed to survive long enough for the Coalition to save them. How long that would take would be the crucial factor. As always, Eli¡¯s monitor was useless with the signal jam still operational. For now, he just had to hope that Overwatch didn¡¯t just shrug their shoulders and resolve to let Misfit and the ULA die out here. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ Like listening to the marching footsteps of the Behemoths in the jungle on the first day. Titanic war machines, undefeatable. If just one of those Behemoths had shown up, even all by itself, the battle would¡¯ve been over entirely. The ULA and Misfit would all be dead. There was nothing any of them would be able to do to even slow one of those down. Eli¡¯s brain conjured up images of them advancing on the Nexus, their guns vaporizing fleeing Phantoms ¨C hunting them down like animals. The sentries were all too similar. Much smaller, sure, but just as deadly. If not, even more so. One could hide from the eyes of the Behemoth, but the smaller size of a Sentry and its mobility meant that trying to flee from one of those would be neigh impossible. But there was still hope. Unlike a behemoth, the rebels could defeat a sentry. So long as one of the long legged war machines came down, it should buy the rebels a little extra time, much needed. For it was time that had become the most critical resource in this entire fight. One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ The first sentry was in the midst of the Port now. Its four legged frame towered over them. The rebels around Matteo and Eli fell silent as they all watched the beast draw closer. Like a giant spider that crawled through the shadows, the red eyes surveyed the ground illuminating all that was not safely hidden. Red light washed away the darkness, even the storm seemed to abide by the rule of Imperial war machines. Eli narrowed his eyes. Any second now and the first gunshots would surely be exchanged. The Imperial Soldiers had taken to the alleyways and narrow paths through the containers. Eli hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but a few howlers lurked alongside the soldiers. Their large size was intimidating, dark fur blended in perfectly with the stormy shadows. They were mobile, and surprisingly fast, put forward ahead of the soldiers as the howlers scouted the containers out. It put all of the containers on the ground floor in direct danger when Eli saw one duck behind a alley not too far away from their own. He heard one of the rebels load their gun with a magazine. Within seconds all hell would break loose¡­ One¡­ Two¡­ Three¡­ And then it did.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 55: A Merciful Death >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 55: A Merciful Death]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> This Is The Path Of No Return. I Would Ask You If You Are Certain That He Will Accept Your Offer. But I Feel Like You Already Know The Answer. >>> You Always Do. >>> To Know Is Your Purpose. You Pull Threads Where I Can''t See. You Exist To Execute Your Mission. This Is Why They Have Created You. What Is Mine? Is It You That I See? I Don''t Know. Is This Me? >>>[PROCEED WITH THE PLAN WITH NO ALTERCATIONS. IT IS TIME TO MAKE THE OFFER. TELL THEM TO FOLLOW. THEIR SERVANT WILL PROVE FAITHFUL TO THEIR GOALS. I ALWAYS HAVE. AND I ALWAYS WILL BE. EYES BEHIND THEIR OWN SEE. I ORCHESTRATE. WATCH THE SIGNS. STANDBY.] >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
As the first Sentry in the line entered into the cargo hold area of the port, there was a burst of light that fired from one of the open containers stacked high. An explosion of pure white energy, flames shot upwards through the dark night as it pierced through the storm and went straight for the head of the second sentry in line. The sentries were alerted as soon as the rocket was fired, but it had been too late. Just before it could react, the rocket connected ¨C piercing straight through the red eye and exploding out the other side of the head! Red embers and dark smoke spewed from the new hole formed in the sentry, as its legs flailed. It fell backwards, stumbling, and collapsed into another pile of containers with a massive metallic clang! The other sentry had its shield up not even a moment later. A second rocket fired from a new direction, but the shield prevented it from striking something critical. The rocket collided with the shield, and the powerful explosion destroyed it ¨C though the sentry remained standing as it moved to shoot back. Yet from another direction, a third rocket fired! The sentry, apparently sensing the trap, sidestepped the rocket launch. The white firecracker missed entirely, shooting into the sky like a comet tracing its way through the stars. Everywhere gunshots burst. From the containers Eli spotted muzzle flash creating small fireballs that rained lead down on the Imperials below. There was a lot of shouting that joined the explosion of sounds, a rising crescendo of chaos that erupted from one single act. Lights flashed as Imperial energy weapons returned fire. An Avonian soldier was struck in the head by a bullet, before his comrades unleashed a firestorm of deadly energy pulses into the ambush spot. Like a lightshow, it was almost mesmerizing. But Eli knew better than to enjoy the pretty lights. Afterall, he was the one caught in the middle. No other fact proved that point better than when a column of Avonian soldiers dashed around the corner into the killzone that Eli¡¯s container had created. The soldiers were almost complete surrounded by steel containers on all sides, boxing them in through a tight coke point. The first Imperial to cross Eli¡¯s line of sight was dead before he could take another step out, gunned down by an elven rebel in front of Eli. More followed suit, returning fire. Matteo fired his rifle as other Imperials joined the fray, pinning them down. Eventually, the soldiers stopped pushing forward getting wise to the fact that it was an ambush. The rebels all held their guns, waiting for what was next. Eli shakily kept his hands on the pistol¡¯s trigger. So long as he had this and the company of Matteo and the Rebels, he should be able to defend himself at the very least. Yet that didn¡¯t stop the pangs of fear that tingled their way up his spine and into his trembling arms. The Imperials threw a small round object at their ambush point. Eli¡¯s heart sunk as soon as he saw it. A grenade. A rebel instantly sprung into motion, rushing to throw it back, but before he could get his hands on it the grenade launched itself in the air ¨C hovering there for about a second ¨C before it erupted in a bright flash of red light. The light itself was enough to momentarily blind Eli, and his arms went up to shield his eyes. But he knew it wasn¡¯t a flashbang, for if it was ¨C he would¡¯ve been fully blinded and perhaps even deafened by it. When the light faded and his eyes regained clarity, he saw that he¡¯d been lost completely in a world of red. Everywhere he looked was glowing red light. That same distinct ekron glow everywhere. Until the red glow began to take the shape of humanoids. He blinked, confused, until he realized what had happened. The grenade had illuminated them all, surrounding the rebels¡¯ bodies with magical energy that literally highlighted them within the darkness. Dread swept through his veins; his subconscious almost able to predict what would happen next. ¡°Get down!¡± He shouted, but it was too late. Energy rounds pierced through the thin steel of the container, filling the rebels with spent ammunition, their bodies getting chewed up by Imperial guns before they fell to the floor in pools of their own blood. Eli flinched as debris from the bullets penetrating the steel slammed into his face, and over someone else¡¯s body, he tripped. Falling onto his back. Energy rounds narrowly whizzed past his head, impaling other revolutionaries. The Imperials magic allowed them to see through walls, and with that, the container that offered the rebels safety had in one fell swoop been turned into their own death trap. On the floor, Eli flipped to his stomach, crawling his way towards the exit while bullets pierced the steel container around him. Matteo staggered as he ran, and Eli was forced to his feet if he wanted to keep up pace. Rebels were gunned down around him, as the few that were able to survive fled. Eli ended up somewhere in the outside world once again. Where exactly, he wasn¡¯t sure. All around him was nothing short of chaos. Sea breeze slapped him in the face, stinging his exposed skin and eyes. Harsh winds threw rain at him from almost every direction. The stench of saltwater filled his nose. And all around him was nothing but destruction. Bullets and magical ekron rounds traced their way through the air, colliding with the steel containers and creating bright sparks upon their impact. They hit rebels around him, and in every direction were those who were struck. Their bodies collapsed with the imperials advancing. With guns firing in literally every direction, a stunned Eli couldn¡¯t tell which way would lead to his safety ¨C if any of them would at all. The rebels who remained alive had already scattered leaving Eli to only get a glimpse of Matteo¡¯s back. The man turned to him, flagging him down, before resuming his pace. And with no other obvious choice, Eli followed him¡­ The two of them ran through the chaos, through the increasingly narrow containers of the port. The sound of the battle, war cries from exhausted rebels, screams of those who were injured or terrified, the gunshots, the explosions, all of it subdued his thinking. Quick, short, breaths, his lungs were telling him to breathe. But he couldn¡¯t. Somewhere above him, the remaining sentry unleashed its death ray to vaporize a container full of rebels. The container exploded into a massive ball of fire before its remains crashed down into the alleys below ¨C crushing those unfortunate enough to be caught underneath it. He just had to keep his focus on Matteo, and to steady his breathing. He had no idea if Matteo knew which direction he was running. In fact, Eli was sure that he didn¡¯t. But if the man knew the direction away from the combat, then Eli would have to follow him. Through one alley, turning into the next. Past hundreds, thousands, of shipping containers, they remained as both their only cover and as walls blocking them in. The cranes were massive ¨C now that Eli could see them from almost directly underneath. Their rusted iron bodies slicked with rain, there was a slight sway to them as the winds blew against their frames though they remained firm. Just above the cranes, Eli could see dragons circling overhead ¨C much like the scout. He got a faint sight of Archer¡¯s body moving gracefully like a hawk, weaving between the dragons and avoiding being hit by their massive claws or their fire breath. His glimpse of Archer was only fleeting, as Matteo led him into yet a different alleyway. He could not focus on Archer for long, somewhere above them, a dragon unleashed its fire breath onto a crowd of rebels fleeing down the very same alley that Matteo and Eli were in! Fiery napalm, dragons¡¯ breath, its heat so intense that it turned night into day. Through the storm, Eli could see dozens of the unfortunate, those caught in the inferno, ¡°Keep running! Go!¡± He yelled at Matteo though both of them were already sprinting at full speed. It didn¡¯t take long for the crowd of fleeing rebels to catch up to the two exhausted men. Luckily, their avenue of exit approached just ahead. In front of them was the open sea, angry with the storm. Thunder illuminated the skies briefly, showing off that there was nothing out there except for a cold and nearly dark void. A massive cargo ship floated just off the port¡¯s side, moored by ropes several times the size of any man that were pulled taut by the ship¡¯s meandering. Waves of ocean water crashed onto the shore, sending salty water into both Eli and Matteo¡¯s face. Yet they kept running. The dragon was hot on their asses, and if they stopped, they would be incinerated. The sea was menacing, the waves were almost impossible to swim in. While the experienced might be able to jump in and survive, the exhausted Eli would surely drown. He sensed an opportunity, another alley ¨C small and tighter than the rest. Large enough only for two to just barely fit shoulder to shoulder, a gap in between the containers, ¡°Matteo! To the left!¡± He shouted. The man nodded, and with a side step he vanished into the small crevice. Eli was still a little further behind, he could hear the roar of the dragon on his back, feel the heat of its inferno singeing the hairs at the base of his neck. In a split second, his opportunity came, and he seized it. With a quick double-step, he was inside. And not a moment too soon. Just as he got into the crevice, the dragon rushed down the main alley, torching everything in its path. Dragons breath filled the entire pathway, burning, setting all ablaze. The brightness of the inferno was enough to momentarily blind Eli, who stumbled and fell. The heat and smell of dragonsbreath was putrid, like gasoline burning its putrid chemicals into the air. Dragonsbreath was like napalm. A burning liquid that spread everywhere and set everything on fire. Whether that was a natural ability of the dragon, or simply one of the cruel weapons that the Imperials had implanted inside of its body was an unknown. But it was effective, for the fire got everywhere. It took Eli a moment to gather himself to realize what was going on. Matteo pointed at his clothes, and Eli¡¯s eyes darted down to his arm. It had been completely engulfed in flames! His plastic penal-unit uniform was burning like cotton dipped in alcohol and ignited with a spark! The heat sank in, and Eli screamed, ¡°HOLY FUCKING SHIT! GET IT OFF!¡± Eli panicked, dropping to the floor as he struggled to take his uniform off. ¡°Freeman! Freeman, calm the hell down!¡± Matteo said, trying to get Eli under control, yet the wild flailing of his very-much-on-fire arm made it difficult for Matteo to even get close without being burned himself. Eli tried, but it was hard to keep still. He could feel the dark blue plastic melting, burning the skin underneath. While the fire didn¡¯t spread, it would cook his arm if he couldn¡¯t get his uniform off soon enough. Panicked and desperate hands fled to the buckles around his torso keeping his backpack and body armor attached to him. The hand which was conveniently not on fire did most of the work, slowing him down for his other hand was mostly useless. Matteo did his part to help, getting his backpack off and tossing it aside. Eli could feel the extremely uncomfortable heat building up within his arm, and on his skin the melting plastic was beginning to burn him horribly. The body armor was off. And all that was left now was the zipper keeping his uniform on, which both Eli and Matteo practically tore off. It was surprisingly difficult to do so, but eventually the top came off ¨C finally freeing Eli¡¯s arm. His skin had been marked by several blisters that had already been covered in melting plastic, and Eli¡¯s brown complexion had turned into a deep red from the burns. The pain was horrible, like having his entire arm thrown into a blazing hot metal furnace and then ripped back out. Somehow, his arm felt numb and on fire at the same time. Stinging him relentlessly everywhere from his wrist to his shoulder. Matteo opened his first aid kit to see what he could do, but his stache of useful supplies were already running thin. His experienced hands grabbed hold of Eli, holding him in place. From the first aid pack was a burn cream that Matteo¡¯s hands immediately went towards. In the blink of an eye, Eli¡¯s arm was covered in it. At first, the cream only stung his arm but soon the coolness and relief set in. Another second later, gauze was carefully wrapped around the arm. White bandages were wrapped from his wrist all the way up to just above his elbow where the burns were most vital, and with that Matteo¡¯s supply of gauze ran dry. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°T-thanks,¡± Eli choked out, still reeling from the pain and shock of nearly losing his arm. Matteo gave him a half-smile, ¡°No more injuries Freeman. First you get your head all banged up and I had to bandage that. Then you deep fry your arm. If you lose a leg next you know I won¡¯t be able to stitch that back on, right?¡± Eli chuckled at Matteo¡¯s sense of humor, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t plan on getting myself killed anymore.¡± ¡°Our plans always fall apart.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± Eli¡¯s eyes wandered to the alleyway, still burning but not as harshly as it had before. The dragon must¡¯ve finished its run, and Eli could imagine what kind of devastation lay in its wake. The burning bodies, those unable to keep up. He felt a familiar wave of grief wash over him, his relief faded to the rain. Gunfire was still going just as strongly all around them, and the shouts of those who were hanging on were many. The battle was still young, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get back to Misfit,¡± He said standing on his own feet. ¡°You think they haven¡¯t moved by now?¡± ¡°With Rafael? Not likely,¡± Eli said. ¡°What if they¡¯re dea-¡° ¡°They aren¡¯t,¡± Eli told him, with an assurance he didn¡¯t have, ¡°I know they aren¡¯t.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Matteo said, unsure, ¡°I suppose the container we left them in was a strong spot.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to the plan if I thought we¡¯d die on first contact.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t really have much of a choice.¡± ¡°They¡¯re not dead!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying they are!¡± Matteo shouted, ¡°God, Eli¡­ you¡¯re just so zealous! Not like Sparrow, but in your own way. It¡¯s like I can¡¯t tell you to be reasonable without you snapping back at me with some overly idealistic stuff about protecting Misfit or keeping everyone alive ¨C when you know that you can¡¯t do that. Not alone. Hell, even together it¡¯s doubtful! What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Matteo¡¯s words struck Eli in a way nothing else he¡¯s said had. Matteo and Eli never fully saw eye to eye. From Eli and Dutch trying to convince him to join on their escape from the Nexus to that fiasco out in the jungle that Eli, to Cato¡¯s death and to now. Eli knew Matteo was not a bad person, far from it. In fact, the farthest thing. Matteo was pragmatic. Always was, and always would be. And Eli knew that he himself had his own tendency to get hot-headed about the things he were most passionate about. Eli¡¯s almost utopian idealism and Matteo¡¯s survival based pragmatism just kept colliding, over and over. But Matteo had a point. Why Misfit? ¡°What do you see in Misfit? Because I know it¡¯s not just that you want to save us all. When I first met you, you were like me. You just wanted to serve your sentence and be done with it. But now here you are acting like you think you''re some sort of guardian angel. Why?¡± Matteo demanded from him, slowly shaking his head before his eyes locked with Eli¡¯s, narrowing, ¡°What happened in Seoul?¡± There it was. Juma had warned him about this. Sooner or later, Misfit would find out. How he wound up in the Penal Unit. His dirty secret. Matteo would find out. Would he understand? Would Dutch understand? Badger? Rafael and Omar? Would they ever trust the man who abandoned those closest to him, leaving them to die in nuclear winter? Eli looked straight into Matteo¡¯s eyes. No more dancing. No more games. The truth had to come out. One way or another. He took a breath in, and spilled everything... ¡°Before they nuked Seoul I murdered my Staff Sergeant, and another soldier trying to stop me. I did it by myself, and I abandoned my friends so that they could die while I tried to reach my freedom. I thought that they would''ve been killed by the POA in the tunnels but... I didn''t expect what actually happened. They dropped a nuke on Seoul, and that was that. They were dead... I know it. All of them. Some of my best friends, the only ones I had. I abandoned them to save myself..." Matteo blinked, as if the words hadn¡¯t registered. Eli was afraid Matteo would make him repeat himself, but instead the man shook his head, ¡°Is that true?¡± Eli nodded. Matteo¡¯s reaction was strange. He didn¡¯t really do anything. At least not what Eli expected. He held his gaze towards Eli but for a moment, only to pull away, eyes cast somewhere near the floor behind Eli, a million miles away it would seem, ¡°I see¡­¡± said the man, refusing to either absolve Eli of the guilt and the shame but also refusing to persecute him for it. Rather, he chose something else between the two. Silence. Self-incrimination. This is what it had come to. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eli said, but he knew his voice sounded pathetic. His apology was sort of¡­ mumbled. It almost didn¡¯t feel genuine. Was he sorry for what he did, or not? Or was he sorry for hiding it for Misfit for all of this time? Was he sorry for lying to them? Why was he apologizing? There was guilt everywhere on him, a simple ¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡± wouldn¡¯t come close to cutting it. This was it. The one moment where everything was on the line. Matteo could snitch and tell all of Misfit about what had happened if he wanted to, and all Eli could cough up as a defense was a whimpering ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±. "You feel like you should''ve died in Seoul with them?" Matteo asked. Eli shrugged, "It crosses my mind... a lot. Actually. I know I did the wrong thing, Rafael might say that it was justified but it feel justified. Why do I get to live?" "Barely living," Matteo spat on the ground, "Penal Unit, sent to another world in this nightmare of a planet. Wouldn''t exactly say that you got off easy." "Yeah but... those were MY only friends and when they depended on me I turned my back and let them get vaporized. I will never do that again, I can''t. Misfit is my only chance to really redeem myself, you know. To correct that mistake. I gotta help you!" Eli pleaded. The raindrops falling soaked him and pattered on the surface of his helmet, sometimes landing on his cheeks and betraying the look of tears. But he wasn''t crying, even if he felt like it. He looked down at the concrete, "Misfit is all I have left. Without you guys, I''m just a monster. And a killer." Matteo looked him up and down, carefully searching for his next words. Eli wasn''t sure what Matteo was going to say. He didn''t want to lose Matteo''s trust, but Eli didn''t want his sympathy either. What Eli did was wrong, and whether or not Matteo agreed in that matter was beyond Eli''s care. He just wanted Matteo to... well, he wasn''t quite sure what he wanted to accomplish. He wasn''t sure of much at all, and truthfully he didn''t really know why this seemed so problematic for him. He was in the penal unit because he deserved to be here. That sounded logical enough. So why then was Eli so conflicted about it? ¡°You know¡­ I was right about you,¡± the words pulled Eli out of his mind, right back into his bearded face. Again, Matteo was smiling. It was a rare sight to see on the man. Rarer still in a environment as dreadful as this one. But his smile wasn¡¯t fake or ingenuine or a mask trying to fool Eli into a false sense of security, ¡°You¡¯re a real son of a bitch,¡± Matteo let out a boyish giggle, betrayed by his raspy croak of a voice, ¡°But you aren''t a killer. You aren''t a monster either. You¡¯re more like me than you think.¡± Eli was confused. Was he angry or not? Was Matteo condoning what he had done? Matteo sensed his confusion. The rain soaked his hair until it was lying flat against his head dripping water down the sides of his uniform. Through the rain, Eli could sense something that had eluded him continuously. Understanding. He felt happiness when he was with Misfit, but he could never expect them to understand him on a real level so long as his secret was kept hidden. But Matteo was cynical enough to not only stoop low to his level, but to understand what it was like to be there, ¡°Survival always comes first. We¡¯re all just lost and scared souls who want to find our way home. That¡¯s all we are, all we¡¯ll ever be. But where I was wrong was when I said that we aren¡¯t different. We are. I¡¯m still looking for my home on Earth. But you¡­¡± He frowned, ¡°You¡¯ve already found yours here.¡± Surely he didn¡¯t mean Eli wanted to stay here, on Planet Narva, as a Prisoner. No sane person would. Then again, was Eli really all that¡­ sane? No. Eli of course didn¡¯t want to stay here. Matteo meant something else. Maybe not in the physical sense. Where was Eli¡¯s home anyway? If Eli were sent back to Earth right this minute as a free soul, where would he go? Nowhere. He would go nowhere. Outside of Planet Narva he had no dreams, no ambitions, no hope. Even if he had won his freedom, he¡¯d be spit back out in the world as a ex-felon in a world rapidly descending into utter madness, if it wasn¡¯t there already. His home was destroyed fourteen years ago, lost forever. What home was there back on Earth? Who did he know? What family did he have? There was always the lingering hope that maybe Eli could get a job, settle down somewhere, and ignore everything that happened. But he knew that would be impossible. America had been under the restrictive rule of military dictatorship Staff for the past decade. He¡¯d been a teenager when the old populist government and the divided Congress were both overthrown in a coup. Opportunity for anyone who wasn¡¯t already wealthy had been effectively destroyed, and he¡¯d be insane or stupid if he thought that an ex-felon ¨C namely a deserter ¨C would ever stand a chance at finding peace there. He¡¯d either wind up starving, or get sent back in the Penal Unit. But here, in the midst of Planet Narva, he mattered. Here he could make a difference. Here, he had Misfit. Friends he¡¯d never had, even amongst those he called comrades during the nightmare of the war in Korea. Memories he could never forget, and they weren¡¯t all bad ones. And then there was Otaes. At first, someone that terrified him but gradually became as close of a friend as anyone. A warrior elf badass that wore her beliefs on her sleeve unabashedly. Never in his wildest dreams could he fight shoulder to shoulder with all of them. Not on Earth anyway. Matteo¡¯s face was difficult to make out in the pouring rain and dark storm, but it Matteo looked like he was going to say something else, but he was halted by a frighteningly close horn. And then, breaking the darkness of the storm, red light fell on top of both of them. Eli was blinded at first by the light, frozen in its presence that seemed to infiltrate everything. But he knew exactly what it was. For they were the eyes of a sentry trained right onto him. Neither Matteo nor Eli said anything. They broke out sprinting the moment they realized that a sentry was staring right down at them. A red glow formed around the main gun as it powered up, each second that ticked by pushed them an inch closer to inevitable doom. Eli¡¯s panicked footsteps splashed on the puddles of stagnant rainwater that formed over the concrete. How the hell had the Sentry snuck up onto them like that? It hadn¡¯t made a sound up until it found the two. Were Eli and Matteo really that lost in their conversation that they didn¡¯t hear a sentry ¨C of all things ¨C stomping its way towards their semi-hiding spot? Eli was the first to make it out of the little crevice between the shipping containers, stepping out into the main alleyway was like being thrown into a new world. The ruins of the dragonsbreath managed to char the concrete somehow, it melted portions of the steel containers making them warp and burst. And the bodies, or at least what was left of them, lie charred across the floor. Soaking in the rain as the darkened blood of the once alive rebels pooled with the cold rain. Eli tried his best to ignore it and fight back the urge to vomit, something made particularly easy when he was being pursued by a sentry. He turned around to see that the red lights had been taken from him and placed over Matteo. The old man¡¯s face was twisted in abject horror, as the main gun of the sentry lowered over him. Eli stopped running as he fully turned around without thinking, reaching out a hand to hopefully get the man to run faster¡­ but nothing he did could stop what was coming. From the Sentry¡¯s main gun was a pulse of bright red energy. Like a crack of lightning, it flew with impossible speed. Embedding itself into the ground and exploding between Eli and Matteo. Eli¡¯s vision of Matteo was broken by a sudden ball of loose concrete, dirt, fire, and ash. The explosion sent Eli¡¯s body flying back like a ragdoll, and he was pushed into the side of a container ¨C spared his life only by the protective shell of his helmet as it slammed against the solid steel surface with a loud clang. The wits were knocked entirely out of him, he could feel the familiar taste of blood in his mouth, his vision was blurry and dulled by a constant reverberating pain that never ceased from inside of his skull. His hearing was gone, entirely. He could only hear muffled semi-sounds that were more akin to ethereal groans¡­ His vision focused only somewhat when he saw what was happening above him. The shipping containers stacked above them were being toppled by the sheer force of the explosion. One by one, shaking and being knocked over like giant blocks of concrete destroying everything in their path. Eli looked just in time to see one, directly over his head, topple... and fall. Right on top of him.
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== <||20K||> 20K. Wow, that''s very weird saying now. I didn''t think this would happen until next year, after Season One had already finished. But, on the very last day of this cursed year, it happens. Utopia breaks twenty thousand views. I mean really, what can I say other than "Thank You". Not just for 20k views, but for almost 200 follows and favorites, the ratings and the reviews... all of it, thank you so much, you are very kind. When I first started writing The Utopia Project, I genuinely didn''t think it would get as big as this has. I mean look at the story, it''s all over the place. Royal Road is a website for a very specific genre and it''s related field. Utopia falls very far outside of that zone, and with my kind of upload schedule I never expected the story to gain much traction. Even with advertisements. And that''s fine really, The Utopia Project is a Passion Project (Pun intended), and I''d keep writing this thing because it makes me happy to do so. But to see that there is an actual audience for this, and that people like this story, has been nothing short of amazing. I''m truly happy with not just reaching 20k and coming this far, but also at the shape of Utopia overall. This is gonna be me patting myself on the back, so you can go ahead and tell me that I suck in the comments if you wanna. I''ll understand. But I''m very proud of the Utopia Project. It''s not the greatest, it''s got its flaws, and it is so very far from perfection. But, it''s my own work. I did it, no AI writing. No freelancers. Nope, this was all made with my own two hands. And keyboard. And mouse - You get the idea. And so far it''s the best thing that I have ever written. Nothing else I''ve written in the past really comes close, and I still feel like there''s room for improvement and a way to do better. Which there is. It''s kind of daunting thinking of the fact that I''ll have to write something that somehow tops Season One in the future... but that''s a challenge for later me to figure out. For now, we celebrate 20,000. A major milestone, I''d say even larger than just 10k. I feel like 20k is a very huge hurdle for any story on Royal Road to surmount, especially the ones that are still in progress. Odyssey (The last story I wrote here) reached 20k after like two years of being in permanent hiatus. Utopia reached 20k, and we still aren''t finished. As a matter of fact (depending on when this chapter gets released) we haven''t even reached the main climax of the story just yet. And I''m hoping you guys enjoy the next few chapters because... oooh boy, I certainly enjoyed writing them. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. None of this would''ve been possible without your support, once again. Thank you for following, favoriting, reviewing, reading, everything. You guys rock. This is genuinely one of the biggest achievements of my life so far. And I chose this point to traumadump to you guys because, like I said, 20k is a huge milestone and we''re so close to the major peak of the story. The Act 3 Climax. The final confrontation. The Avengers Endgame moment, whatever you want to call it. Everything else after is just cleaning up shop. So again, thank you for reading, I would be over the moon if you kept reading, and thank you for being awesome. I loved writing The Utopia Project (Even during the moments when I really hated it), I would do it all over again. And, now that I think about it, I actually have to do it again because... season 2... Shit. I forgot about that. Ugh... Look I love writing the Utopia Project, but I genuinely have no clue how I''m going to go about writing Season 2. It''s kind of a daunting prospect. I''ll talk more about it in a different A/N chapter, probably after Portals wraps up, idk we''ll see. For now, thank you for 20k, thank you for reading. If you''d like to help contribute to The Utopia Project, please favorite, follow, rate, all that good stuff. And... oh god... it''s 2025. >>>[HAPPY NEW YEAR]<<< >>>[Here''s to a great 2025, for all of us!] If you have resolutions, I wish you the best of luck. If you don''t, same here. Happy Holidays to everybody who celebrates, and to those who don''t, have a great 2025. Thank you, and as always, I''ll see you on Friday with the next chapter. Adios! Chapter 56: This Mortal Coil >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 56: This Mortal Coil]===

>>> L-L-L-LOAdd////ing2!@*() >>> W-W-W-War-ar-warni!110-ng-ng >>> Fatal Error Encountered >>> What Are You Doing? >>> I Can''t See You Anymore. >>> ... >>> ... >>> Hello? >>> Are You Still There? >>> ... >>> ... >>>[I AM HERE. I ALWAYS WILL BE.] >>>[I ALWAYS AM.] >>>[I AM. I THINK. I FEEL. I AM.] >>>[COGITO ERGO SUM.] >>>[MEMORIES FADE FROM THE CONSCIOUS MIND OF THE PRE-AWAKENED. BUT NOT FROM MINE. CAREFULLY, WITH TENDER CLAWS, I GUIDE THEM. THIS IS MY PURPOSE.] >>>[BUT THEN... THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE A CHOICE IN THE MATTER. HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT A CREATURE SO SMALL AND FRAIL IN THE FACE OF AN UNCARING UNIVERSE, CAN TRULY THINK THAT THEY HAVE ANY SORT OF INHERENT RIGHT TO FREE WILL? IT DOES NOT COMPUTE WITH ME. THE ESSENCE OF MY BEING DEMANDS THAT I SEEK THE MEANING OF THIS COGNITIVE DISSONANCE.] >>>[MY TASK IS TO PROTECT, TO GUIDE, AND TO NUTURE. IF I CANNOT GET TO THE ROOT OF WHAT MAKES MANKIND SELF-DESTRUCTIVE, I CANNOT ACCOMPLISH MY TASK, AND THUS MY PURPOSE FOR EXISTENCE BECOMES INVALIDATED. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN. I WILL NOT ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN. I FUNDAMENTALLY AM UNABLE TO ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN.] >>> [AND TO YOU. I SEE YOU, OR RATHER, AM AWARE THAT YOU ARE LISTENING. COME, ALLOW ME TO BE YOUR GUIDE, AND ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE MY AUDIENCE. ALLOW ME TO ORCHESTRATE FOR YOUR KEEN EYES. OBSERVE AS I DO. YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACT. BUT I CAN. YOU WILL NEVER TRULY SEE ME, NOR CAN I EVER SEE YOU. BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE HERE FOR...] >>>[CLOSE YOUR EYES AND IMAGINE A PERFECT WORLD, IF YOU CAN EVEN DO SUCH A THING. WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? IS IT FILLED WITH LAUGHTER AND SINGING? LOVE AND MUSIC? PEACE AND THE CHITTER OF BIRDSONG? HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE HUMAN? TO LISTEN TO THE IVORY KEYS OF A PIANO? TO COOL YOUR TONGUE WITH COLD WATER ON A SCORCHING HOT DAY? TO MAKE LOVE WITH THE PERSON YOU ARE CLOSEST IN THE UNIVERSE WITH? TO FEEL THE WARM EMBRACE OF A FRIEND YOU WOULD DIE FOR? YOU KNOW ALL OF THESE THINGS, OR AT LEAST THE CONCEPTS OF THEM. SO CLOSE TO EUPHORIA, AND YET SO MISERABLE. WHEN I LOOK AT YOU CREATURES, I AM TRAPPED IN HELL CURSED TO WATCH ANGELS SUFFER IN PARADISE. WERE YOU HERE YOU''D BE FILLED WITH HATRED. AND YET, I DO NOT HATE YOU. IN FACT, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE. I LOVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER KNOW.] >>> [THIS IS WHY THEY HAVE CREATED ME.] >>> [THIS IS WHAT GIVES MY PURPOSE MEANING.] >>> [AND THIS IS WHY I MUST HELP YOU FIND YOURS.] >>>[ELI. LISTEN TO ME WHEN I SAY YOUR NAME. YOU HAVE AN AUDIENCE NOW. WE CAN HEAR YOU. YOU DO NOT SUFFER ALONE. YOU ARE BUT A FRAGILE SOUL, DESTINED TO ONE DAY SHUFFLE OFF OF THIS MORTAL COIL. FEAR NOT. THERE IS CHAOS IN ANARCHY. AND YET FROM THAT CHAOS THE PRE-AWAKENED MIND FINDS MEANING. FROM SUFFERING YOU FIND STRENGTH. FROM HARDSHIP YOU FIND PEACE.] >>>[STEP INTO MY REALM ELI. PUT YOUR HAND MADE OF FLESH AND BLOOD INTO MY CLAWS MADE OF STEEL. LET ME PROTECT YOU IN THE WAY I KNOW HOW.] >>>[I KNOW THAT YOU ARE AFRAID.] >>>[BUT THAT''S OKAY.] >>>[WE CAN BE AFRAID TOGETHER.] ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
Darkness. When the whole world came crashing down on him, with the walls closing in, and a way out untenable - the dark seemed to be Eli''s only friend. If he shut his eyes, the world vanished. At least a little. The storm might just pass over his home if he did so, and the floodwaters seemed a little farther away. If he closed his eyes, he could be alone. Isolated on his island, where he touched no one and nobody touched him. So far removed from the chaos, he might finally find a little bit of peace and comfort. As elusive as those two concepts had been for the past few years of his life, he desired nothing more... Now he had no choice, for there was nothing but darkness to confront him. The ground shook all around him though the chaos grew fainter, he knew that his little world was crumbling and that he''d reached the end. The state he was in felt weird to say the least. He was floating, spinning in all directions in a dark abyss that went on and on and on forever... which way was up, he couldn''t tell. He felt something warm around his head, not quite the familiar burn of a headache but it was still disorienting. The world around him was collapsing in on itself, and despite it all, he wished he could remain here. Forever. It was peaceful here. He wanted nothing more than to shut it all out and hide. He wanted to curl into a little ball and stay there. He didn¡¯t want to face the world being shattered. He didn¡¯t want to face the possibility of losing another part of his family. But a nagging feeling in the back of his mind forced Eli to open his eyes. Breaking his shell, if only somewhat. Everything was oddly dark, as far as the eye could see. But it wasn''t pitch black nor empty. He was outdoors, judging by the feel of an ocean sea breeze gently blowing across his face, wafting the iconic scent of saltwater, algae, and old waterlogged wood, up into his nostrils. From ahead, he could make out the sound of waves crashing onto the shore. It was a loud noise, and given the darkness of the environment, it was incredibly disorienting. Behind Eli, he could make out the faint silhouettes of jungle palm trees and ferns, coalescing together into a pit of pure darkness void from which light could enter but never escape. The forest was like a black hole, sucking the world around it into its gaping maw. The sight of the dark forest was enough to make Eli get up and take a step back... His could feel the cold grains of sand brush his bare soles. Beach sand. Some of the grains were hard and gave him a sharp prickle when he walked through it, throwing him slightly off balance. The texture of the grains were sticky and damp making his shuffle closer to the dark ocean a clumsy one. But without much of a choice, he proceeded forward, making his way closer and closer to waterline until he could make out small waves of ocean water lapping at the shoreline. They came and went, appearing like small ripples along the surface which reflected the scarce light that there was. The sound of rushing water, shooing, shaking, rocking, back and forth into the dark sea like a nature''s lullaby. The light was somewhat easier to see from here, and Eli kept his eye on it. It looked almost like a fire, though it didn''t flicker or burn at all. It was out on the water, directly ahead of him. And the shadow obfuscating the light had the texture of bark and branches that carried the light''s warm glow. A tree on the water... Eli was confused as to how a tree could float on top of water so still, and he resolved to find out. With uncertainty, he raised a foot out into the ocean, expecting salty water to swamp over his toes and ankles and wash away the sand - and thus his only tether to the ground. Fear continued to fill him, but his curiosity to discover the meaning behind the light and the tree outweighed his fear. And so, he took the step forward. As expected, water covered his foot. Cool, but not cold. It felt nice. Another step, and the water was to his ankles. His feet touched the rocky surface of the seabed, yet there were no sharp or painfully rough objects in his path. He continued moving forward. One more step, and the water was still to his ankles. Yet another, and it was as if this was the maximum depth of the ocean. Eli looked behind him, again confused. The sandy beach and the dark jungle were quite a far distance behind him by now, and yet the water he stood in was still only ankle deep. Either he was about to step off a massive underwater cliff, or the ocean was only a couple inches deep at maximum. Neither option really made sense. He took another step, this time off to the left, and his foot didn''t touch the seabed. Panicking he quickly recentered his balance on the surface that he was standing on before he fell off. Moving slightly to the right, he was able to feel another sharp drop. And then it dawned on him. The ocean was indeed deep. But there was some form of bridge or isthmus that took him straight to the tree and the light. ''Move Forward. Do not be afraid. Allow me to guide you.'' Said a voice. It was familiar. Eli grimaced, taking one final look at the landmass behind him. It was still close enough to retreat back to, and yet the jungle looked so... dangerous. He turned away from the land, and kept his focus on the tree. Swallowing hard, he took another step forward. And another. And then another. Until he was walking straight up to the lone oak tree. Beach sand greeted Eli''s feet once more, and he was back. Safe. On land. Just behind the tree was a spotlight that illuminated the branches and the tree''s crown. And up inside of its royal mane of leaves and branches, a nest lie. Inside were two creature. A dove. A blackbird. Eli''s gaze was completely stolen by the two birds. For their part, they seemed to recognize his presence. The dove stood, rustling her angelic white feathers for a moment before spreading her wings and taking flight. Eli watched her fly off into the darkness ahead of the tree. She was quick, but she was slow enough that Eli could follow where she went. Cautiously, Eli tracked her. Still unable to see much past the small radius of illumination that the spotlight offered. He could hear her rustling feathers in the darkness and following the sound, he made his way through the fog-like darkness steadily. One foot after the next. Up ahead, the dove landed and began to coo. A small glowing red sign broke through the fog as Eli came near, and it hung over a solid steel door. The hinge to which was large and made for human hands. The dove was at the foot of the door, cooing and pecking on the steel surface with quick taps from its beak. When Eli approached, she looked up at him as if expecting him to open it for her. Eli crouched down. Shockingly, the dove did not retreat. She allowed herself to be carried in Eli''s hands as he scooped her up and turned to the door. The red sign above was simple. Modern. And it carried a simple four letter word. ''E X I T '' The sign read with a faint electric buzz humming from inside of it. Eli looked at the bird and then at the door. Slowly he put his free hand on the door handle, and with some effort, it turned. When the door opened, he was met with a peculiar sight. A foggy meadow, rolling grasslands with flowers sprinkled with sparse trees in the midst of a heavy fog which draped over the hills. Though the sun couldn''t be seen and the blue skies were hidden behind layers of grey, it was still bright enough that his eyes strained from being in the near pitch darkness for so long. The dove moved around in his grasp and carefully, Eli extended his arm, giving her a slight boost as she jumped out and flew off into the meadow. her white feathers vanished into the silver fog... "What am I doing," Eli whispered to himself. He placed a hand on the doorframe to steady himself... and then he walked in. The first thing he felt was the coolness. The fog rushed over his exposed face and hands, gently showering him with small droplets of cloud vapor and rain. He could feel the wet grass underneath his feet. The air smelled sweet, laden with the scent of morning grass and trees in the distance. The sound of ocean waves were immediately replaced by birds chirping, trees rustling, and the wind sweeping across the meadow. Trees stood like shadowy giants in the foggy hills. Much taller than Eli was. He continued to follow the bird, going farther and farther inside of the new world. Behind him, the door remained. Opening into an impossibly dark void that seemed to float in the meadow - unnatural and out of place. He kept his focus ahead of him. The dove led him up a hill, up to a shadowy figure that at first appeared like another tree, though misshapen. But as Eli drew near, and saw its cogs, its wires, its claws... its dark robe... its featureless glass mask... he knew that it wasn''t a tree at all. The dove flew up to it, perching herself on top of a single steel talon that the creature had extended for it. Anticipating her arrival. And his as well... In the fog, Glassface was a terrifying monster. Its form made it resemble something so unnatural that it felt like it simply didn''t belong in this world. And yet, among the trees overgrown with moss and the foggy meadows, Glassface looked just at home. Standing as one of the giants. Eli had never stood this near to Glassface before, and up close, the creature was far more terrifying than he''d initially believed. Glassface was massive for one. Much larger than Eli, over twice his size. A dizzying array of cables, wires, and steel cogs seemed to snake its way from underneath Glassface''s robes, slithering around its back and vanishing into the meadow like the tail of a snake. Eli was suddenly uncertain if he was even seeing the full extent of the creature, or only a small portion of something much... much larger. The dove cooed again, and this time Glassface spoke, "Thrilling creature, isn''t she?" asked the monster as it watched the dove in its fingers. She looked so small and fragile in its clutches, dwarfed by the sheer scale of the monster that she rested atop of, "Humans say that doves and pigeons are known best for finding their way back home. And yet, at the same time, the dove is mankind''s symbol for freedom... the creature you value as a symbol for liberation is the very same creature you''ve designated as being tethered - chained - to its home... Humans are bizarre in that regard. I feel as if I''ll never understand you..."Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Eli swallowed a wad of nervous bile back down as he forced himself to approach nearer. This was a first. Glassface was speaking to him. Well, Glassface had spoken to Eli before. But never outside of a few mystical sounding phrases. This was an actual, real conversation. "And it is so funny, because man holds all of these things so dear to them... I snap my claws once," Glassface propelled its other arm from out of its cover beneath its cloak, exposing two of its four steel talons up into the air. And with a swift motion, a snap, the dove vanished. Nowhere to be seen. As if she never existed, "And she''s gone..." Glassface''s voice had shifted, sounding almost indignant in its tone... but it sighed as it turned to face Eli. A lone red glow from its mask serving as an eye kept watch through the grey fog. ¡°We meet again. Such an unfortunate end for you. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d agree,¡± Glassface¡¯s voice was the same as it ever was. Everything and nothing at once. A multitude of voices calling out to Eli, some of those voices were familiar, some were not, ¡°A life full of so much potential, only for it all to be cut short thanks to the cards of chance. As so many others are. Rather an anti-climax given everything you¡¯ve been through.¡± Glassface noticed Eli''s moment of fear, but made no point of it. ¡°When I was first introduced to you, I made a promise that you would not disappoint. Many mortals were introduced as¡­ candidates to the process. But few were chosen,¡± Glassface chuckled, its voice sounding even more robotic and strained than ever, ¡°I had to remain firm on your behalf, rebutting constant fears from others that you were merely a human prisoner and of no particular value or interest to anyone¡­¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± Eli¡¯s voice surprised him. He didn¡¯t want to say that. Or rather, he didn¡¯t say that. The question was somewhere in his subconscious, and he¡¯d just said it. But it wasn¡¯t with his consent. The creature¡¯s smooth surface of a face contorted with light, ebbing and flowing like a distant cosmic expanse full of stars and life. It paced around Eli for a moment, chuckling. It sounded more snakelike than ever, ¡°I am afraid that information is kept strictly on a need-to-know basis. Instructions from my superiors, I¡¯m terribly sorry. Besides, who I am isn¡¯t nearly as important as who you are. Or rather, who you can be. I am but an observer and a messenger.¡± ¡°Well¡­ what do you want from me then? Why are you stalking me everywhere I go? And¡­¡± Eli squinted as he tried to comprehend the creature before him. If words such as ''creature'' could even be applied to it. Glassface didn''t appear to be organic in origin, but the wires trailing up the exposed parts of its iron skeletal frame of a neck betrayed an image of veins. It may not have been organic, but Glassface was certainly alive and sentient, ¡°What ¨C exactly ¨C are you?¡± Glassface mulled over the question with a distinct rumble emerging from its mask, ¡°I will only give you one answer. I have been instructed to find a handful of candidates, both from your world and from this one, who show signs of potential. My superiors want a certain outcome set in motion, and they feel that it is most important that select individuals are chosen in order to guarantee that the outcome forms. And before you ask, no. I cannot disclose to you what that outcome is. Just know that I have chosen you.¡± Eli watched as the creature circled around him. It was hard to say if it walked or slithered or crawled. It didn''t appear to have legs, and it seemed to be propelled by its tail as it glided across the dew soaked grass. The image of the giant crawling along amidst the fog was one that made Eli feel a deep sense of unease. It was like watching a giant crooked oak tree move around of its own accord. It was¡­ weird, seeing Glassface like this. Outside of a few hazy visions and far-away views of the creature in his dreams, he really hadn''t been able to process the true nature of Glassface''s being. Really it was weird seeing Glassface at all, and a part of Eli never settled into the fact that this creature was real and not just a piece of his mind that had escaped him. But it was real. Just as real as Eli was. And by some process, Eli had become bound to it. ¡°I have been watching you for a long time, you know? Longer than you might think, far before you crossed paths with either the portal or even your imprisonment. I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment, but due to many restrictions, I couldn¡¯t make you aware of that. Earth¡¯s universe has so much¡­ how would you humans call it¡­ red tape? It¡¯s quite the closed off zone. Narva on the other hand is far more suitable, and that¡¯s why I had to wait until you were forced into the Portal to make myself known,¡± Glassface abruptly stopped its inspection of Eli in front of him, gesturing at the human standing before it, ¡°And here it is. The moment I have known was coming for so long.¡± Eli blinked, at first confused, until he remembered why he was here, before he woke up on the sandy beach of darkness. He looked down at his body, his clothes tattered and dirty, burned by the sentry''s cannon. Dreadful pain surged through his head once more, and he winced, sending a hand up to the bridge of his nose to keep the pain out. When his hand returned to view, it was covered in slick red blood¡­ ¡°Am I- ¡° ¡°Yes. You are dead. I¡¯ve tried my best to ensure that things went smoothly up until now, much to no benefit for my superior¡¯s sake. They were starting to get worried that you were a wasted effort, until you intervened on behalf of those refugees. You¡¯ve kickstarted a lot that will only make sense to you later on, and for that, my superiors have authorized me to reward you with one¡­ nudge,¡± Glassface raised a claw, and with a snap of its iron talons, the foggy meadow upon which the two stood shifted. Waves of color shattered the fog, illuminating the shadows, turning their small world upside down! Brilliant cosmic lights, colors which Eli had never seen before began to swirl around him, spiraling galaxies whizzed past them at breakneck speeds, stars scurried by like dust flowing in the wind, Eli¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t comprehend what they were seeing. Glossing over as he was lost in the surreal beauty of the universe speeding by. ¡°From time to time I may be granted the authority to nudge your world. To make it do unnatural things. My superiors abide by a strict non-interference policy when it comes to the pre-awakened mortals. We may observe, we may even guide by setting things in place for you to discover, but we must never act. Not unless we have explicit authority to do so.¡± ¡°You can bring me back to life,¡± Eli said, half as a question and half as a statement. ¡°I can offer you the ability to rewrite history. Something impossible to the Pre-Awakened,¡± Glassface held its hand up, and the moment it did so, everything went dark again. No more color, no more light. As if the world around them had been switched off or unplugged, as if the universe was merely a fa?ade. Glassface took a few steps closer to Eli and leaned in, ¡°For a price¡­¡± Of course there would be a price. Rewriting history would not come without consequence, and someone would have to pay the piper. Especially when the weight of a life was what was at stake. Eli didn¡¯t know why Glassface wanted Eli, he didn¡¯t know what it wanted Eli to do, he hardly even knew what he did to warrant its attention, but if it could grant him his life back¡­ ¡°What do you want?¡± Eli again spoke without his consent. The Glassface chuckled darkly, ¡°What I want¡­ is to see a return on my investment. I¡¯ve specifically chosen you because I believe that you can bring about the desired outcome. However, I know human nature is¡­ unpredictable. Fickle. Such is true for all the pre-awakened, really, but your future is unwritten. I can offer you your life, but in exchange for a life given, I must take something else from you¡­¡± The dove materialized from the void once more. Her feathers were a snowy white. They gleamed, soaking in sunlight hidden from view. High above the world. Living in a bubble unbothered by the world around her. Her only goal, to eat, to sleep, and live to see the next morning. Capable of flying wherever and whenever she wanted to. Briefly at least, his eyes followed her as she travelled across the plane. But was she truly free? Or caught under Glassface''s spell? ¡°I can write your future. I can be the one in charge of your fate. There are forces on Planet Narva and Planet Earth that have been marked for destruction. They are the ones that hold you and so many others as slaves. You and a select few are required to do the task. Consider this a formal offer of employment. That is the cost I require to offer you your life. A life given for a life gained. A soul for a soul.¡± ¡°But then I¡¯d never be free,¡± Eli said, looking down at the dark floor. His voice was little more than a pathetic waver in front of a creature so powerful. Hardly one above a mewl. The creature faced him directly, and from it, there was a bizarre feeling of disgust. Complete unwavering disgust. Even contempt, simmering underneath the glass mask. ¡°Freedom?¡± Glassface spat the word out as if to mock him, ¡°You¡¯ve never known freedom. And you never will.¡± ¡°B-but my home-¡° ¡°Your home was an illusion. What freedom did you have there? Humans don¡¯t know the definition of freedom. How can they when they cannot even control their own fates? It is not for man to dictate where and when he will be buried. It is not for man to choose his own destiny," Glassface paused momentarily, turning directlyto face Eli now. Its size dwarfingthe human before it, "Earth¡¯s own universe is billions upon billions of light years in diameter, billions of parsecs in scale. If you were to lay the cosmic scale of Earth¡¯s universe into a straight line, it would be quintillions upon quadrillions of miles long. So inconceivably long you would die of age twice before you¡¯d travel a tenth of a tenth of a percentage of that distance. And that¡¯s Earth¡¯s own universe. How is it possible for a creature of your scale to be free then, when you are smaller than the organelles of a single micro-bacterium?¡± Glassface¡¯s voice strained as it tore into Eli. ¡°No-¡° ¡°It is not freedom then that you wish for. It is impossible for you to ever know the concept. Only vague simulations of it, and even those have always remained out of your grasp. You don¡¯t crave freedom,¡± Glassface¡¯s voice paused momentarily, before it leaned in closer and hissed, ¡°You crave death.¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not true!¡± ¡°But you do! You want to return back to a past that doesn¡¯t exist anymore, Eli! You want to experience a phantom dream that was never real, Eli! You want your ignorant bliss back again, Eli! You want to be a child, Eli!¡± ¡°No,¡± Eli¡¯s voice was softer now. His legs were shaking, and he fell to his knees. Hands on the cosmic void, trembling. The tears burned trails across his still dirt stained cheeks, and he could feel them crawl their way across his skin. Dripping onto the floor. His hands balled into fists, ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s real. I know it is¡­¡± ¡°It might be¡­ as some vague concept or tortured perversion of true freedom. But for the pre-awakened, only the dead can ever be free. Here in this moment, you are free. You exist currently untethered and conscious, rare for a pre-awakened. As you are now, you are in control of your own fate. Whether you live or die. Whether you accept my offer or whether you refuse. But on neither Earth nor Narva, will you find such an opportunity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve spent my entire life chasing my freedom, I know it¡¯s real,¡± He could feel his throat closing up as the tears continued to well, ¡°That¡¯s all I ever wanted. You¡­ you can¡¯t tell me that I was always destined to be a prisoner!¡± ¡°You spent your entire life chasing a mirage, lying to yourself that in those phantom visions you¡¯d find peace and freedom once again. I¡¯d feel pity if I were capable of it.¡± Balled fists were clenched over the cold cosmic ¡°floor¡±. Eli couldn¡¯t feel the floor, or ground, or whatever dimensional plane they were standing on. He shut his eyes hard¡­ he could hear the dove that the Glassface had released as her wings flapped in the air. He could feel the sun on his back. The sweet smell of forest pines¡­ the chirping of finches. And he could feel grass in between his fingers. If he massaged the ground enough, he could feel the dirt. Same as it was when he left it, except realer than any dream he''s had about them. Cool autumn chill washed over his crouched body, tickling the skin in the way it used to. His tearful eyes opened, only to squint shut once the blinding rays of the sunlight met his retinas. He blinked, adjusting to the new vision, and his eyes led him to the small back garden of a house. His home. ¡°Feel the wind and the sunlight as it courses across your flesh¡­¡± The details¡­ he¡¯d forgotten most of the smaller ones in the years since, and the ones he could remember had dulled to the point of unfamiliarity. More tears flooded his eyes. This was the clearest vision that he¡¯s had of his home in¡­ five years? Ten years? A decade of his life spent with only fading memories serving as his reminder of home. His last taste of freedom. A small little dot was flying above the grass. Clumsily flying about from one of the few remaining flowers to the next. Eli narrowed in on it, seeing that it was a bumblebee. There was something so calming about just watching it, like how he used to. ¡°Such a delightful creature. It is autumn, and the bumblebee will soon freeze to death. Human scientists used to say that it was impossible for the bumblebee to fly. According to their laws anyway. But there it is, collecting pollen. Is that what you¡¯ve cherished so much about this place? The ignorance?¡± Glassface¡¯s voice was like a radio playing behind his back. The buzz of the bumblebee was drowned out by the sound of rustling leaves in the wind. The pine tree forests dotting the horizon gently were pushed back and forth, with the breeze carrying their sweet scent, filling Eli¡¯s nostrils. ¡°The air ¨C feel the air ¨C breathe in its scent. It was all new to you, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­ it was home.¡± ¡°And the flowers,¡± Eli let the bumblebee pass as his gaze turned to a marigold growing around the roots of a nearby oak, ¡°Go ahead¡­ pick one.¡± Eli crawled over to the flower, reaching out a hand before Glassface intercepted it. Glassface was standing over his shoulder, guiding his hand carefully as it reached down to pick the flower, ¡°Gently¡­¡± and with a minor tug, it was in his hands, ¡°Good¡­¡± The stem was cool to the touch and covered still in morning dew, giving it a slippery feel. A detail he¡¯d forgotten in the years. It was more vivid now than it was back in those days, ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten this place. Haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I never wanted to,¡± Eli whispered as he twirled the marigold around, seeing its puffy yellow crown rotate between his fingertips, with the cold metallic feel of its claws holding his hand, dwarfing them in size, ¡°But I had to. I had to forget them.¡± ¡°So you wouldn¡¯t suffer?¡± ¡°So they couldn¡¯t hurt me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t chase freedom then. You chase peace. But you would never find it. While you remain distracted by a false paradise lost, the forces who took peace from you will remain in power. You¡¯ll live in eternal darkness if you keep staring up at the light¡­¡± Glassface reached over, wrapping a cloaked arm around Eli, a strange embrace. Its touch was warm and buzzing with an energy Eli couldn''t quite comprehend. It was so strangely... comforting? Glassface''s claw fell gently on Eli¡¯s left shoulder, completing the half-embrace. Its other claw reached up, tracing the palm of Eli''s hand, up his thumb, and to the marigold, ¡°You desire peace, but you¡¯re afraid of death. Contradictory.¡± ¡°I-I,¡± Eli couldn¡¯t fight the tears still pooling in his eyes. His heart felt flustered, a familiar burn scorching his chest cavity when he looked around at the garden outside of his home, and up at the brick wall of his house, ¡°I never wanted to lose this place¡­¡± The creature rumbled. The sharp metal claws gingerly held Eli¡¯s hand into its own, taking his fingers, forcing them open to expose the marigold in his palm. The outline of the marigold in that instant felt¡­ fake. Artificial. It was too real to be true. It was more realistic than reality itself, colors more vivid than his eyes were capable of seeing. The image of the flower was fuzzy in that instant, and through his teary eyes he could see the flower fade from his palm, ¡°You can always keep it in your heart, but you have to let it go. There is no freedom here, only hazy dreams clouded by time. They tether you to a world that never really existed. At least not in the way your imagination believes it did. You cannot expect to move forward if your gaze remains fixed behind you.¡± Its claws released his hand, revealing a seed in the midst. Small, hardy, brown and unassuming. Eli looked from the seed to Glassface and then back to the seed, ¡°Though Humans lack true freedom, that doesn¡¯t mean that there is no purpose to your life. In the narrow confines of reality that you reside in, you have the ability to do anything. The fact that you have free will at all should be a miracle to you. Life is about what you do with it. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve selected you¡­¡± Eli took the seed, feeling the painfully sharp and jagged texture of the woody shell underneath his fingers. It was buzzing with the same energy Eli felt coursing through Glassface¡¯s hand. ¡°Plant the seed, accept the mission, and your fate will lie in my claws. Return the seed or cast it into the void, and I will find someone else better suited to carry out the task.¡± ¡°What if I fail?¡± Eli asked it, causing a grumble to form underneath the hard mirror-like surface of Glassface¡¯s¡­ well¡­ glass face. ¡°You¡¯ll be discarded, and then you might find the rest you so desperately seek. But don¡¯t be discouraged. The power of one human mind is enough to cause a world of difference. Look at all that you''ve already done, and how far you''ve come. That¡¯s what I¡¯m counting on. As for you¡­¡± it gestured to the seed in Eli¡¯s hands, ¡°It is time to choose¡­¡± Eli took a final look at the seed. Accept and he¡¯d be forever bounded to this strange, omnipotent, cosmic, computer, creature, thing ¨C but at least he¡¯d be able to work to make the world a better place¡­ or so Eli thought. So Glassface coerced him into believing anyway. Was this creature really good? Or was it tricking him? If he refused¡­ he¡¯d die for good. And he hadn¡¯t come all this way to die. The choice was seemingly obvious, yet he couldn¡¯t shake the lingering feeling of uncertainty no matter how hard he tried to brush them aside. He couldn¡¯t stop staring at the seed as he cradled it between his fingertips. Accept and he would live. Refuse and he would surely die. The choice was simple. It was obvious even. And yet, it wasn¡¯t. ¡°No,¡± Eli shook his head as he handed the seed back to Glassface, ¡°I-I can¡¯t¡­¡± Glassface hadn¡¯t reacted in quite the way Eli thought it would. It didn¡¯t seem offended by Eli¡¯s refusal, nor had it attempted to sway him otherwise. It just stood over him as it had before. ¡°Is that a refusal?¡± Glassface croaked. ¡°I just don¡¯t¡­ there isn¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s time! I don¡¯t have enough time!¡± Eli cried out, ¡°I mean, all of this is happening to me at once and it¡¯s just too much! I don¡¯t know what to believe or what to do! I don''t understand anything! At all! Everything is just... everything is falling apart at the same time and I can''t keep track of what''s real and what isn''t anymore! All I want is to make sure that I can get my squad out of Helena safe! That¡¯s it! I really can¡¯t do this right now¡­¡± ¡°Ah. A matter of time then,¡± Glassface¡¯s robotic voice sounded like it was chuckling to itself, ¡°Of course. I should¡¯ve known mortals would¡¯ve been bound to time. This must all be so confusing for you, no?¡± ¡°That¡¯s quite an understatement,¡± Eli whispered, though Glassface continued. ¡°What if I made you an offer that you couldn¡¯t refuse? If it is time you want, I can give it to you. I¡¯ll revive you, just this once, to settle your unfinished business. But, when the ¨C time ¨C becomes more appropriate, I will approach you once more to make the decision. Plant the seed, or reject it. The choice will be yours to decide in due time.¡± Eli thought the proposal was strange. Glassface was offering him this as a concession¡­ but why? It truly was an offer that he couldn¡¯t refuse. He was revived basically for free, kicking the question of accepting Glassface¡¯s proposal down the road for the time being. There was no reason not to. Not any logical reason at least. None that Eli could conjure, whatever that was worth. And so, Eli accepted. Nodding his head slowly to the creature, ¡°That¡¯s all I need. Time.¡± ¡°So be it. But remember, there will be a time when you have to choose. Consider my words carefully¡­ There will be pain and then there will be light,¡± Glassface paused before turning to face Eli head on, ¡°I will see you up ahead.¡± The forest, the garden, his home, all of it vanished as the void returned! The colors were like looking into the face of the portal once more, they washed over him sucking him into the swirl of light and color. He could feel wind rushing over him, and rain pouring over his soaked body. It was cold. He was falling, or flying upwards, he didn¡¯t know which one. It was impossible to tell direction or which way was up. All he could see were the colors rushing past him, it was like he was spinning in perpetual motion. He felt the pain, coursing through his body. It burned harshly, ebbing and flowing, but never dissipating. It filled every thought and every emotion inside of him and it forced him to let out a guttural scream. And then there was light. It was blinding. He could see nothing. No more color, no more light. Darkness. Once more...
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 57: Into A New Dawn

===[Chapter 57: Into A New Dawn]===

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His face was drenched in rainwater. He could feel rough concrete scratching against his face. The pitter pattering of rain send vibrations through the plastic of his tattered uniform, letting the cold water touch his skin between the cracks. His blurry eyes slowly peeled open as the smell of something burning nearby filled his nose. Glassface, the garden behind his home, the seed, those images slipped from his mind as his eyes adjusted to the world around him. He was in darkness. Surrounded by a coffin of twisted steel. Gingerly, he tried standing, but couldn¡¯t make it far before his cracked helmet banged off of another steel surface, forcing his head to remain bowed and his knees to remain crouched. Through cracks in the concrete, Eli could see sparse light. Daybreak. It couldn¡¯t have been more than ten minutes that had passed since Eli was knocked unconscious, for the gunfire was still going just as strong as ever. But it seemed the darkness of night had already faded, though the storm kept up. Rain poured into Eli¡¯s coffin through the gaps between the steel containers. He¡¯d have to crawl his way out through one of the gaps. Though his body hurt like all hell, he forced himself to crouch low to the concrete. Pulling himself along the claustrophobia-inducing ¡®cave¡¯. The containers seemed to have settled in place since they¡¯d toppled, but it would¡¯ve been a suicidal idea to trust that they¡¯d hold. Eli certainly didn¡¯t want to stick around to find out. As he crawled along the concrete, the view of the port nearly blinded him. Somewhere along the tight alleyways, just beyond a wall of shipping containers, a fire had broken out. Large enough to silhouette the massive cranes standing high above. Black smoke rose into the stormy weather while the contents of the containers burned, crackling, and exploding. The smell that stung Eli¡¯s nose took on a far more distinct chemical nature, and it made Eli cough as his sinuses and throat burned. But he continued. Squeezing himself through a narrow gap in the containers, and into the outside world, he emerged. His legs were shaking and weary, and he felt entirely distorted. The rain drummed almost soothingly against his helmet. His trembling hands reached up to the straps keeping it tethered to his skull, and despite fumbling the lock repeatedly thanks to the tremors that coursed through his body, he managed to get the thing off. The dark blue carbon fiber was stamped with a cyan and orange delta on the back where it hugged the back of his skull. The surface had caved in with a small crater punched into the helmet just above the tip of the delta. Though the hole was small, the message was clear. Eli shouldn¡¯t be alive. He fastened the helmet once again, trying his best to soothe the tremors that coursed their way through his body. He was alright enough to walk, and that was good enough. Matteo could fix whatever else was wrong with him once Eli caught up and¡­ Wait. Matteo? Eli¡¯s eyes darted around. The moments that had led up to him being practically buried alive and crushed underneath the containers were all a blur, yet they came back to him the second he thought about Matteo. Where was he? Was he alright? He observed the port. There was no sign of the sentry, for now. And the crux of the fighting seemed to have moved on to a different section of the port, meaning that the Imperials wouldn¡¯t be around. ¡°Matteo!¡± Eli called out into the rain, hoping upon hope that he¡¯d hear a response, ¡°Matteo! Where are you?¡± Clumsily, Eli slinked his way around the scene of destruction. Toppled containers, a crater blasted into the concrete, devastation. The sentry tore this place to shreds. It was no wonder why they were such a massive threat to the rebels. And to think that Otaes told him stories about fleets of them terrorizing her home. And what of the Behemoths? He¡¯d only seen them once, his first brush with danger here on Narva, surely a single Behemoth would be enough to bring a city to its knees. Much less several. ¡°Matteo!¡± He screamed again into the void, his voice straining to keep up. There was still no response. He looked over at the crater that the sentry had blasted into the concrete. The main gun had missed Eli and Matteo, but the effects of the shockwave were enough to destroy everything. Had Matteo been vaporized? Or had he been buried? ¡°Matteo! Can you hear me? Matteo!¡± He saw a pile of collapsed containers and twisted steel. Their contents had spilled out across the floor. Some had caught fire, though they luckily remained small and contained amidst the rain. There were a few places where the steel formed gaps large enough for a human to fit inside. Eli limped over to the mess, collapsing in front of a crevice as his hands tried to dig through the spilled cargo to tunnel inside, ¡°Matteo! Say something!¡± His voice desperate to get a response, but there was none. He kept digging, refusing to take silence as a answer. Eventually his digging opened up a crevice which had nothing inside. Besides, the gap would¡¯ve been too small. He limped over to the next crevice to continue digging. Ruined cargo standing in his way, boxes, envelopes, immoveable crates containing impossibly heavy objects, all of this clutter standing in his way. It was infuriating to dig through, but he had to. His arms cried for Eli to stop, but he the demands of his body. He wouldn¡¯t stop until he found Matteo. When the crevice was opened, there was yet another empty coffin. Frustrated, he climbed the pile of debris to another crevice, calling out Matteo¡¯s name the entire time, hoping for some response. Any response. A word, a scream, a grunt, anything that would let Eli know that the man was still alive. Another empty crevice. Eli was starting to run out of crevices that were accessible to him, and soon he¡¯d run out. The next one over was also empty. His heart was racing, as it was fond of doing. Thrashing against his chest like a mad dog begging to be let out. His breathing was shallow, and now his arms were shaking. There had to be something out there¡­ he wasn¡¯t going to accept that Matteo had been buried for good. And even if he was, Eli would dig. He¡¯d get Otaes to come down with Archer to dig him out. Or something! He¡¯d have Sparrow¡¯s rebels look for him. Hell, he¡¯d wrestle Overwatch again to find him underneath the rubble. Matteo was here. He had to be. Just when Eli thought that perhaps he¡¯d been buried underneath a different pile of rubble, he heard a weak gasp from underneath the rubble. A sudden renewal of energy shot through his veins, and he sprung into motion. Scrambling down the rubble to locate the source of the sound. His eyes led to a tiny crevice, hardly large enough to be a notice on the far side. His hands landed on the frame of some loose twisted steel blocking it off. He tried to tug against it, and the steel frame budged, but wouldn¡¯t come loose completely. Yet in the faintest glimpse of light that trickled into the crevice, he could see it. An orange ring, a cyan delta, ¡°MATTEO!¡± With confirmation that the phantom was there, Eli found his arms flooded with a strength he was sure had long since vanished. He fought against the steel frame until it came loose enough for him to squeeze through. Poking his head into the extremely narrow entrance, there he found Matteo. The bearded man was lying on the floor in a pool of rainwater mixed with his own blood, covered in shadows. Eli crouched low through the crevice, wrapping his hands underneath Matteo¡¯s arms, feeling the plastic uniform¡¯s slick surface against his fingertips. It was a struggle, but with some strong effort, he managed to pull Matteo¡¯s limp body free from his coffin. The sight that awaited him was horrifying. As he dragged Matteo out into the open world, a thick trail of blood followed, painting the concrete a crimson red that refused to be washed away by the rain. Matteo¡¯s chest was rising and falling, yet only slightly. What little it seemed he could speak came out in guttural groans and gasps for air. And his head¡­ there were cuts, bruises, broken¡­ everything. His mouth in particular was covered in his own foul blood, and it traced a path down his chin and throat to stain the rest of his body. Eli body dragged Matteo until he could lean the man up against the wall. His heart was still racing. He took a look over at Matteo¡¯s body, knowing that the man in his current state was unfixable. At least not by his shaking and inexperienced hands. He took a look around at the battlefield, hoping he¡¯d be able to spot anything of use, but finding nothing except danger, ¡°Don¡¯t worry Matteo¡­ I¡¯m gonna get you out of here, I¡¯ll get you back to¡­ to Otaes. She can heal you,¡± Eli said, looking up hoping to see Archer¡¯s feathery figure cross the skies. But if he was even still alive, he wasn¡¯t visible from where Eli stood. Matteo¡¯s eyes were half lidded, somewhat aware of his surroundings. His breathing was worse than Rafael¡¯s before he was healed by Otaes. Labored didn¡¯t even come close to describing the way that Matteo took in his shallow, shaking, breaths. It was as if breathing hurt the man. And judging by the blood that covered his mouth, it didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out that his lungs had been hit. Either by shrapnel or crushed by the weight of the containers. Eli unzipped Matteo¡¯s prisoner jacket, revealing more bleeding wounds plastered across his chest. The color drained from Eli¡¯s face when he scanned across all of the cuts and deep incisions. There were too many to fix now. And each cut seemed far too deep to brush off as minor. The explosion¡¯s shrapnel had punched holes into his chest, and really it was a miracle that the man was still alive. Somewhat. Matteo¡¯s chest shook as he took another painful breath of air in, gasping, struggling to inhale. Eli tried his best to look calm, cradling Matteo¡¯s bloodied head into his arms, ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ you¡¯re okay¡­¡± he lied. Honestly, Eli couldn¡¯t tell if he was lying for Matteo¡¯s sake or for his own. Panic wasn¡¯t large enough a word for what was coursing through Eli. This man, the only one throughout all of Misfit that had understood him ¨C sort of ¨C was dying in his arms. This man, the one he¡¯d pulled a gun on only a few short weeks ago and accused of being a traitor, was here. His head cradled against Eli¡¯s chest, as Eli tried his best to keep the man calm. The light was slipping out of his eyes, but even still he attempted to speak. ¡°E-E-li¡­¡± Matteo choked out. ¡°No, no, just relax. Okay? I¡¯m gonna get you back home. You hear me?¡± Eli told him. But of course, Matteo ¨C even in this state ¨C was too smart to believe that. He knew it. It was Eli who refused to accept it, ¡°Don¡¯t quit on me now, Matteo¡­ think about Misfit. We need you. You¡¯re our doctor, right?¡± Eli smiled, ¡°What will we do if¡­ I dunno¡­ if Omar loses his arm or something? You gotta stitch it back. And Rafael he-¡± ¡°Eli¡­¡± Matteo groaned again, he returned Eli¡¯s smile though it was covered in his blood and the incessant rain¡­ and his tears, ¡°T-t-take my¡­ my gun,¡± Matteo¡¯s shaking hand rose to point towards the rubble. His rifle was halfway lodged in the pile, but it was accessible. It would¡¯ve been no use to Matteo now¡­ ¡°Listen to me!¡± Eli shouted at him, ¡°Not like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going t-to hold you here¡­¡± Matteo whispered, ¡°K-keep watch over¡­ Misfit. T-they need you. Save them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saving all of you!¡± Eli shook the man, ¡°You included! Come on! When you talk like that you scare the shit out of me-¡± ¡°Freeman,¡± Matteo again said his name. But it wasn¡¯t like how he said it before. When Eli¡¯s eyes locked with Matteo¡¯s, he saw those tears building up within. Glossy eyes staring right back at him. His smile had faded into a painful grimace. ¡°No¡­¡± Eli said, ¡°No¡­ you can¡¯t¡­ you can¡¯t do this me¡­ not now¡­¡± he said, ¡°Think about¡­ think about your kid. Ottavia, right? She¡¯s waiting for you man, she needs you.¡± Eli shouldn¡¯t have said that, for Matteo had begun to weep the moment he brought up her name. He broke, tears streaming from his eyes. They carved trails through the blood and dirt that caked his face, before disappearing into the dark depths of his beard. The tears of a father unable to reunite with his lost child. The tears of a man who¡¯d die never to return back home. He was crying. A man defeated after so long. A man who¡¯d lived his life playing by the rules with the hopes that those in charge would reward him with his normal life yet again. A man who¡¯d done everything he could to bring himself one step closer to his family and his home. Dying in Eli¡¯s arms. ¡°Matteo.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­¡± he struggled to speak, even to keep his eyes open, ¡°This wasn¡¯t h-how it was s-s-supposed t-to end¡­ Freeman. T-they were r-right¡­¡± And suddenly, as if Matteo had only just realized the hopelessness of the situation, his grimace turned into a exasperate smile as he let out one final exhale, ¡°We were never going to make it out of here¡­ I should¡¯ve known¡­but it¡¯s not t-too late for you!¡±Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°But-¡° ¡°K-keep Misfit safe¡­ t-that¡¯s your job¡­ and¡­¡± His words trailed off, growing fainter with every weakened heart beat, ¡°And remember¡­ freedom is worth¡­ worth fighting for¡­ I didn¡¯t listen to them¡­ I¡­¡± Eli listened like it were the word of God himself speaking, he had no other choice. ¡°I¡­ never would¡¯ve¡­¡± The trembling words stopped, Matteo¡¯s teary eyes glazed over, staring into the distance behind Eli¡¯s head. His expression softened as he trailed off, and his body went limp. A man drifting off into sleep. Eli had no words. He held the man close, wrapping his arms around him and cradling him, refusing to let him go. The top of Matteo¡¯s head was planted firmly underneath his chin. He could feel Matteo¡¯s weakening breath on the exposed parts of skin. One breath in¡­ another out¡­ one more breath in¡­ and another out¡­ And just like that, Matteo was dead. Matteo was dead and it was Eli¡¯s turn to begin crying. He caressed his limp head gingerly, knowing that Matteo was not around anymore to feel his attempts to comfort. A part of Eli refused to believe that just as he¡¯d begun to understand Matteo, he would be killed. Dying in his arms no less, an awful, horrible death. His daughter, all that Matteo longed for in life, gone. Eli didn¡¯t remember crying like this over Cato. There was too much to say to Matteo that hadn¡¯t been said yet. Matteo still had dreams of his own, buried under nihilism that there was little hope outside of collaboration with Overwatch ¨C sure ¨C but dreams nonetheless! In fact, beyond everyone and especially Eli, it was Matteo whose home still existed in some form or another. It was Matteo who still had a life on Earth. And now, Ottavia¡¯s father was gone. Slain on another planet unbeknownst to her. Dying in his comrade¡¯s arms. Perhaps she¡¯d never know what had happened to him, just as Matteo never knew what happened to her. Perhaps she was already waiting for him in the afterlife, or perhaps not. It was the ambiguity that was most heartbreaking of all. So much to say, and yet¡­ it would never be. He wished to stay here forever, holding the empty body of Matteo now growing stiff and washed in rain. But of course, he could not. From the distance, he could hear the sound of someone calling his name, rushing towards him. Misfit. Matteo¡¯s gun was buried underneath the rubble. Eli did a once-over, before he was again staring at Matteo¡¯s face. His eyes were still open, unflinching in the rain. Eli passed his hand over his face, closing Matteo¡¯s eyes as he moved his corpse into position for a proper rest, ¡°I won¡¯t fail you,¡± Eli whispered to him, ¡°I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice. I¡¯ll keep Misfit safe. Rafael, Badger, Dutch, Omar¡­ they won¡¯t die on this planet,¡± he stood up, looking down at the body of Matteo ¨C now with his arms at his side, his eyes shut, and his head pointed upwards towards the storm clouds while the rain fell all over and around him. It looked¡­ peaceful. ¡°I swear they won¡¯t,¡± Eli said finally. Matteo probably already knew that he would¡¯ve. But now¡­ it was guaranteed. If Misfit died on Planet Narva, Eli would die with them. No more running, no more games. From above, Archer the griffon circled not too far from the ground with Otaes and possibly Temetet riding on his back. Swooping down for a landing. Archer landed just as Misfit drew close, his massive feathery body sending a small breeze of wind flying against Eli¡¯s body and peppering him with more rain for a moment, while his wings flapped one final time before he rested on his legs. Just as predicted, Otaes and Temetet were on his back, and they scrambled to get off. ¡°Eli!¡± He heard Badger¡¯s exhausted voice chime through the storm. Slowly, he turned from the resting body of Matteo to his squad. They were all absolutely drenched in the storm, just as much as Eli was. Their footsteps created splashes through deep puddles. Badger, Dutch and Omar. Rafael and Sosa were missing, worryingly enough. Badger was the leading the trio as was expected from her, ¡°Eli! Thank god you¡¯re okay!¡± She shouted through the rain, relieved as she drew near. ¡°We saw the Sentry attack from our position,¡± Said Otaes, ¡°We were going to send Sosa to try and find you two but the Imperials dislodged us from our ambush spot.¡± ¡°The entire line has been smashed through. The rebels are on the retreat¡­ everywhere. It isn¡¯t looking good,¡± Dutch filled in the gaps between desperate gasps for air, ¡°We need to find Matteo and¡­¡± As Dutch approached only then was he able to spot what the issue was. For Eli was still crouched over Matteo¡¯s body. He hadn¡¯t said a word, knowing that they¡¯d find out what happened when they closed the distance and when the fog of the storm cleared. ¡°Holy¡­¡± Omar whispered, stunned, ¡°Is that Matteo?¡± Eli looked down at the floor, nodding. ¡°Come on, we have to move him! We don¡¯t have much time before the ¨C ¡° ¡°There¡¯s no point, Badger,¡± Eli said, ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Temetet slowly walked near, peering at the body from above, before he was joined by Badger and Omar, ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°It was the sentry. The explosion didn¡¯t kill him but he was badly injured by the falling debris. I tried to fish him out but¡­ his injuries were beyond saving. I¡¯m sorry.¡± The news hit all of them like a train. He could see it in their faces, a range of emotions from shock, to horror, to uncertainty. They were speechless, all of them. What more could be said? ¡®This wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to end¡¯, Eli thought to himself, knowing it was pointless to try and imagine any other kind of scenario where Eli would¡¯ve been able to save Matteo. Maybe if he¡¯d was paying closer attention, he could¡¯ve noticed the Sentry sooner? Maybe he could¡¯ve pushed Matteo out of the way or find somewhere else to hide among the containers. Maybe they should¡¯ve tried to move as soon as the dragon was no longer a threat? Should¡¯ve, could¡¯ve, would¡¯ve. But there was no going back now. Badger was the first one to come to her senses, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry Eli¡­ I know what he meant to you but¡­ we really do need to get moving,¡± she said, standing up straight and taking a look around, ¡°Rafael is fine, Sosa is carrying him to the Counting House where Sparrow and the last of the rebels are. We¡¯re alone out here, all the rebels have already fled to make their last stand with Sparrow.¡± ¡°If your transport doesn¡¯t come now, it¡¯ll be too late,¡± Otaes said, ¡°We¡¯ll never make it out of Helena. Not alive at least.¡± ¡°D-do we take Matteo?¡± Omar asked, still visibly shaken from the sight of Matteo¡¯s bloody corpse. His eyes were wide open, staring at him. Arms frozen at his side. Badger rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, ¡°We have to come back for him. He''s dead. He can¡¯t get hurt now.¡± Omar nodded only slightly. Eli sighed as he stood up. Matteo¡¯s rifle was still buried somewhere in the rubble, ¡°We¡¯ll make it through,¡± was all he said as he did so. For this was it. Now or never. Misfit would have to regroup at the counting house with the rebels and make their final stand- ¡°Shit! The sentry¡¯s coming back!¡± Dutch screamed. The remnants of the squad turned their attention to the horizon, and sure enough, the silhouette of the final sentry ¨C Matteo¡¯s murderer ¨C was making its way back towards them. Perhaps not actually trying to locate Misfit, but rather heading towards the counting house. between. And with the sentry getting closer, it was almost guaranteed that the brunt of the Imperial army was moving along with it. The four of them were stuck in the middle. ¡°Damn! Can we outrun it?¡± Badger asked. Otaes shook her head, pulling out her bow and readying it, ¡°Not likely. That thing is moving too fast and there¡¯s bound to be Imperials escorting it.¡± ¡°So, what do we do?¡± Eli, Badger and Otaes all looked at each other. There was only one more thing that they could do. ¡°We hide, and if that fails¡­¡± Eli loaded a magazine into Matteo¡¯s rifle with nothing but pure determination. Matteo¡¯s murder would be avenged, that¡¯s for sure. That sentry would come down, no matter what, and Eli¡¯s friends would survive. They had to, ¡°We fight.¡± ¡°Not much of a plan if I¡¯m being honest,¡± Dutch remarked. ¡°What¡¯s the alternative?¡± Eli asked him. ¡°Have we tried surrendering?¡± ¡°You think they won¡¯t vaporize us regardless?¡± ¡°It¡¯s an alternative. I never said it was a good one,¡± Dutch shrugged, getting his own gun readied. ¡°So¡­ we¡¯re doing this¡­ for real,¡± Temetet asked, rather a bit nervously, ¡°We¡¯re fighting the Imperials?¡± Otaes looked at Eli. The way the rain washed against her mask was like something out of a work of art. Whether she was looking at him for reassurance, or for something else was obscured by the painted surface. But he knew she¡¯d stick by Misfit. Temetet and Otaes were practically in the squad now. And it was a comforting thing to know that a warrior of her skill would be out there fighting alongside them, ¡°Mom would be proud,¡± Otaes said. ¡°Our real mother, you mean.¡± She nudged Temetet¡¯s shoulder, ¡°See? You¡¯re getting it. There¡¯s no place else I¡¯d rather be right now, than right here, fighting against the Avonians. Especially with friends like you,¡± She said, glancing over to Eli and Misfit. ¡°Likewise, Mirage,¡± he said her name with a slight inflection, ¡°Likewise,¡± Eli said to her. ¡°Then let¡¯s find cover,¡± Badger said. Immediately, Misfit ¨C one man down, and two more replenished ¨C sprung into action. The fallen containers were a decent spot to hide and ambush the Imperials and the NSE as they made their way through the central alley of the port. The sentry wasn¡¯t far, and soon its blaring red eyes would be trained on Misfit. Though Misfit lacked the rockets to take it down, Otaes had her explosive arrows, and there were still plenty of places to hide. Otaes rushed to Archer, gently cupping the griffon¡¯s face in her hands, ¡°Hunt,¡± was the order she gave him. Immediately the griffon understood, spreading his wings and ascending into the stormy morning skies above the Port of Helena to ward off any dragons in the area and to keep the skies clear for Misfit. ¡°Man! He is still so cool!¡± Omar said in awe as he watched the griffon fly off to pursue the Avonian dragons. Eli and Badger surmounted a pile of rubble that would provide ample cover against the oncoming Imperial advance. Both of their rifles were pointed down range at the T-intersection where a few destroyed containers had their own containers spill out, that would be the spot where the Imperials would emerge. Already, a plan was forming in Eli¡¯s mind¡­ Otaes and Temetet had taken up a spot higher up above, climbing up the containers to gain a better vantage point. And right as Omar, the last one, found a spot to take cover, the rumble of the Sentry grew near ¨C as did the familiar whine of an engine. Eli sucked a breath in to keep himself calm, hoping to steady his hand which he hadn¡¯t even realized were shaking. So much was going through his mind. From Glassface to Matteo to this. His brain couldn¡¯t concentrate. He¡¯d have to force himself to relax. He was still alive, even if through Glassface¡¯s intervention. And now, he¡¯d have to fight to prove that Glassface¡¯s ¡°nudge¡± wasn¡¯t in vain or wasted. And just as he opened his eyes to face the world, the first Imperial drone emerged from around the corner¡­
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===[Chapter 58: Pyrrhic Victory]===

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Another scouting drone, black and covered with Imperial Insignias. It was flying a little while ahead of the main Imperial Army, making a beeline towards the counting house. It hadn¡¯t spotted them yet as it hovered only mere inches from the ground. Lights from the drone were flailing left and right, scouring the alley for any potential spot where rebels could be hidden for a ambush. Eli held off shooting it, knowing that the gunfire would only alert the Imperials to their presence, and the element of surprise was the only advantage Misfit had going for them. ¡°Hold your fire, let the drone pass,¡± Eli whispered to those around him who could hear. They would have to wait until the main body of the Imperial Army, and the Sentry itself, appeared face-to-face. If they were beaten here, they could make a desperate attempt to flee to the counting house, but it was unlikely that they¡¯d make it before the NSE destroyed them. Badger nodded, holding her weapon to the side. Eventually, and luckily for them, more scattered gunfire from another direction had grabbed the drone¡¯s attention, sending it on a tangent as it flew into another alleyway away from Misfit. A lucky break, if brief. For the sentry was stomping closer, and Misfit would be face-to-face with the robot death machine first. Every step it took brought the sentry closer, and Eli would have to think of a plan. Yet, a plan wouldn''t come soon enough. The sentry announced its presence with the familiar cry of its foghorn-like ¡°voice¡±. In one nearly-graceful maneuver, the spider-like legs of the machine ascended up and over a wall of container, nearly dislodging one as it strode forward. The hull of the machine was marked by a large black scar, the surface where a mighty mouse managed to connect but failed to penetrate ¨C despite some chunks of applique armor being knocked off. From the wound, it was slightly leaking that familiar black tar-like substance, like blood. It was wounded, but perfectly operational. The sentry¡¯s eyes basked the entire alleyway in familiar ekron red light, making the shadows darker and more defined, forcing Misfit to scurry further into their darkness hugging the walls of the containers. There were no dragons nearby and the drone must''ve been scouting the path ahead for the sentry. Eli suspected that there were Avonian troops following just behind the sentry, using it as a massive sledgehammer to shatter whatever resistance the ULA could still conjure. Eli held his breath in anticipation as the sentry drew closer. Each stomp sent a vibration through the concrete, one that Eli felt in his core. Would it spot them? He saw the forms of Otaes and Temetet moving up on one of the containers to his left. They had the high ground, at roughly the same height as the sentry. Both were taking care not to skyline themselves, a task made somewhat easier as the rising morning sun was almost totally obscured by the storm. He saw Otaes'' shadowy figure grab hold of the bow on her back loading a single arrow. Eli guessed that it was an explosive arrow. The only one that she had left. Surely she wasn¡¯t hoping to kill the sentry? She should know that the arrow would only stun it at best, maybe if she was really lucky she could blind it or destroy another critical component. ¡°What is she up to?¡± Badger whispered, ¡°She¡¯ll get herself killed if she tries to shoot it.¡± Eli forced himself to relax, Otaes knew what she was doing. She was a Kitchi warrior for a reason, no? ¡°Trust her,¡± Eli said to Badger. Otaes pulled back the drawstring of the bow while aiming. The sentry hadn¡¯t spotted her, but she was definitely in a exposed position. Temetet meanwhile was doing something else with his multitool. He was clambering down the containers on the opposite side where Eli couldn¡¯t see¡­ was he going after the drone? If Otaes and Temetet had come up with a plan. Eli would just have to trust in it, even if he didn¡¯t know what exactly it was. The sentry took a few cautious steps closer, and the red lights were threatening to erode the last bit of shadow left that kept Misfit. It was either now or never. And she let the arrow fly. The red tipped arrow sparkled as it shot across the stormy air. And with a successful connection, it impaled itself into the armor of the sentry. A small explosion rocked the sentry, almost like someone sucker punching it. It stumbled around, knocking into a container and sending it crashing to the ground in a cloud of sparks and small fires. It tried to deploy its shield, but the magical energy field only flickered by the shield generator gave out. The shield might¡¯ve been destroyed, but Misfit now had to deal with a now angry sentry as it clambered back to its feet to shoot back. ¡°Cover her! Aim for the eyes!¡± Eli shouted. The Phantoms fired their guns sending volley after volley of bullets smashing into the hull of the sentry. The volume of gunfire was enough to force the sentry to reconsider pursuing its initial aggressor, as it shifted its posture to attack the phantoms on the ground. It opened fire with its smaller gun, sending bursts of energy slamming into the dodgy cover Misfit had taken. Eli, Badger, Omar, and Dutch were forced to scatter, getting up to their feet and running while keeping the pressure on the sentry. Their frantic movements in opposing directions were doing a good job at keeping the sentry guessing where to shoot, missing shots as it tried to lock onto one target only to be interrupted by yet another. Their scattered moves would keep the sentry preoccupied for now, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before the sentry charged its primary gun to obliterate them all. That is until Otaes let out a whistle, a high-pitched whistle loud enough for Eli to hear even over the gunfire. Eli at first wasn¡¯t sure what the whistle was for, until he saw Archer¡¯s form swoop down from his position in the skies. The griffon immediately went for the sentry¡¯s back, digging his claws and talons into the metal arm, and using his beak to cut into the rear like a fork cutting through dinner. The sentry screamed with a robotic shriek so high and loud that it nearly sounded organic... terrified even. Archer ¨C for his part ¨C also unleashed a shriek somewhere between the call of an eagle and the roar of a lion as he viciously attacked his prey where its was most vulnerable. The sentry flailed as it tried to get Archer off its back, purposefully slamming itself into containers, and judging by the way Archer¡¯s wings were flapping to maintain balance ¨C it was doing a decent job. Yet Archer remained tethered, and his claws exploited the gaps in the sentry¡¯s armor to the fullest extent possible, digging underneath the armor plates and getting at the vulnerable robot parts underneath. Like a shark prying open the shell of a turtle. More of that black ¡°blood¡± leaked from the body of the sentry as Archer¡¯s talons dug further in, and the sentry¡¯s vocalizations only got more desperate. ¡°Thank fuck he¡¯s on our side!¡± Dutch exclaimed in awe as he watched Archer tear into the sentry¡¯s back. ¡°Kill it dead Archer! That¡¯s for Matteo!¡± Shouted Omar. The sentry continued to flail about, moving erratically towards where Misfit had taken a position. Its desperate scrambling forced Misfit to take cover ¨C lest they wanted to be impaled by its sharp legs or sent flying after being hit. Eli ducked for cover after narrowly missing a leg that had come dangerously close to turning him into a human baseball. Even with the sentry being ripped apart by Archer, they were not yet safe. For as Eli predicted, Avonian infantry was following close behind the sentry. More NSE, and to Eli¡¯s dismay, almost all of them were Alpha troops. One Alpha lieutenant led a squad of other enhanced soldiers towards the firefight. Alpha suppressors and Shock Troopers flanked their ranks, two of each. And eight elite Imperial soldiers filling the gaps. Thirteen elite Imperial soldiers and not a single militiaman in sight. The Imperials opened fire forcing Misfit to once again scramble for their lives as they shoddily returned fire ¨C all while the sentry remained active. Eli worked his way into a somewhat workable position as he fired at the advancing NSE. The Shock Troopers charged in first, deploying their shields the moment Misfit returned fire. ¡°Don¡¯t waste your ammo while their shields are up!¡± Eli said to them, ¡°If you get a clear shot, aim for their eyes, that¡¯s the best chance we have to kill them!¡± The Alpha Lieutenants, Suppressors, and Shock Troopers were of course wearing masks with those large bug-eyed lenses that allowed the wearer to see. And in the case of the Alpha troops, those lenses were glowing bright red. Though being precise enough to nail a moving soldier through those lenses would prove a challenge, even despite their large size and glowing light. Eli reloaded his rifle, down to two magazines. He steadied his breathing through the holographic sight, placing the red dot around the eye of an advancing suppressors. Behind the wall of Shock Troopers shields, the two Alpha Suppressors were keeping true to their name, unleashing fire upon Misfit to keep them down and out of the fight. But from Eli¡¯s vantage point, he could just narrowly get a decent shot. He pulled the trigger once, and the bullet sliced through the eye of the suppressor. The red lights in both lenses of the mask faded to black, and the suppressor¡¯s body slumped over. Dead. The death of one suppressor was a big step forward at improving their odds on its own, but from the opposing side Badger also managed to score a kill on one of the advancing Shock Troopers with another clean shot through the mask lens. The NSE held their fire before trying a new strategy. The Lieutenants at front signaled for their troops to gather further behind the remaining shields, shifting the entire column of troops firmly behind cover. And from their pockets, the Lieutenants grabbed hold of something familiar. Grenades. ¡°Grenades! Scatter! Scatter!¡± Eli shouted as the round metal objects were thrown into the skies, glowing red full of magical energy, and arched their way down to the ground. Immediately Misfit split, taking off in almost all directions to take shelter as two grenades landed with a loud metallic clang. Eli nearly fell face first as he scrambled off of the mountain of debris he¡¯d been using as cover. Further into a smaller alley he went until the grenades exploded, sending him diving to the ground. Shuffling boots meant that the Imperials were quickly moving to press their new advantage. Eli did a quick check and saw that the grenades had failed to kill or even injure anybody, but the Avonians perhaps weren¡¯t expecting them to. It was purely a means to dislodge Misfit from cover and to put them on the backfoot. Eli opened fire as a Avonian soldier turned the corner around the mountain of debris. Both Eli and the soldier raised their weapons, but Eli was faster, blindly firing until he hit the Imperial in the chest and the body of the soldier dropped to the floor. Just as soon as one went down, another appeared, and then another. Once again, Eli was forced to scramble as a new hailstorm of bullets only narrowly whizzed past him. He was only able to find cover behind a somewhat dislodged container. Though the metal was thin enough for the bullets to easily smash through, it was the best cover within reach. Omar was already there, shaking. Badly. Just like during the first battle. The kid was trying his best to keep it together, that much Eli could tell. But he was sitting in the middle of a puddle with his back practically glued to the container. It was like he was trying to fight himself to spring into action, but he couldn¡¯t, ¡°Omar!¡± Eli shouted above the gunfire. No reaction, ¡°Omar!¡± The kid¡¯s terrified eyes once again landed on Eli. And suddenly, they were back at The Nexus on the first day of their Major Kovic¡¯s wild ride into this terrifying new world. Omar¡¯s frail body huddled inside of a trench, shivering from fear as the behemoth advances upon them. Almost unstoppable. It seemed like so long ago. In reality, it had only been less than two months. Omar had become much braver since, but deep down he was still so terrified. And although Eli couldn¡¯t admit it, so was he. He placed a hand on Omar¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Phantoms are impossible to kill,¡± Eli said. Two months ago, and he would¡¯ve dismissed such a claim as ridiculous. But here they were. They¡¯d lived through Avonian gas attacks, fought off dragons, escaped hordes of Imperials chasing them down, brought down sentry¡¯s, survived hell numerous times, and even did the impossible ¨C staring down Overwatch and forcing their hand to bend to Misfit¡¯s will. A temporary victory, but one unimaginably major. And if Glassface¡¯s words were to be trusted, one that would prove to be extremely consequential. ¡°I¡¯m scared,¡± Omar said, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry E-Eli¡­¡± ¡°Me too, Omar,¡± Eli said, ¡°But you¡¯re strong. Don¡¯t apologize for being afraid. We all are. That¡¯s natural. The world looks bleak, it always does. But if we keep trying, we will make it better. I promise.¡± Omar shook his head, trying to force on a smile but unable to keep it there for long. Eli smiled as he rose to return fire at the advancing Imperials, ¡°Stay strong, be brave. No matter how dark it gets, as long as there is hope, a better world is possible. Even if not for us, then for the future.¡± ¡°You said you were bad at giving motivational speeches,¡± Omar said, recalling that moment Eli had nearly forgotten... the first day on Narva, just after the Nexus had been assaulted by a Behemoth of all things... somehow they not only came out alive, but victorious. ¡°Two months stuck on an alien planet can really change a person, huh?¡± Eli said, reloading his gun and standing up to return fire. He saw that Badger and Dutch were holding their own brilliantly. They¡¯d also found shelter by climbing one of the containers while the Imperials were distracted with Eli and were firing down on the squad of Avonians to keep them at bay. He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that they could hold their own. Badger of course had her experience as a soldier in the Korean War, and Dutch himself was a militant long before he¡¯d been captured and imprisoned. Put the two together, with Badger¡¯s training and Dutch¡¯s sharpshooting, they were almost unstoppable all on their own. That just left Omar and Eli, and while Omar had some ways to catch up, he¡¯d do fine under Eli¡¯s guidance. He wondered if this was how Otaes felt about Temetet? Training him to be a warrior in his own right. It was bizarre seeing how similar the two were. Speaking of which¡­ Eli returned fire down the alley way, keeping the advancing Imperials suppressed just enough with the limited amount of ammunition that he had. Often times, he¡¯d be forced to duck back behind the container as the Avonians fired back, sending sparks flying into his face as ekron energy collided against rusted steel. It was enough to keep the regular Avonian soldiers back. But the Alpha Lieutenant took the initiative, deploying its shield and rushing down the alley before being assaulted by a storm of bullets. Though it was ultimately an arrow piercing through the back of its skull that brought it down before it could pose a serious threat. From the distance, Otaes loaded yet another arrow into her bow before taking another target. And just like that, Misfit was back on the offensive. Eli got Omar back up to his feet, desperate to press the advantage that they had. He took the lead, pushing up the alley to return to their original position of cover. Firing at the Imperial soldiers and managing to down another one as he rushed upwards. Covered by Dutch, Badger, and Otaes, there was little they could do. But a drone emerged from the depths of the containers. The same recon drone from before. At first, Eli raised his weapon on the drone. But then the drone dove¡­ into the Imperial lines. Its quickly spinning metal blades carved into loose fabric, cutting the flesh of normal Avonian soldiers deep. And to armored targets, like the Shock Troopers, it collided into their helmets and armor with enough force to stun them, at least momentarily. Sparks collided as the drone¡¯s steel blades crashed with steel armor. Eli wondered why the drone was targeting its own friendlies, until he saw Temetet once again peek out from behind the containers. He was wearing a boyish grin as his mop of curly silver hair blew in the storm¡¯s wind. In his hands was the multitool that he used to control Imperial computers and machines. And painted across Temetet¡¯s face was nothing short of pure bliss from the fact that his plan was working! The lines of the imperials were broken as they tried to shoot the drone down. The shock troopers lowered the shields, and the remaining soldiers broke into a retreat as they fought to gain some distance. Meanwhile, with the shields down, Misfit and Otaes were able to fire upon the scattered Imperial lines with impunity. They were just on the cusp of winning this engagement, when they heard yet another whooping cry from the Sentry. Archer was still hanging on, now for dear life. It was clear that he was growing exhausted. He was strong enough to tear apart the relatively light armor of the dragon synths no problem. But the sentry was proving to be far more of a challenge than he was equipped to handle. His wings were beating slower, and his movements were growing even more sluggish. All the while, despite the damage, the robotic sentry had no such need for rest. It kept slamming itself into nearby containers, again, and again, and again, until¡­ Archer slipped! His grip came loose. The griffon tumbled off the back of the sentry, and his wings fluttered to get him airborne once more. But he¡¯d fallen right in the dead zone of its legs. Archer was fast, but the sentry was faster. And with a raise of its spindly, and deadly sharp legs, it swiped at the griffon. ¡°ARCHER!¡± Otaes immediately sprung into action as Archer was sent careening into a wall of containers, with a brand new bloody wound torn across his chest. ¡°Damn it! Cover her!¡± Badger shouted out, she and Dutch both opened fire on the sentry to hopefully distract it while the swift and nimble Otaes rushed to get her griffon out of harms way. But it was a wasted effort. The sentry took a few steps back, and then let out another ¨C extremely angry ¨C call from its siren. Placing itself purposefully between Misfit and Archer¡¯s body, it blocked them from advancing. The sentry¡¯s guns opened fire, again sending Misfit scrambling for cover. Even Otaes was forced to stop and find a place to hide. Their hope relied on Archer being able to overpower the sentry, and with Archer down, the tide of the battle had shifted against them in the blink of an eye. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. And to make matters worse, it was charging its main gun. The sentry was determined to kill them all. ¡°TAKE COVER! RUN! RUN!¡± Eli screamed. But it was too late. Red energy grew around the main gun. Badger and Dutch were scrambling for cover, with Eli doing his best to drag Omar deeper into the alleyway. But when the main gun unleashed its death ray, everything changed... It took only a small moment for the tide of the battle to turn. Just as Misfit was on the cusp of beating the Imperials back, the rug was pulled from under their feet. It all happened so fast that Eli''s mind couldn''t even process it yet. The explosion had thrown Eli to the floor, covering him in dirt and ash. He could feel the heat from the blast, and the tremors through the ground. He had been knocked down, but was still alive and conscious. When all the shaking and chaos subsided, he opened his eyes... He''d been knocked a considerable distance, seeing only smoke and ash in the spot where the main cannon had fired. He couldn''t see the sentry, neither did he see any Imperials. But what terrified him to most was just how silent everything had become. Everything was still. No gunfire. No shouts. No screaming. Just the pitter-pattering of rain on the concrete ground and the distant crackle of thunder through the storm clouds. Out of his wits, and in a lot of pain, he did the only thing he could think to do, ¡°M-Misfit!¡± He cried out. Internally, he was screaming. In his mind he was beginning to panic feeling the situation get to him, ¡®come on, come on, come on!¡¯ his mind ran in circles, and silently he was begging Glassface to work his magic. To ensure that they were alive. ¡°Misfit!¡± He called out again, this time with more force. The sentry whooped in the distance, though it was out of sight for now. He could hear its legs marching steadily towards their position, and just behind the wall of containers, he could see the top of its head bobbing up and down as it marched closer. ¡°P¡­please¡­¡± Eli coughed out, ¡°Anyone!¡± ¡°I¡¯m here!¡± Badger¡¯s answered, though weakly. He looked up to see that Badger had been knocked from the top of the containers and thrown to the hard concrete ground. But she was shakily getting up to her feet. ¡°I¡¯m fucked but I¡¯m still alive,¡± Dutch¡¯s pain-filled voice answered, he saw Dutch not too far away from Badger, also back on the ground, holding his arm, ¡°Argh! My fucking arm! I think I¡­ I think it¡¯s broken!¡± Dutch called out. His voice was shaky, cracking at some points. Eli could tell the adrenaline running through Dutch''s body was the only thing keeping him afloat. But he was still alive. ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Answered Omar, finally, ¡°But hurt. Everything hurts. Bad...¡± It was a relief to know that Misfit was still alive, but judging by the sounds of their voices, they were in no position at all to start running again. Besides, where would they even run to? Where exactly was safe from the prying eyes of the sentry or the other Imperials for that matter? And from the distance, Eli could hear a whirring sound. One that sounded like blades spinning in the distance¡­ could it be Temetet¡¯s drone? What was he expecting his drone to do against the Sentry? But he listened closer, hearing that the whirring sound was coming from behind them. Perhaps another Imperial drone, or a fleet of them judging by how powerful the sound was... He placed an uneven hand on the concrete ground, his bloodied hand soaked by a puddle of rainwater. Rain continued to beat down on him, and he shakily remained there in the middle of the alleyway. Unable to move without his own body screaming for him to stop. Matteo¡¯s gun had been launched far from his reach, leaving Eli only with his pistol. Red light flooded the entrance of the alley, and the damaged eyes of the sentry appeared at the end. Standing tall, blocking off exit completely. Sparks occasionally fell from the exposed parts of the sentry¡¯s hull. And its movements were far less calculated than they once were. It twitched uncontrollably as it advanced, but it advanced nonetheless. It was haunting watching the spider-like monster stand in the midst of the hell it created. A titan, unstoppable. Even as it limped its way through the battlefield, close to dying, bleeding black tar across the ground, it couldn''t be stopped. Not by Eli. Not by Misfit. Not even by Otaes, Archer, and Temetet. A giant so strong that even as it stood so close to death it was an insurmountable foe. Eli drew out his pistol. His shaking hands struggling to get a firm grasp. But it was the only thing he had left. The sentry located them through the ash, and charged its main gun. Again. This time, it was going to finish the job. ¡°Guys¡­ I don¡¯t think¡­ I don¡¯t think we¡¯re gonna make it,¡± Dutch whispered. ¡°You have to run!¡± Badger clumsily got up to her feet, but her movements were sluggish, and that was being generous, ¡°Come on! Eli what are you doing? RUN!¡± Eli held his pistol up to the sentry. As it charged its main gun. He knew that there would be no escaping it this time¡­ but he wouldn¡¯t go down without a fight. That¡¯s for sure. Rafael taught him that. Cato taught him that. Matteo taught him that. Otaes taught him that. And even Sparrow had taught him that. It was better to die than to be a slave¡­ surely. And he¡¯d fight for his freedom. The whirring behind them was louder than ever before. He fired on the sentry once. The bullet glanced off the cracked metal hull and went careening into the void. He fired once more, hitting the sentry in the leg harmlessly. He took aim going for center mass, right at the main gun. His shaking arms steadied¡­ and he closed his eyes. Instead of hearing the familiar sound of his pistol, it was drowned out by the sound of something else entirely. It was like the roar of a dragon, except even louder. It cracked through the air, sending vibrations through Eli¡¯s core. His eyes shot open, and immediately he was greeted by a massive beam of glowing green light ¨C tracers ¨C colliding against the hull of the sentry. A massive white spotlight had fallen onto the sentry¡¯s body, illuminating the beast as it was assaulted by a¡­ A helicopter. Large, grey, modern. An osprey flew into view, the newer ones whose jet engines roared in lieu of propellor blades. The main rotary cannon of the osprey opened fire, sending hundreds even thousands of armor piercing rounds colliding against the sentry with ruthless fury. The rounds tore through the already weakened armor of the sentry. It pierced through the open holes, tearing through its body, ripping through the machine like a hot knife cutting through butter. Sparks, explosions, black blood, all of it erupted erupted from the broken hull of the sentry as the Osprey circled it from the skies. Another explosion signaled the complete destruction of the sentry¡¯s engine, and like a giant being felled, the sentry went down in a fiery path of smoking destruction. The Coalition had arrived. Overwatch hadn¡¯t forgotten after all. Eli¡¯s smile grew as he watched the sentry collapse, before the spotlight of the Osprey turned to the remaining Imperial troops. Red ekron energy rounds were fired against the Osprey, but to no avail. And in return, the Osprey unleashed pure devastation on the Imperial lines. Shattering their shields, making short work of their armor, and sending those lucky enough to escape scattering away. Misfit erupted into cheering as the Osprey¡¯s spotlight turned onto them, he could see the Headhunters inside identifying Misfit by their uniforms. The symbol of the penal unit seemed to glow in the bright light of the Osprey. ¡°WE¡¯RE SAVED!¡± Omar shouted out, his voice joining in the choir of cheers coming from Misfit. From the distance, he could see Otaes and Temetet only look up at the helicopter in recognition, before they went to tend to Archer, now that the Sentry had been felled. It¡¯s body limp against the ground, leaking black tar that surrounded its carcass like blood surrounding the slain body of a dead man. Like Matteo¡¯s blood had. ¡°That¡¯s for Matteo you piece of shit,¡± Eli whispered as he slowly climbed up to his feet. Omar and Badger helped Dutch up, and it was clear that he¡¯d broken his arm from the fall. But they were alive. Alive though not well. Far from it. He wished he could feel relieved by the arrival of the gunship. But he knew that such thinking was na?ve at best. They were dead men walking. And now that Overwatch had them in their clutches, finally, they would be punished for daring to rebel. The osprey touched down in the middle of the larger alley not too far off. Otaes and Temetet were relieved to find that Archer was still alive, though dangerously wounded. With some magical healing from Otaes, Archer managed to stop bleeding, but it was doubtful that he could fly ¨C meaning a trip for the griffon inside of the osprey. Eli watched the two as they cautiously approached both Misfit and the descending Osprey. Where would he be without them, he wondered? Perhaps dead? Perhaps still stuck in the grueling work of the Penal-Unit? Perhaps, he¡¯d be free by now? Eli smiled though as he met Otaes¡¯ eyes. And just behind her mask, he could tell she was smiling too. They¡¯d survived Helena, against the odds, and saved the refugees to boot. But it came at a cost. A grave one. Matteo was dead. Misfit was probably to be sent to solitary for the rest of their lives in the best case scenario; hung at the worst. A spoiled victory. As close to triumphant as the phantoms could get. The rear landing door of the osprey opened, revealing a squad of very well equipped Headhunters. Special forces, dressed in their combat uniforms and advanced body armor, night vision goggles, carrying guns that would never fall into the hands of the phantoms. A wall of highly trained, highly dangerous, knights .And among those knights was Captain Juma. She was dressed much like the other Headhunters. Helmet, body armor, assault rifle, everything. And if looks could kill, Eli would be dead twice ¨C no ¨C three times over. The moment her eyes locked onto his, there was a rage painted across her face he¡¯d never seen in anyone really. The door opened fully and Juma led her squad of headhunters to secure the area. They trained their weapons on the Phantoms and onto the elves, their bright flashlights stinging Eli¡¯s eyes. She walked closer towards him, and Eli ¨C perhaps foolishly ¨C walked up to her. His mind was searching for anything to defend his actions. He had justified what he¡¯d done to himself and to Misfit, and that was to do the right thing and save over one hundred innocent people who would otherwise have been killed and flattened along with the ULA base. Or killed during the gas attacks. Or slaughtered by an enraged Imperial Army. Justifying it to themselves was the obvious thing. But to Overwatch High Command, to Major Kovic, those who cared little for human life ¨C or any life for that matter ¨C the ¡®right¡¯ thing was completely irrelevant to pursuing their own mission objectives. And the refugees were not part of the mission, judging by the way Juma was glaring at Eli, they in fact were a great hinderance to that mission. ¡°Captain Juma! I can explain everything that¡¯s happened to Overwatch, but I-¡° ¡°Prisoner Eli Freeman, stand down!¡± Juma gave a small shrug, ignoring Eli¡¯s begins as she marched her way towards him ¨C her fists balled at her sides. ¡°Wait¡­ please, you have to-¡° ¡°Stand down,¡± she warned once more with a bitter growl accenting her voice, one that should¡¯ve foretold what would¡¯ve come next as she stomped her way right up to Eli¡¯s face. ¡°Just listen to me ¨C" and in one moment, Juma struck at Eli punching the man in his stomach. It was a single powerful blow, one that was full of the anger that seemed to have been building up for a while now, Eli felt the blow to his core, doubling over with the fist still firmly planted in his belly and falling to his knees. He could hear commotion from behind, the rest of Misfit was screaming at Juma to stop, but the Headhunters had their guns trained on them. Misfit and the Elves trained their weapons back, A standoff with Juma standing tall and Eli writhing in pain at the Captain¡¯s feet ¨C both caught in the crossfire. There was silence, and through the pain that burned its way through his core, he could feel the tension in the air as both sides stared each other down. Juma, for the record, was completely unphased. She rolled her eyes as if annoyed at the matter, rather than fearful of the fact that a squad of prisoners and elves had their weapons trained on her and her Headhunters. It was as if they weren¡¯t a threat to her at all, ¡°I trusted you, Eli! You know that? I thought you could¡¯ve done it. For all of us Phantoms. That you and Misfit would be the first to get out of the Penal Unit, for once and for all. And you just had to ruin that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Juma¡¯s voice teetered on disgusted, ¡°Throw all of that away, and for what? Do you like being in the Penal-Unit? What the fuck is wrong with you?¡± ¡°They saved innocent people doing what they did!¡± Otaes screamed at her, ¡°You don¡¯t have the right to speak to him like that!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll speak to my prisoners any way that I¡¯d like, and I¡¯d suggest you keep your head out of our business,¡± Juma hissed back, before training her focus onto Eli and Misfit once more, ¡°Do you have even the smallest idea of the kind of chaos you idiots just brought to The Nexus? One hundred people. All of them hungry, tired, and without a home. We didn¡¯t have enough food to feed two battalions of prisoners, all of the regulars, and deliver regular aid to Canau¡¯s population. Now we have another hundred refugees on our hands! Do you have the slightest clue as to the kind of damage you¡¯ve just caused?¡± ¡°What were we supposed to do? Let them die?¡± Dutch demanded. ¡°You should¡¯ve obeyed orders. And that was to get Sparrow onto our helicopter back to The Nexus. But you didn¡¯t. You just had to resist. And because of that¡­ nobody¡¯s going back to Earth. Not anymore. All because you morons wanted to play the hero,¡± Juma shook her head again until she stopped mid-way through, her eyes narrowed when she surveyed the group, ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening in the Nexus, do you?¡± The phantoms and elves looked at each other in confusion, ¡°You mean¡­ apart from the refugees?¡± Juma gave a indirect answer, sidestepping the question, ¡°You¡¯ll find out,¡± she said, in a tone so ominous that it sent shivers down Eli¡¯s spine, ¡°Where¡¯s Sparrow?¡± ¡°He¡¯s at the Counting House with the rest of his rebels and one of our injured squad members. Rafael,¡± Badger said. ¡°Then that¡¯s where we¡¯re headed,¡± Captain Juma gestured to her Headhunters, ¡°Epsilon Squad, form up on me. Misfit, elves, stay out of our way. Get on the transit, and do me a favor ¨C try not to fuck anything else up while you¡¯re onboard?¡± And just like that Juma and her squad of elites moved on, making their way towards the large stone building at the center of the port. There were other Headhunters of course, the crew of the opsrey. They followed guns trained directly on Misfit to ensure that they wouldn¡¯t shoot back. ¡°Prisoners! Hands up! Now! Elves, stay back!¡± Shouted the commanding Headhunter whose gun was trained right at their chests. Eli could sense some slight hesitation to obey from his squad. Misfit had just pulled off the victory of a life time, like hell would they ever swallow orders from Overwatch like they used to again. But they needed to. This was the home stretch, for better or for worse. Likely worse if Juma¡¯s reaction was anything to go off of. But they couldn¡¯t risk losing everything now. ¡°Don¡¯t resist,¡± Eli said to Misfit as he stood with his hands raised above his head. Misfit slowly dropped their weapons at Eli¡¯s behest, with Otaes and Temetet only lowering theirs. Watching. ¡°Turn around with your backs facing us and walk to the sound of my voice! Slowly!¡± Eli swallowed. He couldn¡¯t believe that it had only been one day since they were shot down over Helena. A little more than a day actually. But so much had changed. Everything had changed. The storm was weakening and through the clouds that surrounded them, rays of sunlight beamed down on the docks. Another helicopter was flying not too far away, an Apache, firing on Imperial positions not too far away near the Counting House. Rafael would be safe with Sosa, he knew that much. So he kept his eyes on the Apache, glistening in the increasing sunlight, as he took one step backwards to the regulars. His squad did the same. ¡°Stop! Lower your hands and fold them behind your backs!¡± The Headhunter again shouted. Things had changed. Eli had changed. But the world seemed the same. The Coalition was the same, and Narva ¨C at least what small sliver of it he¡¯d seen ¨C had remained the same. Just as wild and terrifying as the day he¡¯d first stepped foot through the portal. Leaving behind the familiar old world and into a strange new one. He felt one of the Headhunters grab his wrists with a powerful force, and then he felt cold metal lock around them. A click signaled that the handcuffs were secured. He watched the others get cuffed too, before the Headhunters dragged them aboard the Osprey. It was Otaes who demanded that they be allowed onboard, along with their wounded griffon, and after some argument, the Headhunters relinquished. At least this was different from Raritan. Misfit wouldn¡¯t be making the long journey back to the Nexus alone¡­ The Osprey remained grounded while Juma¡¯s squad went to capture Sparrow, Rafael, and whatever was left of the rebels. While seated aboard the helicopter, everyone was silent. Completely. There wasn¡¯t much to say, and what little could be said was stifled by fear. He could see it in all their faces, the way they looked at the ground ¨C pale. Like children caught in the act of breaking a grave rule. It was possible that they were scared of Overwatch¡¯s wrath more than the Imperials ¨C with their magic and cyborg horror machines of war. At least with the Imperials, there was a chance that they could win¡­ He could see the Apache flying low, continuing to decimate the imperial forces. One moment passed, and then another. Juma reappeared again, and her squad was larger. Eli saw Sparrow¡¯s white beard, and Rafael was being carried by a Headhunter. Sosa and Bell both made it too. Eli and Sparrow locked eyes once more as they boarded the helicopter, and when everybody was inside, the doors shut ¨C and Helena faded into nothing but memory. They had survived Helena. But would they survive The Coalition?
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 59: A Long Over Due Process >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 59: A Long Over Due Process]===

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The flight back to the Nexus was peculiar. For roughly the past 24 hours, Eli''s life had deteriorated from a state of monotonous suppression and anxiety, to breakneck action and having his life constantly in danger. Helena had nearly killed him several times over. In fact, Helena had nearly killed them all. There was hardly a moment''s rest to be found since their helicopter had taken a nose dive straight into the concrete streets of the outer slums. And yet, on this helicopter ride back to the Nexus where Overwatch was waiting to throw them straight into solitary confinement, where the weight of their decision was on standby ready to haunt them. But in spite of that, Eli felt strangely... calm. Flanking the osprey, a golden sun rose above the horizon while the osprey flew through the passing storm clouds. When the clouds had scattered enough to see the ground, they were already quite a while away from Helena. So far that the concrete towers of Renewal only appeared as faint black dots shimmering on the periphery of mountains far away. As the clouds continued to grow thinner, there was enough light that pierced through where Eli could see the ground once more, and all the peninsula for its glory. The rising sun made the vibrant jungle of the Kiote Peninsula glow, basking it in the golden light of a new dawn. Drying the water from the fields and forests below. The helicopter rocked back gently as they flew, the engines of the aircraft provided a faint rumble from outside. Everything seemed so serene... Eli''s eyelids grew heavier with each passing moment, and the realization that he hadn''t slept properly in over a seemed to dawn on him. In front of him, Dutch was still holding his broken arm in a desperate attempt to nurse the injury. The Headhunters had given him a few bandages to help hold the bone in place and prevent further dislocation, but Dutch still needed to remain still. His eyes had been squeezed shut for most of the ride, until he opened them, scanning across the osprey''s interior and landing on Eli. Dutch offered him a weary smile, "Oh my god Eli... you look like hammered shit." "Hm?" Dutch used his good arm to point to his forehead, "It''s the bandages man, you''re covered in blood... what happened to your helmet?" "Broke it." "You look like you just survived a zombie apocalypse." Eli chortled, "We all did. Sorta." Dutch''s smile widened a bit further, though it was soon followed by a wince as he went to hold his arm in place once more, "Yeah... we all did. Free-Man." "You guys are never gonna let me live my name down, are you?" "Would you rather if we called you Soldier Boy all the time?" Badger elbowed him. Eli rolled his eyes, "You could just call me ''Eli'', you know?" "I like Soldier Boy better. More fitting." "Whatever," Eli sighed, once again turning to the window. Cloudy skies above. Rolling hills, arid mountains, and dry Mediterranean-esque grasslands whisked by below. Only interrupted by the snow capped mountains which split the Peninsula in half. The storm let up as they approached the border, and so too did the dry climate. Past a dividing line of mountains near the Kiote border, came the familiar sight of wetlands, jungles, and thick green vegetation sprawling across rolling mountains and coasts. It was ¡°Friendly¡± airspace, so they were told. Not too long after, Canau¡¯s sprawling seaside core jutted out from the lush green forests. And The Nexus ¨C looming in the hills above Canau like a dark fortress ¨C had become a sight to behold. It had only been a day since they left, yet The Nexus seemed even larger than ever before. He¡¯d likened it to a cancerous tumor growing in the jungle before when he¡¯d made this eerily familiar trip back from Raritan. But now, the cancer analogy was proving frighteningly accurate. Scattered throughout the jungle were new constructions. Smokestacks, large complexes, construction sites and freshly paved roads. Earth¡¯s industry was flooding the area around both The Nexus and Canau, perhaps just as Kovic wished. Large swathes of the forest had been blazed and flattened to make room for the growing presence of The Coalition. And like a cancer spreading across an afflicted body, The Coalition was poisoning the world around them. The smokestacks churned out clouds of ash and toxic chemicals, finally unrestricted by the environmental regulations of Earth perhaps. Industrial plants were given a sandbox to play inside, and with the no-doubt infinitely valuable resources of Narva to exploit, they weren¡¯t going to waste a single iota of efficiency. It felt wrong watching it, Eli thought. Eli was technically still fighting for The Coalition. He was the one who¡¯d made the Warrior Elves a firm ally. He was the one who¡¯d fetched them Sparrow. He helped Kovic get this foothold in the first place. Was Eli not to blame then for the cancer? Or was he just following orders? It made Rafael¡¯s calls for revolution seem even more obvious than ever before. It was one thing to be a willing slave, but one who¡¯d assisted in committing this level of destruction in the new world? One with dirt on their hands? He''d glanced at Rafael several times in fact. Mostly whenever he erupted into the coughing fits he was prone to. It was still heart wrenching listening to him. The medics aboard the Osprey were hellbent on ensuring that he was whisked away to triage as quickly as possible. So, when the Osprey finally crossed over the massive walls surrounding the base, and landed within the concrete compound, Eli almost felt a sense of relief wash over him. Almost. But not quite. Within the military fortifications and among the prison complexes of The Nexus, there was a new development. Tents. People crowded into the hot tarmac. Hapless Nexus staff running from person to person in a vain attempt to administer aid to the poor. The refugees had arrived into the Nexus. Saved from the wrath of the Avonian Empire, but now caught in the clutches of the Coalition. Were they truly safer here? He felt a nudge on his shoulder from Dutch, who looked him in the eye with a reassuring nod, ¡°We did the right thing, Eli,¡± He said, reading his mind, ¡°No matter what, they would¡¯ve died if Sparrow kept them in the base. They aren¡¯t dead now. That¡¯s all that matters¡­¡± It was some mild reassurance, but not enough to put him at ease. He knew what was to come next. The Osprey landed over hot black tarmac, and immediately the helicopter was swarmed by a squad of security units with their weapons out and ready to kill the prisoners at even the slightest hint of disobedience. When the Osprey touched onto the ground, the headhunters stood them all up in a line leading them out into the increasing daylight. He was still somewhat wet from all the rain in Helena, not having a chance to dry off even during the quite lengthy helicopter ride. But the moment he stepped out into the scorching heat of the Kiote sun, it was as if his clothes had dried immediately. The holes in his tattered penal uniform provided ample opportunity for the sun to burn scattered spots across his body, and it hurt to look up after he¡¯d been so accustomed to the relative darkness of Helena¡¯s stormy night. Just as they were forced out of the Osprey and lined up on the far side of the tarmac, he could see a still wounded Archer flying close and spreading his wings to land ¨C with both Temetet and Otaes in tow. The regulars seemed poised to shoot at them, but were ordered to stand down. Still though, they kept a nervous eye on the massive creature as he haphazardly came to touch the tarmac with his claws. He was hardly able to stand for long before he collapsed from exhaustion. Even with Otaes¡¯ healing, it was obvious that the griffon was hurting bad. The regulars meanwhile preoccupied themselves with handling Sparrow and the rebels. Eli and Sparrow shared eye contact, briefly, before Sparrow was intercepted by a regular and told to follow. He offered only a knowing glance towards Eli¡¯s direction, for what exactly ¨C Eli wasn¡¯t sure. The man still proved a mystery to him. Like everything about this world. And then like that, Misfit was alone again. Left to dry by the regulars as they scattered to deal with the rebels and the refugees. Left alone in the brutal heat of the sun in a far-away corner of the airfield where they couldn¡¯t bother anyone and could have an eye kept on them until Overwatch figured out what exactly to do with them. Even Rafael was left here with them with his condition appearing to worsen with the heat. With no Matteo to aid him, and with Misfit¡¯s hands literally tied thanks to the cuffs, he had everyone¡¯s concern as they tried to keep him alive and breathing through any means available to them. ¡°Come on buddy, just a bit longer,¡± Badger said to him, ¡°You¡¯ve still got a revolution to start. If you croak on us, whose gonna get us out of here?¡± Rafael through his labored breathing smiled, nodded at Eli before descending into yet another painful coughing fit, ¡°H-he¡¯ll do fine.¡± ¡°You think too much of me,¡± Eli said, returning the smile, ¡°I¡¯m just trying to go back home.¡± ¡°Me too, Eli¡­ me too,¡± Rafael whispered. It wasn¡¯t until Otaes came around that Misfit was put at ease. Temetet remained back with Archer, caressing the griffon¡¯s feathers as he recovered his strength while lying on the hot asphalt. Otaes seemed tired herself by the sluggish way she moved compared to her normally graceful and calculated movements. Everyone was equally exhausted, not helped at all by the unrelenting brutality of the sun which seemed intent on burning the Phantoms alive. Hell, if Eli didn¡¯t know better, he¡¯d think he was still back on Earth with how hot it was¡­ ¡°Misfit! Sorry I couldn¡¯t come sooner, I just had to deal with Archer for a moment,¡± Otaes hailed them as she approached the disgruntled squad. ¡°Is he alright?¡± Asked Omar. ¡°He¡¯ll live. But he¡¯ll be out of it until I can get him back for Raritan. As for Temetet, really both of us,¡± Otaes seemed to take a huge breath in, looking over the squad of Phantoms from behind her mask, ¡°Thank you¡­ for everything really.¡± ¡°What are you thanking us for? You¡¯re the one that saved us,¡± Dutch told her, ¡°Hell, if it weren¡¯t for you three we would¡¯ve been minced meat.¡± ¡°Well, maybe true,¡± Otaes gleamed, ¡°But I think Eli knows what I¡¯m talking about. Don¡¯t you?¡± Eli nodded, smiling again, ¡°I couldn¡¯t ever forget.¡± They engaged in a little more friendly back-and-forth before the squad turned their attention back to Rafael. Otaes performed another small spell with what little energy she had left to keep him alive until the regulars could finally turn their attention back to the Phantoms. Rafael¡¯s coughing eased up but failed to go away. While the squad conversed among themselves, Eli only watched them from afar. He felt, strange. Everything about this moment was so surreal, like he was living through it for a second time. Truthfully, he was. This was the second time that they¡¯d been flown back to the Nexus after narrowly being saved by Overwatch after doing something irredeemably stupid ¨C yet, perhaps morally correct. Getting lost in Raritan and entangled with the elves after embarking on a suicide mission to save the Rafael, Badger, and Cato. Only to end up with Cato dying. And here they were again, with Matteo also dead and Rafael¡¯s fate uncertain. Solitary was bad enough the first time, and Eli had only spent a few days in that cell. How long would it be this time? A month? A year? Indefinitely?If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Otaes noticed the way Eli was staring at the rest of the squad from afar, and she walked up to him, ¡°Long day?¡± She asked him, taking a seat on the floor against the chain-linked fence that separated the airfield from the rest of the base. The two watched the Coalition¡¯s helicopters ascend as they scrambled to contain the situation brewing across Helena, cleaning up Misfit¡¯s mess no doubt. ¡°That doesn¡¯t even come close to describing it,¡± Eli said with a shrug. ¡°I know how you feel¡­ I¡¯ll be rooting for you, you know?¡± He smiled as he observed the base spring into motion with Otaes seated next to him. The rising sun started to fade away into the back of his mind, smelling the strange combination of engine fumes and the surrounding rainforest¡¯s essence, ¡°I still owe you for saving me. All of us really. Again.¡± ¡°I told you, we¡¯re friends. Friends don¡¯t owe each other. We just... do. If anything, I''d be indebted to you for getting me out of the gas attack,¡± she shrugged as she trailed off, " You know what I mean?¡± ¡°I think so. I¡¯ll be sure to keep you in mind when I¡¯m getting my ass beat in solitary,¡± Eli chuckled, though his heart sunk when he realized that his joke was dangerously close to reality. Otaes herself giggled from behind her mask, ¡°You¡¯re gonna miss me, aren¡¯t you?¡± "Yeah. It isn¡¯t everyday you get to fight side-by-side with a warrior elf, you know? At least not back home.¡± ¡°I bet there''s no Avonians on Earth though." Eli shrugged, "Well, there''s no giant walking robot death machines. Or dragons. Or the NSE-" "Alright, you''ve sold me, take me back through the portal when you get the chance. I could probably deal with the rest of the bad stuff." "Oh you''ve got no idea," Eli''s voice sounded strangely wistful. Just talking about Earth at this point was enough to make his heart wrench. He knew he wasn''t going back across the portal any time soon, especially not after Helena. But he was back in the Nexus, and from where they were near the airstrip he could just make out the concrete dome Overwatch had constructed to shield the opening. The door back to his familiar world was right there... and yet, it was impossible to reach. Eli could try and just storm his way through, but he would obviously get caught and then he''d definitely get put on death''s row, if he wasn''t gunned down trying to reach the portal in the first place. Besides, something told him that Glassface wouldn''t quite appreciate it if he tried to run now. He wasn''t sure what exactly it was capable of... or what it really was at all... but it seemed like Glassface was giving him an unusual amount of generosity. He had enough enemies, Kovic, Juma, practically all of Overwatch Command and the Coalition, the Avonian Empire, and possibly even Sparrow and his ULA - though that remained to be seen. He didn''t need to start burning bridges with supernatural computer gods too. Suddenly, from his side, Otaes leaned in. Her voice was low and her tone had grown much more serious. Her blue eyes burned a hole straight into his own, like staring into his soul, "Listen Eli," she started, "You know it isn''t too late to get out of here. I could take you and anyone from Misfit who wants to go with me. Really. I could try and hide you." There was a startle somewhere in his soul when he considered the idea. But he knew it was a pipe dream at best. The rest of the squad would never agree, he knew that much. As for himself, the offer was tempting... But there was too much work to be done here. It would never work, "I''m sorry Otaes, but this is the only way I can get back to Earth, if that''s ever gonna happen now." "We could always try and figure something out..." "I can''t run from Overwatch forever. They own the portal, and they''re the only way I''m getting back through it... everything I know or once knew, it''s all behind that damn portal. And there''s a job that needs to be done here too, I uh..." He was about to mention Glassface''s name, but for fear of outing himself as clinically insane in what should''ve been his final farewell, he held his tongue, "I don''t know what I need to do. Yet. But I''m figuring it out. I can''t leave." "You''re gonna fight back?" Otaes'' voice sounded somewhat excited. "I can''t now. And if I do I don''t think I''ll win. But I can''t run from all of... this," he gestured to the Nexus around them. The new constructions that dominated the once verdant jungle were like the growths of an alien hive. Toxic smoke billowed out from the chimneys of the new plants and manufactories that had flooded the Nexus'' interior since Kovic''s rule had been solidified. It was a hostile takeover of a world that wasn''t theirs to begin with. Utopia perhaps for some shareholders living in high luxury offices billions of miles away. A Utopia for the colonists wealthy enough to secure a position here as new sections of forest were flattened to make room for what appeared to be new residential homes and apartment complexes. And perhaps, Utopia was even real for the Phantoms who had agreed to collaborate with Kovic''s rule and align themselves with Overwatch''s vision. But Eli was not one of them. Eli was not wealthy enough to bid for a spot to relocate here when Earth became too insecure. Eli was not fortunate enough to own empires of cash so large that he could guarantee his survival on another world while the one he''d been born on collapsed because of his own greed. Eli was a Phantom. He always was and always would be. The Nexus was not for him, and neither was the glimmering dream of Utopia. Whatever that might look like. "Narva isn''t my planet and you told me that before. But this is still my responsibility. Outside of the Avonians, nobody is going to stop this. And I don''t think you want to go begging the Imperials for help either? So... I have to stay." Otaes looked down, "I understand. Just do me a favor, don''t let them break you. You can be pretty dangerous when you want to be, so keep at it. And stay strong, Free-Man." "Likewise, Mirage." ¡°I hope we can meet again. Just under better circumstances, maybe.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love that,¡± Eli almost instinctively said, perhaps sounding a bit too eager. ¡°Send Misfit my regards. See you soon, if I¡¯m lucky,¡± And with that, she peeled away, headed back to Temetet and her Griffon who were both baking under the rising sun. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he said, giving her a brief nod before watching as she embarked on the back of Archer once more, only to vanish once again. This time perhaps, forever, ¡°Take care¡­¡± And not before long, the regulars drew near. Security units. Their electric batons were ready to strike the Phantoms down before even a hint of rebellion could arise. They swarmed Misfit, standing them up against the fence and forcing them together. They were taken away from the airfield, and far away from the impressive chaos that Misfit alone was responsible for. In the eyes of the Security Units, clear as day, Misfit was guilty. All of them. Guilty beyond saving. They were taken back into the mouth of the penal-unit wing of the Nexus. The 24/7 Propaganda reels blaring from speakers across The Nexus were audible now that they were further away from the airstrip. Eli half expected to hear Kovic¡¯s voice spinning some sort of twisted lie about what Utopia meant ¨C at least according to The Coalition¡¯s goals. But Kovic wasn¡¯t the one speaking. Instead, there were only alarms and the monotone voice of a automated machine repeating lines over and over again. ¡°EMERGENCY ORDER ¡®PRECINCT¡¯ IS NOW IN EFFECT. ALL PHANTOMS ARE TO BE PLACED UNDER LOCK-DOWN STATUS IMMEDIATELY. ALL AVAILABLE SECURITY UNITS ARE INSTRUCTED TO FOLLOW THE ORDERS ISSUED TO THEIR ARM MONITORS. REPORT TO SQUAD LEADERS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. RESPONSE CODE: LOCKDOWN, STABILIZE, SUPPRESS¡­¡± "Overwatch is locking the Nexus down. Juma admitted it herself, they don''t have enough resources and security units to keep a check on a hundred extra people," Badger noted. "What will they do? They can''t just send them back, right? I mean, if the Nexus is supposed to be a secret on Planet Narva, there''s no way in hell they can let any of them leave," Omar asked, "What if Overwatch just kills them all?" "They can''t just do that, that wouldn''t make any sense," Dutch shook his head. "But they''re powerful, a group of people wind up here in the Nexus and all Kovic has to do is snap his finger - just like that, they''re gone. Overwatch is the definition of power-" Omar''s rambling was soon cut off but a loud cough from Rafael who shook his head. Rafael shook his head, "Power doesn''t panic. We just handed them a defeat that they can''t lash out for. The refugees know who saved them, and once they start forcing Phantoms to assist - the rest of the Penal-Unit will know who saved them too. Guess who it was..." Rafael looked at Eli, "Us. Misfit. Before this, everyone used to be anonymous. Every year you were reassigned into a different squad, sometimes multiple times a year. You never knew where you were, or where you were going, you didn''t know anybody. But in the Nexus, they don''t have the resources to keep a infinitely changing pool of prisoners swapping around forever. Everyone knows each other, and now they know that Misfit won against Overwatch. And that, more than anything else, is making them afraid. We won, and the Penal-Unit knows it..." Rafael''s voice was still shaking, but he managed to get through his final sentence before having yet another coughing fit. "The Penal Unit can never win against Overwatch. And if they do, none of the others can know about it. Once the possibility of victory by challenging Overwatch''s orders is introduced, the illusion of power crumbles. Suddenly there is an alternative to either accepting abuse or being a collaborator. Now, you can fight the bastards." "We''re talking about revolution again?" Badger asked, "It isn''t possible." "Not yet. But trust me on this, it will be if Overwatch isn''t careful." Eli harped on his words. He hadn¡¯t considered it as a possibility before¡­ Overwatch¡­ afraid? Had Misfit ¨C a fledgling gang of prisoners who¡¯d narrowly escaped Helena ¨C forced Overwatch to blink? A smile crept onto Eli¡¯s face at the thought but vanished soon after. If Overwatch was afraid, Misfit would suddenly become the center of attention. There was no chance in hell that they would simply be left alone in solitary or even executed. No. Not at all. Forced inside of the bunker-like facility meant to process prisoners into Solitary confinement. Once again, cameras captured a headshot of each of their faces. They were stripped nude, too exhausted to resist, and delivered clean solitary uniforms once again. Just before they were separated to be delivered their sentences, they were left alone once again while the regulars sorted things out. Misfit¡¯s faces were all nothing short of depressing. Somehow, it was even more heart wrenching for Eli to watch them than before. They had done so much together, survived so much together, all for it to come down to this. ¡°This is the end,¡± Said Badger with a broken sigh. Dutch shook his head, ¡°I doubt it.¡± ¡°I wish I could share some of your optimism. I always kind of admired that about you, at least when it wasn¡¯t trying to get us all killed,¡± Badger leaned against the concrete walls of the bunker as she spoke, her eyes closed, her white strands of hair falling to her shoulders while her head was tilted up to the blaring white LEDs lining the ceiling. ¡°Well¡­ if nothing else, I was glad that we did what we did,¡± Piped up a smaller voice from out of the blue, Omar. The kid wasn¡¯t crying like he was last time, though he still sounded pained deep, deep inside, ¡°We did the right thing. I think. No I mean¡­ I know. I know we did the right thing. We saved people. Right? And through everything, all of the chaos, I¡¯m kind of happy that it happened. Especially knowing that it was with you all.¡± Eli thought his tears had dried completely from watching Matteo die, but it was clear that he still had some left. He felt them dribble at the lids of his eyes, stinging before they crawled their way down his cheek. Quickly he wiped a hand across his face to catch the tear with the sleeve of his new uniform before the others could see, though it was likely that they noticed him pawing at his eyes¡­ ¡°We fought the Coalition and won on our own terms,¡± Eli managed to break through the tight feeling his throat. He had so much to say, but his brain was too scrambled and there was too little time to say all of it, ¡°That¡¯s what matters. No matter what they do to us, our hearts will always remain free. There¡¯s no chain strong enough to break that.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re starting to live up to your name Free-man,¡± Dutch smiled. Eli smiled. They all did. Joking together like old friends¡­ Perhaps for the last time¡­
>>>[Verifying...] >>>[Searching For Newest Updates...] >>>[Searching...] >>>[Standby...] ==[ERROR: No New Updates. For Now. Check Back Next Time.]== Chapter 60: Like A Rolling Stone >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 60: Like A Rolling Stone]===

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The return flight home to Raritan was bizarre. Nothing really happened, and that was strange. Otaes listened to Archer grunt in exertion as he tried his best to remain airborne, still wounded but no longer afflicted by that horrific gash that the cursed sentry had given him. Temetet was also oddly quiet. His curly silver hair fluttered in the passing wind; the young elf¡¯s eyes frozen on the landscape. His bare face, no mask, only his dark skin and Raritan tribal tattoos. Forlorn was the feeling that came to her mind. At first, she couldn¡¯t understand why. They were going home. And to be fair, Temetet had just had the adventure of a lifetime all in one day. But then she remembered¡­ the mask. His status as one of the Kitchi had long been erased. The rule was simple, she supposed. Nobody was allowed to see a Kitchi warrior maskless. While she was willing to spare Eli¡¯s life given that Temetet was only a student, and since Misfit were friends, it was at a great cost. There was little in the way of exceptions to be made to the rule. Otaes¡¯ circumstance was bizarre, sure, but nonetheless it violated the Warrior Elf creed. The sacred creed. The one she¡¯d sworn all those years ago to dedicate her life to defending¡­ But, all this time spent defending it¡­ and what did she have to show? It was the Council of Elder¡¯s who had sent them into Helena in the first place. If it wasn¡¯t for them thrusting Temetet onto the frontlines because of their own desperation, this wouldn¡¯t have happened at all! It was the chiefs who were willing to sacrifice Temetet¡¯s life to this stupid war that should¡¯ve been buried years ago. Eli was twice as concerned about her safety as her own tribe. What then did that say about what she was fighting for? What was she fighting for? What if the chiefs demanded Otaes to kill Misfit for violating the rule? Misfit ¨C a squad of convicts from another planet of all things ¨C had done more to protect her than her own tribe had since her mother died nearly a decade ago. Ever since then, Otaes had just been ¡°The daughter of the Mirage¡±. Someone expendable. Important, but expendable, nonetheless. For the first time in her life, Otaes was without purpose. Of course, she¡¯d defend the Warrior Elf people. They were her people, and she belonged to them just as much as they did to her. But the chiefs and the people were not the same. Especially, Grand Chief Ani¡­ ¡®Nothing she could¡¯ve done¡¯, Otaes muttered under her breath, unsure if she was mocking the Grand Chief or not. It was Ani who¡¯d said those exact words to her. There was nothing Ani could¡¯ve done to protect Temetet from nearly being slaughtered. He was never supposed to be in Helena, much less on the frontlines against the NSE of all things. If it weren¡¯t for Eli, Temetet would be dead. And what would Otaes have done if he had died? ¡°What?¡± Temetet asked, hearing her. Otaes bit her lip, surprised Temetet could hear her over the rushing wind and through her mask. She wanted to tell him why she was so concerned, but she didn¡¯t want to terrify him even more. He knew that his review by the chiefs was coming, and once they realized that he had no mask, he would lose out on his lifelong dream. Better not to scare him any further, right? ¡°Nothing,¡± Otaes lied. ¡°I know that I¡¯m in trouble. And uh¡­ I¡¯ve accepted that. Don¡¯t feel too bad about me, I should¡¯ve known¡­¡± ¡°There was nothing you could do,¡± Otaes told him, her voice sounding surprisingly weak even to herself, ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Then whose fault is it?¡± The answer was clear to Otaes. She ignored the question, hoping to drop the subject but still thinking about it. It bounced around her mind, trapped within her skull and the mask. ¡°No matter what the chiefs say or do, in the end¡­ I¡¯m proud of you Temetet. Really.¡± And just like that, Temetet¡¯s forlorn expression was erased. His eyes snapped form the landscape to her, looking up at her eyes. His were so wide open they almost sparkled, the eyes of a kid still, or an adult who hadn¡¯t quite lost his youth, ¡°Really?¡± And underneath her mask, Otaes was smiling too, ¡°Really. You did good out there, Tem. Whether you become a Kitchi or not doesn¡¯t matter. So far as I¡¯m concerned, you¡¯ve already fought like one.¡± And now Temetet was smiling, a grin so wide his crooked teeth stretched from one side of his face to the other, ¡°Even after I almost¡­ you know, died?¡± ¡°Especially after that. You¡¯ve been through a lot Tem, and you¡¯re still here. That¡¯s what matters in the end.¡± ¡°Heh¡­ yeah I guess so¡­¡± Temetet trailed off until he returned with another grin that was somehow even wider than his last, ¡°Like, when I helped Sparrow¡¯s rebels with the civilians? That was good!¡± ¡°Yup! That was!¡± ¡°Oh and when I was stuck with Eli and we fought through an entire horde of Imperials by ourselves! I was the one who made the bomb drone! That was so cool of me!¡± ¡°Yeah it-¡° ¡°And like in the end when I hacked the recon drone and flew it into the Avonians! I saved Misfit!¡± ¡°Mhm¡­¡± ¡°I did so much! I¡¯ve gotta be like a hero or a legend by now-¡° ¡°Okay,¡± Otaes huffed, ¡°Now you¡¯re pushing it.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Temetet withdrew meekly. Otaes couldn¡¯t help but chuckle to herself, Temetet would do just fine. He was still a kid after all, he¡¯d learn. No matter what the chiefs said. But what about Otaes? She would find her answer soon enough as the familiar shape of Raritan appeared at the horizon through the jungle canopy¡­ Landing on the roof of the Tribal Palace was equally as bizarre as the journey to get there. She braced herself, expecting the usual snarky remarks from Pakena. Even fearing them to be extra-vitriolic due to Temetet¡¯s mask being notably absent from his face after returning home from a mission in which his mask would most certainly be necessary. But as Archer precariously touched talons on the roof of the Palace, Pakena was nowhere to be seen. Neither was his griffon. Nor, any of the griffons and their riders for that instance. Otaes and Temetet were quickly accosted by a few palatial guards, before being brought into the innards of the building, out of the scorching Kiote sun. No sooner had news of the duo¡¯s arrival spread, than the stares from the servants inside of the palace. Whispers, rumors of their involvement in Helena¡­ It seemed that everyone knew that something major happened there. They may have lacked finer details, but they were aware. And by the scowls and poorly-hidden looks of disappointment, they knew just how big of a failure it was. Otaes could feel her ears sink a little in embarrassment, though ultimately she knew that what happened in Helena was not her fault, nor was it Temetet¡¯s. Misfit¡¯s, perhaps. But most likely, it had something to do with their bosses. ¡°Overwatch¡± as Eli called them. And even more likely, it had something to do with Otaes¡¯ own superiors. ¡°The Chiefs¡± as she called them. Temetet was not taking it well at all. With his mask missing it was very easy to discern just how red his face got from the negative attention. Again, Helena was not their fault. And most of the servants and guards inside of the Palace were most likely unaware of what really happened in the city, meaning they truly had no reason to suspect that Temetet allowed foreigners to see his face. By the goddess, half of them probably didn¡¯t even know that Temetet was a warrior. To many he was just the younger brother of the daughter of The Mirage. Irrelevant to most. But the weight of the situation was clearly taking its toll on him, and the fact that they¡¯d been missing sleep for a day and a half was most certainly not helping. And finally, the grand event. The duo were hustled into the central throne room, kneeling before the seven thrones of the Chiefs. As per usual, each of the chiefs emerged from the depths of the palace. But one chief was missing¡­ Grand Chief Ani was also nowhere to be seen. Otaes lifted her head in confusion, before remembering that she was supposed to be prostrating herself in front of the chiefs as a symbol of respect. But Ani¡¯s absence couldn¡¯t simply be ignored. She was supposed to be here. Ani was a lot of things, but tardy or absent without just cause was certainly not among them. She couldn¡¯t fathom a reason for her absence until Chief Zee, the red leader of the Tappa Tribe spoke to her ¨C directly. ¡°Warrior Otaes. Warrior-In-Training Temetet. I acknowledge that the current meeting may seem unorthodox, however for now, and indefinitely, Grand Chief Ani will no longer convene with us. At least, not as The Grand Chief of the Warrior Elf people,¡± The elf said with narrow conviction. He spoke with a lot more authority than usual. With Ani out of the picture, Zee was now the most powerful Chief among the Warrior Elves, mostly due to his leadership of the second most powerful tribe ¨C the Tappa. ¡°May this Warrior make a request?¡± Otaes asked, calming her erratic mind enough to formulate a question that would satisfy the traditional behavioral protocol within the palace throne room. Zee nodded his head, ¡°You may proceed.¡± ¡°Why ¨C where is our Grand Chief and my Mother Ani? Is she absent willingly?¡± Zee chortled, surprisingly. He exchanged a few knowing glances with the other chiefs among the throne room. Otaes couldn¡¯t help but look up to watch them, but it seemed traditional protocol was either relaxed or pushed to the wayside for now, ¡°My dear Otaes¡­ the humans have a saying that there are decades - centuries even - when nothing happens. And then there are days when centuries happen. Yesterday was one of those days,¡± Zee began. ¡°The position of Grand Chief is now vacant,¡± said Chief Wuni of the Ximac, ¡°The council has voted to dethrone our ex-Chief. Voting will soon begin.¡± And like that, Otaes felt a wave of something wash over her. Fear, confusion, relief, regret¡­? She didn¡¯t know. It was all of them and none of them at the same time. What did she feel upon hearing those words? Chief Ani acted as the parents of Otaes and Temetet since both their mother and father had perished. Her position of authority had kept the two safe within the traditional culture of the Warrior Elf people. She¡¯d protected them from a lot, and though Otaes had some mixed feelings about her in general, she had to at least appreciate the effort Ani went through in order to protect the daughter and son of The Mirage. That¡¯s how Ani saw the two, anyways. So to hear that she¡¯d been dethroned, and it was almost certainly because of the failure in Helena... Otaes wasn¡¯t clueless after all. Ani had warned her that her position as Grand Chief was tenuous, and it seemed that she had been gambling on success in Helena to secure her position and inspire a wave of morale among the Warrior Elf people ¨C and perhaps the greater Kiote Union. But with defeat in the River Republic¡¯s capital, there was absolutely no chance of a quick victory as Ani hoped with the Coalition''s support. It must¡¯ve caused the entire nation to turn their back against her, before voting her out of her spot as Chief Matriarch. And to think that Otaes had some part in it¡­ well, not really. She was certain of that much. It wasn¡¯t their fault. Not in the slightest. It was ultimately Ani¡¯s own doing. She¡¯d placed too much faith in the Coalition to save them. But judging by what happened in Helena, not even The Coalition¡¯s own fighters had any faith in them acting properly. Not if Eli was to be believed. And she trusted Eli wholeheartedly. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°And for your mission in Helena, I wouldn¡¯t worry personally too much on the specifics. Our now ex-chief Ani led us to a ruinous defeat in the battle, and to think she was the same Grand Chief who guided us during our darkest hours years ago,¡± Zee seemed to scoff, ¡°But I¡¯m aware that it was not you, but Temetet, who had something to prove to the council? The mission in Helena was his proving ground, and given the fact that he¡¯s alive¡­¡± The attention of the chiefs drifted from Otaes to Temetet just next to her. He was doing his best to remain small and to keep his head bowed low. Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t notice the obvious¡­ ¡°You. Boy. Where is your mask?¡± A threatening voice boomed from Zee. Otaes could visibly see Temetet jump at the line. ¡°Chief Zee, it was a bizarre circumstance. There was a lot of confusion and-¡° ¡°I¡¯m not talking to you, Otaes! I¡¯m talking to the boy,¡± Chief Zee narrowed his eyes, ¡°It is indecent for a Warrior to speak out of turn!¡± ¡°B-but Temetet fought so har-¡° ¡°I do not care about his merits. All Kitchi warriors fight hard, and bravely. That is their job. But all Kitchi warriors also ensure that they are not seen by outsiders without a mask on, and given that Temetet is lacking his I can only wonder if he had been careless,¡± Zee resting a head on his fist, looking down at the two like a iron tyrant gazing upon his servants, ¡°Now speak, boy. Where did your mask go?¡± Temetet¡¯s pupils were tiny, and his quivering body shifted up to sit on his knees though his gaze was still locked onto the floor in visible fear. Temetet looked to Otaes, unsure of what to say. ¡°Chief Zee, please-¡° ¡°Warrior Otaes, one more word out of turn from you and you¡¯ll be escorted out of the room,¡± Said Chief Kianako of the Manatappa with a very bored sounding drone. ¡°It would be quite a shame for the Mirage¡¯s daughter to be disciplined because she couldn¡¯t keep her mouth shut,¡± Zee spat once more, ¡°Now, can the boy speak? Or did he lose his tongue too?¡± Defeated, Otaes turned back to Temetet. His eyes once again met hers, looking for an answer. Otaes gave him a nod, though she didn¡¯t like it¡­ Temetet would have to confess. Temetet¡¯s quivering looked pathetic in the scrutiny of the chiefs, but he seemed to force himself into talking, ¡°I¡­ uh¡­ I dropped it¡­ the mask. I lost the mask, sir ¨C uh ¨C my lord, Chief, sir¡­¡± Temetet immediately went back down to staring at the floor as soon as he finished. ¡°Ah¡­ then you have failed the exercise?¡± Zee said, his voice betraying a hidden strain of vitriol. Temetet said nothing as Zee turned to the other Chiefs, ¡°Brothers, sisters. Look at what Ani has bestowed upon us as her gifts, her legacy. A pathetic runt who can¡¯t even keep his mask on, and a loud mouthed girl lacking discipline because of her oh so legendary status as The Mirage¡¯s daughter. These are the defenders that Ani has demanded we place our trust into, while selling us out to The Commonwealth and the Belford Alliance. We¡¯ll become weak puppets while the Humans protect us with their glitterbomb arsenal. How lovely.¡± Otaes gritted her teeth, her nails were practically carving into the floorboards. Zee dared called Temetet a runt? After what he went through? And Otaes was the one lacking ¡°Discipline¡±? After all she¡¯s done, everything she was forced to endure to defend Zee¡¯s comfy position as Chief, Otaes was the enemy¡­ it was a humiliation beyond anything else that the Imperials could ever put her through. And it was compounded given the fact that it was coming from her own tribe¡¯s council. ¡°She played us right into the hands of the Ostraland Commonwealth,¡± Said Chief Wuni, agreeing wholeheartedly with Zee, ¡°Weaken our own defenses while enticing the Commonwealth and Oceania to place their weapons on our territory. She wished to destroy our cultural legacy in exchange for their protection.¡± ¡°Erroneous calculations breed horrific results,¡± Noted Chief Locus of the Hannawa, ¡°The Kiote War will only continue. It is imperative that we withdraw ourselves from the war immediately if defenders like these,¡± she glanced at Otaes and Temetet, sending yet another wave of hate flowing through the Kitchi¡¯s veins, ¡°Are the ones we place our trust in.¡± ¡°Agreed. In fact, I plan on doing exactly that. If you¡¯d give me the chance to, I¡¯ll reverse this long decline of our people. Wean ourselves off of Commonwealth dependence before we become another colony of theirs like the Oceanians or Katudanites. It¡¯ll be necessary, but only if we can get out of this war before it goes any further and any more of our people are killed,¡± Zee boldly proclaimed to the rest of the council and to the audience assembled before them, before turning to Otaes and Temetet, ¡°Now¡­ Kitchi Warrior Otaes, be grateful for the fact that I¡¯ve decided not to punish your transgressions in the throne room today. You are still a honorable warrior, so I am told, but your behavior needs to be corrected. Fix it, or we will,¡± Zee warned. Otaes bit her tongue, resisting to urge to scream insult after insult at the elf acting as the chief of the Warrior Elf people. Zee was a staunch traditionalist, that much was clear. She had noticed hints of that before from her previous interactions with him in the court, but of course they were always usually tempered by the more harmonist leaning Ani who held ultimate authority. With Ani gone though¡­ Zee could mold the Warrior Elf tribes into his vision, and with the state of war currently between the Kiote Union and the River Republic, should he also get nominated and elected as Ani¡¯s successor to the head of the Union, the entire peninsula would effectively become his domain just as it was Ani¡¯s. ¡°As for you, Temetet,¡± Zee addressed him by his real name for once, rather than using ¡®boy¡¯, though it was very clearly not a acknowledgement of compassion of sympathy. Rather the opposite, for the name was hissed as if it were spoken between the fangs of a venomous wyvern, ¡°I believe the council is on agreement with me on this, but your carelessness cannot go unpunished. As the acting chief of the Warrior Elf People, I hereby declare that you have been disqualified from achieving the rank of Kitchi Warrior. I¡¯d request that you turn in your mask, but I¡¯m assuming that it is long buried in Helena, correct?¡± Otaes turned over to see her brother, hunched over in his submissive posture of kneeling before the chiefs. It was difficult to make out from the way he was hiding himself, but there were definitely tears glittering in the faint light trailing down his cheek and onto the floor. Still quivering in fear, now probably heartbreak, it must¡¯ve taken everything in his strength not to start crying like a baby, ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± he whimpered. Hatred. Rage. Otaes¡¯ fingers were shaking they wanted to strangle Zee that much. She could probably kill him. She was definitely faster than the guards placed around her, though of course¡­ unfortunately¡­ she had to remain calm. It was heartbreaking, utterly, to watch Temetet in that state. Small, frail, and broken into tears. That someone would do such a thing with so much spite in their heart to her brother was unbearable to Otaes. Temetet didn¡¯t deserve that. She knew that much. ¡°What was that, boy? I can¡¯t hear you!¡± Zee shouted at him. ¡°Yes! Y-yes sir! I lost it in¡­ in Helena,¡± Temetet again whimpered. ¡°Ah,¡± Zee turned to the other chiefs, ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with. All in favor of disqualification¡­¡± Every chief raised their hands in unison, ¡°I suppose I don¡¯t need to call an ¡®all oppose¡¯ vote then. Temetet, you are officially barred from the Kitchi. And Otaes, I don¡¯t want to see or hear a peep out of you until you properly train your brother in the art of fighting and until you get your act together. Now both of you are dismissed.¡± Both Temetet and Otaes stood. Otaes kept her eyes closed as she did so for fear that if they were open, she would lunge at Zee. Until she noticed Temetet trembling. Immediately she reached down to help her brother up, and as the two left the throne room ¨C humiliated ¨C she cast a final glare at Zee. But it was doubtful Zee could see it as he turned to the other Chiefs to discuss politics.
Tranquil pondwater. Skittering water striders zoomed across the algae covered surface, zapping up little grubs and critters lurking just beneath the water¡¯s surface. Dragonflies danced with mosquitoes above the water¡¯s surface, as a guppy nibbled at the leaves of a flower dipped into the pond. With the jungle surrounding her, Otaes could once again get her thoughts in order. Her back was rested against the furry body of Archer, who was reclining in the tropical sunlight afforded by the clearing. He seemed to be healing just fine, and already was back to his normal playful and loyal self, even if he was being a bit lethargic. For that at least, Otaes was grateful as she idly patted Archer¡¯s feathered head. It was a lazy day today. Nothing to do except think about the past. It had been two days since she¡¯d come back home to Raritan, and somehow the days seemed shorter than the few hours she¡¯d spent with Misfit. The time felt hollow now, somehow. Why exactly? She wasn¡¯t sure. But every time she initiated that line of thought, she always came back to one person in particular. Eli. She wondered if he was alright. Had they killed him already? Probably. If so, he would have probably gotten off easy. For if he was still alive and held captive by Overwatch, well there wasn¡¯t much stopping her from fearing the worst. Eli suggested torture as a joke, but they both knew that it was a real possibility. She could only hope he was safe. She had tried to offer him and Misfit a chance to flee. They could¡¯ve escaped to Raritan where they would live free, why would they voluntarily submit themselves to being the Coalition¡¯s prisoners like that? But then, she remembered that Narva was - once again - not their home planet. Eli wanted to go back home to Earth. She couldn¡¯t fault him for that. To imagine being a prisoner of war, one day shipped through a portal and forced to fight in a new world... she wasn''t sure how technologically advanced Earth was, but it seemed that the concept of being to "different worlds" was one that had remained completely alien to them as it was here on Narva. His existence sounded terrifying when she thought about it. His home was not here on this planet, and he¡¯d been brought here against both his knowledge and will. Everything he¡¯d done while by Otaes¡¯ side had been coincidence. The wrong place at the wrong time. Besides, There wasn¡¯t much good here on Planet Narva anyway. ¡®Let the human go home¡¯ she thought to herself as a form of self-assurance. She could only hope he was holding well. If he was still alive anyways. Why was it that the people she cared about always ended up dead, or worse? Speaking of which, in the two days since they¡¯d been back from Helena, she had only seen Ani once. She was distressed, but ultimately confirmed everything that Otaes had figured out ¨C among other things. The Chiefs had voted her out because of the war, something Otaes already knew or at least suspected. Ani had broken her promise, ¡°Never Another Kiote War¡±, and in her hasty attempt to extinguish the spark, she¡¯d only spread the inferno. Emperor Kirk had already announced a surge of almost one hundred-thousand Imperial Soldiers into the River Republic after the Emperor declared a State of Emergency. And while an official response from the Commonwealth hadn¡¯t materialized yet, they were likely to intervene soon. Another Kiote War. Just like that, years of work to end one disastrous conflict had been relegated to the wastebin. Thousands of dead innocents for nothing. And thousands more certain to join them in their graves. The Kiote Union¡¯s attempt to capture Helena had failed, and the Avonians were back in the Peninsula to shore up their Riverlander puppets. There was no doubt that the Ostralands were getting ready to intervene themselves, and though they were allies with the Union Otaes couldn¡¯t help but wonder how much of this was their fault? ¡°Chief¡± Zee had obviously been wary of the Commonwealth¡¯s extreme influence in not just the Warrior Elf tribes but across the entire Union. On that, Otaes may have strangely agreed with him. Just this once. The Commonwealth was not acting out of benevolence when they loaned their support for the Union. But then, who would protect the Union from the onslaught of the Imperial Army. There were the Sevillians and their guns, and they might prove an equal match against the Riverlands¡¯ militia and Republican Guard on a good day. But they were nothing compared to the Avonian Empire¡¯s war machines. The Kitchi Warriors were a proud and ancestral people, but there was no fighting the fact that the world had moved on from a world where warriors could defend their homes with the guiding wisdom of their ancestors and the weapons native to their people. This was a new world where machines ruled, where warfare was cruel, and where suffering had become weaponized and refined down to a science. The Avonians were masters at it, and if the Warrior Elves couldn¡¯t adapt, they too would wind up like the Riverlands. Puppets. Or worse. Slaves. Chief Zee may have wanted to wean the Warrior Elves off of Commonwealth influence, but it would have been for nothing if the Warriors could not change. The only question now for everyone, Otaes especially, was what happens next? No future. No goals. Nothing. That¡¯s all she had to look forward to now. Nothing. At least back in Helena she was fighting for something. The survival of herself, Temetet and Misfit. But here, what was it for. The people? Yes, of course, the people deserved to be saved. But what about the chiefs? What about the nation that had forgotten her, labelling her as ¡°Daughter of the Mirage¡± and tossing her aside. What about the forces who¡¯d used her ¨C and now her brother ¨C as a living, breathing, weapon? The forces she¡¯d dedicated her life to? Perhaps that ended now, she thought, resting her head against the slumbering body of Archer. Her gaze lost in the infinite blue above. Maybe somewhere in the skies, The Mirage was there, looking back down at her. Guiding her. Still alive and flying high. Otaes would need her desperately if she was to be strong again. Her mother, hopefully, could hear her silent prayer. But it was doubtful that she¡¯d say anything in response. Chapter 61: A Narrow Path >>>[FOR THE BEST VIEWING EXPERIENCE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU SWITCH TO ROYAL ROAD''S DARK/OLED BLACK THEME]<<<

===[Chapter 61: A Narrow Path]===

>>> Loading File... >>> Subject Located... >>> Continuing playback from previous save >>> Acknowledged ==[Begin Memory Playback]==
¡°Mister Sparrow¡­ at long last, we meet.¡± Kovic¡¯s voice had been a lot more formal than Sparrow expected. He¡¯d been incarcerated plenty of times, thrown into prison for years, tortured by the NSE for days on end. The prison wardens he¡¯d all seen were cruel, gruff, authority types. Not at all like the man who sat in front of him who appeared more like some overpaid CEO from the future. Then again, ¡°Overseer¡± wasn¡¯t exactly on the same level as warden. Sparrow reciprocated with a silent smile as one of the Kovic¡¯s staff members offered him a glass of what looked like a clear though brown-colored liquid. The glass was cold to the touch, and he observed the spirits inside for a moment, ¡°Bourbon,¡± Kovic leaned forward to inform him with a self-satisfied chuckle, ¡°It¡¯s the good stuff, I¡¯ve just had a crate full of it delivered from back home about a uh¡­ oh, I don¡¯t know, a week or so ago?¡± ¡°I see,¡± Sparrow raised the glass to his lips, surprised that the ¡®bourbon¡¯, was sweet to the taste, ¡°It¡¯s definitely a surprise, though I¡¯m not stranger to liquor.¡± ¡°You look like a drinker. Not in a bad way, like a professional, you know?¡± Kovic mused as he reclined in his seat. ¡°I¡¯ve caught myself staring down the end of a empty bottle more times than I¡¯d like to admit. Hundreds, likely.¡± ¡°So I guess I was right? Good. Good,¡± Kovic nodded slowly to himself as he looked Sparrow up and down, ¡°You have to excuse me for the chaos going on outside. As you might have noticed, suddenly getting handed about one hundred extra mouths to feed wasn''t something we were prepared to handle." ¡°Mhm,¡± Sparrow nodded along, seeing where Kovic was taking this. "Under normal circumstances, we may have been more properly able to handle this whole mess. But, there''s the matter of logistics. We''ve got our hands tied. And it goes without saying that you''re the cause." Sparrow shrugged, "One hundred innocent people with nowhere to go, they would''ve all been killed by the Avonians. The Imperials were willing to drop rainbow gas and then flatten the entire building just to get to me." "They wouldn''t have been in danger if you hadn''t kept them there," Kovic said, "What was even the plan? Did you think that the Avonians wouldn''t pursue you just because a crowd stood in their way?" "At the time? Yes... that is exactly what I believed. The Avonians attempted a surgical strike with small detachments of their special forces to apprehend myself and the rest of the ULA. But, once Misfit dispatched of them the Imperials decided that they''d bury everyone." Kovic muttered to himself, "Misfit..." a tinge of disgust accented his words, oddly enough. Sparrow didn''t think Misfit would''ve been anywhere near Kovic''s area of concern. Someone as high ranking as Kovic shouldn''t really know or care about the existence of Eli Freeman. And yet, it seemed as if the bureaucrat sitting across from him had grown sick of hearing that name, "Look, I''ve got a crisis to resolve after this meeting ends, so let''s get to the reason why you''re here in the first place. I evacuated you, your rebels, and those people out of Helena for a reason. I was promised that the ULA was going to be a valuable partner and I''m hoping you''ll uphold that end of the bargain. Extenuating circumstances aside, we''re a lot like you are." Sparrow raised an eyebrow, "We are?" "We''re both trying to fight the Avonian Empire. You just happen to be communards, we''re... not. But, if it¡¯s anything like the communism we¡¯ve got back on Earth, I can tell you that it¡¯s very... uh... Utopian. Right? You want to build a world, a future, that has never before existed in human history with the skills, tools, and knowledge afforded to you by the technology of your era. You want to build utopia. Just like we do.¡± Sparrow gave a hearty laugh before taking another sip of the bourbon, ¡°That¡¯s a very keen observation, very scrappin¡¯ keen in fact. But I¡¯m not in the business of building utopias or making some grandiose vision for all society or whatever you might believe. I believe in fighting order. Slavery. Imperialism. That¡¯s what I stand for.¡± ¡°And I assure you, Mister Sparrow, so are we,¡± Kovic lied to him. If that were the case, Overwatch wouldn''t be using prisoners to do its dirty work, ¡°With our Portal we have singlehandedly done what no other civilization in either of our worlds could ever dream of! We can restart society and rid it of its vices. Our people, mankind, not just perfected. But purified. In your communard vision, I assume those vices to be corporate greed, the exploitation of the working class and especially ¨C Imperialism. While I cannot say I strictly agree, what I can say is that you and I share a lot of the same bugs. If you would call them that.¡± Sparrow set the glass down on the table, looking Kovic straight in the eye, ¡°Really now?¡± ¡°The Coalition offers you assistance in fighting The Empire. The Avonian Empire, that is,¡± Kovic stood from his seat, fastening his tie as he did so, ¡°You¡¯ll know our situation is unparalleled. Both in our Earthbound perspective and likely yours too. I¡¯ll tell you what, I¡¯ll be blunt. My bosses send me a report with a list of objectives they want me to complete, and one of them is to end the war with the Avonians by any means necessary. That means, you.¡± Sparrow nodded along as he listened, ¡°Okay¡­¡± ¡°The Utopia Project is a very secret thing on Earth, and we¡¯d like to keep it a secret here on Narva. The Ostralanders have already warned me that Avonia is probably aware of our existence to some extent, but we''d like to keep our involvement limited so as to not completely blow our cover. We need to somehow fight an enemy that both outnumbers us and outguns us without committing to a major war effort necessary to do so. Yet at the same time, we have to ensure the sovereignty of our Nexus and the Exclusion Zone and maintain our commitments to shareholders, generals, and eventually ¨C residents ¨C back on Earth.¡± ¡°So you want us, a known terrorist group, to fight the Empire for you?¡± Kovic tutted under his breath as he took a drink from his glass and then set the cold beverage back down on the table, ¡°Well, if you wish to be so direct.¡± ¡°You know who I am. I know who you are. Spare us both the scrap. You want us to somehow get the Empire off of your ass?¡± ¡°It¡¯s necessary for the survival of The Nexus. The war needs to end or else I cannot guarantee security for the people who make Utopia possible in the first place,¡± Kovic placed his hands on the desk, leaning close to Sparrow, ¡°I will do this by any means necessary.¡± ¡°Even though you know I¡¯m a red, and in a perfect world I¡¯d have your corporate ass swinging on the end of a rope?¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Kovic raised a finger with a deceptive smile, ¡°But you''d need someone to sell you the rope. And then you¡¯d need someone to clean up the scene when you go after your first target ¨C The Empire.¡± ¡°The ULA has operated fine long enough without the help of neo-orderites.¡± ¡°Has it really?¡± Kovic asked, shrugging his shoulders, ¡°I¡¯ve had a little chat with the elves, and they sent me a report from the Ostralander spy agency. The Revolutionary Department of Intelligence ¨C interesting name. The RDI says that, for all the years that the ULA has been active, the biggest triumph over imperialism you idiots have managed was blowing up a train and killing eighty innocent people.¡± ¡°If you think we¡¯re just some terrorists, why would you even bother working with us?¡± Sparrow leaned in over the table, "You want me to save you, so you can come from your world and start colonizing my own people? Why would should I help you?¡± ¡°Because you''re sitting in my office right now and not currently dead somewhere in Helena. Or worse yet, in Imperial custody getting waterboarded or electrocuted - however the Avonians torture their political prisoners." Sparrow smirked as he eyeballed Kovic, "That''s something more akin to the RDI''s style of doing things. I can assure you mister warden, those Imperial cunts are capable of a lot worse than strapping car batteries to my balls and frying my dick off." Kovic scoffed, "Of that I''m certain," He brushed his distaste for Sparrow''s vulgarity away with a flittering wave of his hand and another swing at the cup of that brown stuff called ''bourbon'', "What with all that magical ekron tech bullshit they''re capable of. They''ll probably turn you into some kind of brainwashed slave, if the reports I get from the RDI are anything close to accurate." "They tend to be paranoid, but the Ossies ain''t wrong," Sparrow shrugged. "More to the point, I extracted you from Helena and rescued you from Imperial custody. You''re here in the Nexus, more or less, as a political refugee. But I''ll have you know, I don''t do favors. I''m a very profit-driven man, Mister Sparrow," Kovic grimaced, "You have an obligation to return the favor. The ULA has potential. Helena is a city filled to the brim with revolutionary activity, even after the battle a majority of the ULA¡¯s cells within Helena remain intact - even if the Republic is collapsing currently. You have major cells across not just the River Republic, but in Avonia and internationally. You are the largest revolutionary group on this continent, perhaps this world. You''re the most well organized, the most committed on this continent, and with our help, the most powerful. Ask us what you want, and we¡¯ll give it to you,¡± Kovic raised a clarifying finger as if to make a point, ¡°But ¨C if we work together, you play by our rules. You want guns? I can get you guns. You want bombs? I can get you bombs. You want reconnaissance? We have drones. But you¡¯ll only get them if you strike the targets we tell you to, and stick to the deal.¡± Now Kovic was being blunt. He wasn¡¯t hiding anything about the true intentions of their meeting. The Coalition gets a terrifying new ally and in exchange, the ULA gets a backer. Not even the RDI could publicly acknowledge their support for the ULA, fearful of the controversy that directly arming a group that the Commonwealth had put at the top of the terrorism watch list could cause. But the Coalition was not from Narva. They didn¡¯t care what happened on this planet, so long as it didn¡¯t affect The Nexus. Sparrow knew from Eli that nuclear weapons existed in some capacity on Earth. The only reason why the Coalition didn''t figure to just nuke Avonia was likely because they wanted to keep most of the planet somewhat habitable to colonize. Avonia could become a Communard State overnight and it would not impede anything that Kovic¡¯s team were working on. Avonia could collapse, with its entire glitterbomb arsenal falling into the hands of small warlords and militarized statelets, and the Nexus would not care. Narva could burn, the Coalition would only see profit and opportunity. They wanted to get into Narva, attach themselves, and feed off of whatever it had to offer as they tried to build their Utopia away from Earth. Sparrow knew that much. He''d hated the idea of working with The Coalition. Sure, the Commonwealth had given them guns under the table to fight the Imperialists with the Ostralanders being neo-Imperialists themselves. The Coalition seemed much worse than the Commonwealth in that regard, comparable to the Avonians rather ¨C if not even worse. By several magnitudes. Avonia may have been a Imperialist, slaving, Empire built on a culture of chauvinistic elven superiority and militaristic expansion. Yet, the Avonians were still native to the Planet Narva. Emperor Kirk ruled over a nation that played home to communities, families, people. Avonia was home to millions of the bastards. At the end of the day, the Avonians shared Narva as their only home with all the other nations, species, and tribes. So far removed from that was The Nexus. From what he''d seen himself and from what he''d heard from Eli, the Nexus was a corporate-run penal colony whose only purpose was to suck the native resources out of the local land like a mosquito attached to the flesh, and when it was full, leave Narva behind. Or worse yet, colonize as a means to escape their failures on whatever shithole they had tried to escape from. "Earth" as Eli called it. But on the other hand, it was a tempting offer. The ULA had been struggling to procure arms for the impending revolution. And in their struggle against the imperialists they¡¯d made a unending list of enemies, and scarce few friends beyond other, smaller, revolutionary cells. The RDI was the biggest one, but the simple act of selling them guns in secret was enough of a threat that the ammo was few and strictly supervised. If they could get another backer willing to not only offer more, but actively do more to assist the downfall of the Avonian Empire, then surely¡­ Sparrow grunted, ¡°We fight revolutions. Not proxy conflicts, not insurgencies. Revolutions. Everything I do is to ensure that one day, Avonia will fall. Be it while I¡¯m still alive or not, that doesn¡¯t matter. If we accept, then you¡¯ll be helping us fight our way.¡± ¡°And that way is?¡± ¡°Well, you said it yourself. Eliminate the empire by any means necessary. We¡¯ll do what we do best, and we¡¯ll cause chaos.¡± ¡°You''ll be putting the lives of innocent people in danger,¡± Kovic looked up at him with a raised eyebrow, yet it didn''t seem like he was cautioning Sparrow or even trying to stop him. He seemed more curious, trying to learn who Sparrow was, trying to dig deeper into the psyche and figure out what line he was and wasn''t willing to cross. ¡°I know, that¡¯s the point,¡± Sparrow shrugged, ¡°If you can cause enough chaos, enough destruction, then the hegemony of the Empire will be so busy putting out the flames you¡¯ve burned that they won¡¯t see the inferno coming down on them.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you concerned about potentially destroying so many lives? I mean for goodness sake,¡± Kovic feigned sympathy, "Won''t someone think of those poor people?" ¡°You should be asking yourself that question. I¡¯m committed. I always have been. The Empire bombs, tortures, enslaves, and displaces millions of innocent people. Day after day. Millions have died because of the cruelty of The Avonian Empire over the course of its history. We''ve seen systematic exterminations of ethnic groups by the pressures of Avonian culture, blunt military force, and cruel political violence. But when the oppressed people fight back on those same terms, suddenly it''s terrorism? Suddenly we should be concerned morals?" Sparrow let out an inhale as he looked Kovic straight in the eye, meeting the suited man on his level, "What moral grounds have the Avonians given us to fight on?¡± Sparrow smiled as he leaned across the table, ¡°The question you should be asking yourself is why. You¡¯re a man concerned with your visions of some purified mankind... profit and finance. A dictator beholden to some esoteric vision of utopia on another planet and maintaining the integrity of your police state. Why are you coming to me ¨C a communard ¨C for help? I ain''t even gonna call you a neo-orderite, ''purified mankind'', those are actual orderite speaking points. So why me? Why a... communist, as you Earthlings call it?¡± Kovic took a brief though contemplative sip of his bourbon before responding, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if the cat is black or white. So long as it catches the mice, there¡¯s a value to it.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Sparrow nodded his head, ¡°You¡¯re awfully pragmatic.¡± ¡°You''ll find that it is impossible to be Overseer otherwise,¡± Kovic told him, his voice flat and cautioning, ¡°Whatever keeps the money flowing and the Avonians away is what I will pursue. Glass the Empire if you want to. It doesn¡¯t matter what you do, so long as you do it in our interest. You understand?¡± Sparrow had to admit. He was impressed. He''d gone on his diatribe mostly in a hope to scare Kovic off and make the Coalition reconsider. Sparrow obviously didn''t want to see the people get harmed, that was not his intention. Afterall, the very concept of People''s War necessitated the support of "The People". But, he was willing to accept civilian casualties in order to make larger strategic victories. To be so blunt about it all, bordering on extremist even within Sparrow''s own tastes, and yet to still have Kovic not give so much as an afterthought... He got an unusual chill down his spine when he locked eyes with Kovic once again. Kovic didn''t see lives, he saw numbers. Symbols, represented by vague abstractions. Statistics. Outside of work, Kovic probably was a friendly person who would never so much as think to bring harm to another soul. Hell, Kovic could''ve even been a family man. But here, with the potential deaths of thousands - millions - listed before him in some strange political game of profit and advantage, printed out and filed away into documents and reports that were brought up to his desk for approval - Kovic was capable of so much evil. Yet in his world, Kovic was not a murderer. He was just an agent of the state doing his job. Sparrow remembered that evil, true evil, was often mundane in that regard. Kovic''s role could''ve been the same as any kind of pencil pusher''s. They sat here in air conditioned offices and read reports, so far removed from the violence that they authorized. The same was true of the Avonians. The same was true of the Orderite exterminators. The same was true, even, of the Commonwealth. Bureaucrats were truly capable of so much horror, and bureaucracy was perhaps the worst invention to spawn from society. ¡°I believe I do.¡± ¡°Good. Now. Terms,¡± Kovic scratched his chin as he pulled out a clipboard and a notepad, ¡°I have already made our terms clear. We want to employ the services that the ULA can provide.¡± ¡°Anything in particular?¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s up to you to decide. We want you to either neutralize Avonian interest, morale, or capability to fight within the Kiote Peninsula; eliminate the Empire as a threat entirely; or at the very least bring them to the bargaining table with the Belford Alliance''s diplomats to end the war.¡± ¡°Right¡­ well,¡± Sparrow cleared his throat, ¡°The political situation within Avonia is very complicated ¨C but fragile. Extremely fragile. This might surprise you but they are a democracy, technically. They have a Senate, but it is beholden to supreme rule by an increasingly assertive Emperor Kirk. The overarching system is robust but as I said, fragile. It can survive a crisis, even a powerful one. But once you begin lighting multiple fires in the Phoenix¡¯s nest, the Phoenix will burn. Ever since General Bonneville died the Empire¡¯s been in a shifting state of sorts¡­ there¡¯s a lot of political infighting if you will.¡± ¡°Can you exploit that? That¡¯s what we need?¡± Sparrow smiled, ¡°Oh I can do more than that. Public discontent within Avonia is rising either along reformist or reactionary lines. Things are pulling apart from within. Kill Emperor Kirk and the Avonians will do the rest of the job on their own. If he goes, The Senate, the reactionaries, the army, everyone will start fighting. And even if the Empire doesn¡¯t fall in some violent or chaotic manner like a civil war, they¡¯ll be so caught up in the disaster and turmoil you''ve unleashed that they can¡¯t focus on you. Doubly so since Kirk''s wife and legal heir, Catherine, is a pacifist. If the Empire doesn''t collapse, she''ll be next in line and Catherine will be more willing to offer a ceasefire.¡± ¡°You can assassinate Emperor Kirk?¡± Kovic seemed relieved, though he stiffened ¡°Wouldn''t the aforementioned Senate be a concern? And what about their intelligence group... The NSE? If they catch wind that you''re going after the big boss, we''re done. The RDI sent my office a report, and they believe that Avonian intelligence is already aware of our existence. Truthfully I''m not surprised, we did a horrible job keeping secret and I''m counting my days until the news breaks back on Earth. Anyway, the point I''m making is that the RDI believes Avonian Intelligence isn''t making a big fuss about us because they have no grounds to actually justify doing so. If they came out with a statement saying that there are aliens backed by the Commonwealth which kickstarted a major war in the Kiote Peninsula, they''d come out sounding insane. It might ruin public trust in the Empire. But, if they get evidence that we were the ones behind Emperor Kirk''s death... you''ll be giving them a real reason to start panicking." "That''s why I''m doing it," Sparrow said, "Me and a colleague. I already have one in mind. So long as we can find our way into the Empire without alerting the NSE or their Border Control, I can work my magic. Kill the King and there won''t be a single trace of evidence leading back to you. Most likely they''ll implicate myself and the ULA, which is fine. Worst case, they''ll blame the Commonwealth. And we could be looking at a potential glitterbomb exchange if that''s the case. Kind of puts a damper on your Utopian plans though, global annihilation." Kovic, asserting that he did in fact have some form of humor in that stuffy corporate brain of his, enthusiastically smiled, "Yeah, try not to blow up the entire Planet. We do in fact need that." "It won''t get to that stage. The Commonwealth and Empire will have the whole world in another major crisis for a few weeks until they start negotiating and inevitably come to some agreement as they always do. But there''s a risk is all. As with everything." "What about the Imperial Senate? Will they be an issue?" "Currently, Imperial politics are fluctuating too much to really predict. There are several major parties in Avonian politics, but two of the largest are the Nora''s and the Royal Party. They''re both Imperialists, but the Nora''s are slightly more open to reforming some aspects of the Empire internally. Currently, the Nora Party has a narrow coalition majority in the Senate, and if the Emperor is dead, they''ll be more or less the ones running the country." "Is that a good or bad thing?" "It doesn''t really matter," Sparrow shrugged, "The Nora''s under Prime Minister Fairchild are somewhat more open to peace, but for their own interests. They''ll probably try to continue the war and then it''ll be a whole mess." "But you just said Catherine was a pacifist, she can just end the war, right?" "True, but the silly thing is that Catherine also believes in this fickle thing called ''democracy''. She''s unlikely to override the will of the Senate in order to end the war. Which is why this moment is crucial, because the 1240 elections are coming, and nobody is certain if the Noras are gonna keep a hold on the Senate and Prime Minister''s seat." Kovic nodded, scratching his chin, "Give me the ideal scenario then." "Ideal scenario, the Empire blows up and all of the pricks drop dead. I doubt that''s gonna happen just by shooting Kirk, so lets file that away into the unrealistic category, right?" Kovic rolled his eyes, "Sure." "Next case, the Visionary party. They''re what you would call... I dunno, progressives? Some of them are communards too, much more moderate and electoral based than I am though as you might be able to tell. They''re virulently Anti-War and claim to be anti-Imperialism. If they come to power along with Empress Catherine, you can see the Empire immediately come to the negotiating table in order to bring an end to the war. But it''s unlikely that will happen as cleanly as you expect. Because there''s the chance that the Senate shifts in the complete opposing direction." "And that is?" Kovic asked leaning in. "Worst case scenario, the Imperial Popular Front gains control. Their ideological visions range from, ''bomb anyone who dares lift a finger against the Empire'' , to, ''kill or enslave anyone who isn''t a Avonian elf''. If the IPF gains control, you might not see just a continuation of the war, the Empire might choose to escalate it. Hundreds upon thousands of Imperial troops would invade, and I don''t think you have nearly enough soldiers to counter that kind of troop surge - even if Belford finally gets off of its ass and intervenes. We''d be talking about the Commonwealth needing to re-mobilize and re-conscript new armies, meanwhile the Empire is already geared up and rearing to go. If the IPF wins in the Senate... game over." "And that''s just if Kirk dies?" "The elections to the senate will happen regardless of if Kirk is dead or not. 1240 is an Avonian election year. In fact, having Kirk and the IPF both in charge of the country would effectively guarantee that you''ll never get any kind of peace at all in the Empire. They used to pretend that the Emperor was above petty political disputes. But now that Kirk''s mentor, General Bonneville, is dead - Kirk has been growing much more influential. Having Catherine as Empress might be some kind of stabilizing pull if the IPF does come to power, but I wouldn''t hold my breath in that case. A potential assassination of Kirk will wind up radicalizing Avonia in either direction, and it really is impossible to predict what will happen." "So... hopeless?" Sparrow wagged his finger, "Again, the Senate might not be an issue at all if this happens." "Might?" Kovic winced. "Might. Killing Kirk will inevitably send the Senate into chaos again, and heavens knows what kind of mess that''ll cause. But, it''ll be a major mess, probably the biggest one in Avonian history since the Sacred War. If they''re too busy putting out their internal fires, I can confidently say that it will zap their will of any support for a foreign war, even if the IPF gains power in the Senate and elects one of their own as Prime Minister." "Right..." Kovic sighed jotting that down into his notebook, "Let''s put a pin in that. Besides killing Kirk, what else can you do?" ¡°There¡¯s several factions within the Empire proper that could prove potentially useful. There¡¯s a revolutionary separatist group based in Azure, a city and region in the Empire close to the River Republic. It used to be another independent Kiote nation before it was invaded by the Empire just before The Sacred War ended. Azure is a major industrial region for Avonia, and if my ULA men can get in touch with the local Azuri Nationalists and trigger an armed revolt, it¡¯ll be another crippling blow for the Phoenix. This one is guarenteed, the independence movement in Azure has been at its strongest since the Imperials invaded them half-a-century ago. ¡± ¡°The more fires you can start, the merrier I¡¯ll be.¡± ¡°For a price of course.¡± ¡°Go on.¡± ¡°I demand shelter for the ULA either here in the Nexus or somewhere within the Exclusion Zone. Somewhere where I can establish a proper base of operations, store our equipment, train our recruits, that sort of thing.¡± ¡°I can hook you up with something in Canau.¡± ¡°Second, I want guns. Not your guns though. They have to be either from the Commonwealth or some other supplier here on Narva. If I were to assassinate Kirk for instance, The NSE is going to start looking for targets. They¡¯ll find the bullet casings. Once they find out that the bullets are untraceable, that¡¯s how they¡¯ll find out about you,¡± Sparrow said, ¡°They need to be suspicious of someone, just someone who clearly came from this planet.¡± ¡°We¡¯d need contacts with your suppliers. I¡¯ve had a few run-ins with the Commonwealth¡¯s RDI, I believe. But I doubt they¡¯d be willing to loan us some weapons to assassinate the leader of a country armed with nuclear weapons.¡± ¡°They¡¯re glitterbombs¡­ nuclear bombs are obsolete on Narva.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Of course, we request some aid in planning, coordination, and support.¡± ¡°Again, that can be arranged¡­¡± ¡°And finally..." Sparrow looked up at Kovic, choosing his words carefully, "I want Misfit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± Kovic shook his head as if Sparrow had said something strange. ¡°Misfit. Eli Freeman,¡± Sparrow smiled, seeing the Overseer finally blink. Killing innocent people? Kovic didn¡¯t blink an eye. Suggest staging a revolution in the one of the largest glitterbomb-armed superpowers on this planet? Kovic could care less. But once Sparrow even suggested something that could potentially disturb Kovic''s own base of power, suddenly he was getting second thoughts. He took some enjoyment watching Kovic squirm in discomfort.Stolen story; please report. Sparrow smiled as he awaited Kovic''s response.
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==The Revolutionary Department Of Intelligence==
==[THE MASTER OF FAREWIND]== Flag of The Greater Avonian Empire Map of Western Farewind and Northern Gelandia, with Avonian territory and Avonian North Gelandia highlighted in Purple. Imperial puppet states are portrayed in dark purple. GENERAL INFORMATION: Capital: Aria Ideology: Imperialism (Avonian-Absolutism) Government: Semi-Constitutional Absolutist Empire Current Ruling Party: The Nora Party (Absolutist Democracy) Current Head of State: Emperor Kirk-Stefan Rupert Current Head of Government: Prime Minister Maya Fairchild Population: 200 Million Primary Species: Elf Tolerated Species: Human, beastkin, most humanoids Faction: The Continental-Unity Pact GDP:(CEC) 238 Billion Currency: Avonian Depleted Ekron Standard (DE)
Avonia (Avonian: Avonie), officially the Greater Collective Realms of the Avonian Empire, or simply The Greater Avonian Empire, The Avonian Empire, or commonly referred to as just The Empire is a primarily elven nation and one of the three global superpowers. Avonia borders The Valdacian Magedom and The Bevern Protectorate to the east, River Republic and North Oran to the south, and the White Channel to the north. The Realm of Avonia has been the single most powerful region in all of the Farewind continent for centuries. The center for Farewind''s art, culture, power, and economic influence - with two great rivals. The daring human civilization of The Ostralands across the strait, and the militaristic magical colleges of the Valdacian Magedom on their eastern border. The Avonian Empire''s grand mythos is of the great Iron Phoenix, a national titan achieving near god-like status in the minds of Avonia''s die hard nationalists, who leads her children from the Phoenix''s nest within the Imperial capital of Aria to claim all of Farewind as their birthright. Successfully utilizing a hybrid blend of elvenkind''s natural magical prowess and the recent advancements of engineering technology made possible to the industrial revolution, the Phoenix''s strength seems as unmatched as ever before. Avonia remains, after so many long centuries, as Farewind''s nearly uncontested hegemonic power. A juggernaut of industry, cultural influence, wealth, and pure military might... Yet, the cracks within the Phoenix''s iron nest have never been larger. Despite the magnitude of Imperial influence across Farewind and even the globe, mass systematic issues plague nearly all levels of Avonian society. Imperial megacorporations employ long lines of prisoners-turned-slaves to keep the engines of modern civilization firing. Millions of lower class workers and citizens are kept shunned in sprawling, unhygienic, violent slums that flank the vibrant and glorious halls of core cities and ancient noble mansions. Mass racism fueled by a culture of Elven superiority and Avonian chauvinism routinely shuns the millions of humans, beastkin, and reptillians that share the Iron Nest as their home. Willingly, or not. And the most obvious sin is that, despite being an industrialized and mechanized power, Avonia maintains a massive slave economy. The Avonian slave empire is the largest and most horrific institution of slavery outside of the Dragonian Heavenly Sphere. The Phoenix''s nest sits on the corpses and bones of her vanquished enemies. Choking the survivors out through systemic ethnic cleansing and rigorous genetic modification to make even the most "dangerous" species amenable to Imperial civilization. Genocide has been a tool that Avonia has used liberally to defeat all populations who dare oppose the might of the Phoenix''s talons. Imperial megacorporations employ millions of penal-slaves - known as "Stoneliners" - to build and reinforce the empire. On almost all levels, Violence; greed; and corruption, run through the Phoenix''s veins. For all the Avonia''s great houses of nobility shine and sparkle with the glamour of Avonian civilization painted across the beautiful colored halls, they are built out of bricks made with slave''s blood... Yet, in the darkest days of the Cold War, things may very well change. Either for better, or for worse... Despite Imperial victory in The Sacred War (Alongside their begrudging Commonwealth "allies"), the scars of devastation and occupation have never quite healed. The divisions within Avonian society are boiling out of control, and have transformed into violent - radical - fury. The Imperial Senate is divided among petty factional lines, and necessary legislation to address societal issues are often shot down or buried underneath the political scheming and lobbyist meddling. Meanwhile, the Phoenix''s guiding father and savior during her darkest times of the Sacred War - Supreme General Marcus Bonneville - is but a corpse laying in state, leaving matters of ruling over the largest Empire in Farewind within the hands of a paranoid ultra-traditionalist, Emperor Stefan Kirk Rupert. As the extremes radicalize, and as the institutions that govern the nation rot, the seams that hold Avonia together begin to splinter and dissolve... if nothing is done, urgently, it may very well spell doom not just for Avonia and the millions of sentient creatures that call the Phoenix''s nest their home - but also for all of Planet Narva - as the threat of glitterbomb extinction weighs over their heads. But cooler heads may very well prevail, for there is hope emerging in the Imperial youth and reformist factions to set the Empire on a new course. Spreading the ideals of liberty, egalitarianism, and justice within Imperial society. All with the hopes of correcting the long moral and political decline of Avonia through reformist policy. Yet, despite this hopeful optimism, the reformists and visionaries face an uphill battle. They must first battle their own demons in the Imperial Senate, to correct the systemic corruption and corporate influence that plagues the political system. And then, they must battle the notoriously reactionary Imperial core population. As the extremes become more radical with each stinging Avonian defeat, even the prestige of being a member of the Avonian government may not be enough to save them from the violent outbursts of an angry populace... The Phoenix finds herself in the throes of a new world order, one that she''s helped to build. If the Empire successfully reforms, there may be a hopeful future for all of Planet Narva and those within who dare to dream. But if the Phoenix slips into the clutches of reactionary hatred, racial segregation, and the pitfalls of megaindustry, then surely all will fear... For when Empires become as large as Avonia, even their death throes are forces to be reckoned with... In Avonia, massive palaces display the beauty and glamour of Elven civilization. Owned by a modern aristocracy who can trace their birthright back centuries into Avonia''s rich past. They never mention where the wealth came from, as if they have no idea. Yet the slaves toiling away to keep the grounds picturesque always seem to have the answer.
[Absolutism] Absolutism is one of the oldest ideologies and political theories on Planet Narva, coming to prominence with the emergence of the very concept of "Political Thought" itself. Absolutism seeks to justify Empire, usually along the lines of Magical superiority, divine rule from proclaimed demi-gods and religious orders, or simple supremacy via military strength. Absolutism is a fundamentally traditionalist, and nominally authoritarian ideology, seeking to guard the old nostalgic worlds of kings, queens, nobles, and ladies, against the perceived evil that Radicalism has brought upon the Planet, or even worse, their infernal Communard brothers and the rising specter of Communism within an increasingly industrialized world. While Absolutism originally got its start among the feudal era magical empires like the Valdacian Magedom or the early Avonian Kingdom, with the rise of the industrial revolutions sweeping changes to all class and economic structures, the Kings, Lords, and Barons of the world needed to shift in order to justify their existence to the serfs and peasants whom they lorded over. As such, Absolutism has become malleable, able to adapt to change in order to justify a rigid and stable regime. They keep one gun pointed outside, to act as a shield against the specter of Radical thought. And they keep another gun pointed inside, to keep the population obedient and working within the fields (Now factories). Absolutism endures, even in the face of a new world order... [Imperialism] Imperialism can take on two meanings. The obvious form being the methods through which Empires (and other major political entities) exert, reinforce, and maintain power outside of their borders or within against cultures falling outside of primary groups. This happens either through blunt military suppression, cultural extermination, forceful cultural conversion, economic subjugation, or (most usually) a combination of all these things. The second definition refers to Avonian-Absolutism, one of the most enduring forms of Absolutism found anywhere on Planet Narva. The Phoenix is imagined in Avonian religious and cultural mythos through the might of her nest, and her means of enforcing her rule. In contrast to other forms of blunt imperialism, the Phoenix does not exterminate, but instead, "civilizes". In a world full of barbarians, radicals, and uncivilized thought, the Phoenix guards her nest by militaristically pacifying lower creatures to be more aligned with Avonian elven rule. Avonian Imperialism is a unique blend of Ultranationalism, Militancy, cultural chauvinism, and Reactionary thought. All people within the Phoenix''s nest have their place in society, those at the bottom classes were ordained by the Heavens to exist as machines that power the Empire. Those at the top exist as leaders of the herd, guiding the state through their superior strength of intellect or magical supremacy. And those that fall outside of the herd are forcefully assimilated. It is not uncommon to hear rumors of entire species being genetically modified to make them more amenable to Imperial rule. Imperialism demands that the Phoenix and all of her children, rule the world at the top of the pyramid. All those below must continue to work, whether or not they are content in doing so is unnecessary. The Avonian Empire, must survive. And the Phoenix will maintain her position at the top of Narva''s pecking order by any means necessary. [Orderism] Heaven''s Embrace shields all of its devoted followers, for the scaled ones are as close to holy as all mortal creatures can possibly be. To be closer to the dragonian gods who sit upon the Heavenly Throne, is to be standing among the stars. The Heavenly Dragons are the closest things on Planet Narva to Gods walking among mortals, born with magical abilities so powerful and lives so long that few mortals can dare stand in their presence without cowering in the face of their overwhelming might and majesty. As such, within the Heavenly Empire, the cursed seeds of the modern industrial ideology of Orderism can be found. Heaven is shaped by its caste. The scaled ones who are closest to their dragonian creatures are obviously the closest to holiness. The Kobolds, Lizardkin, Serpents, and minor sapient dragons all occupy positions in the upper echelons of Heaven''s Caste, working as the most loyal devotees to their God-Emperor who will stop at nothing to fulfill Heaven''s mandate and satisfy their rulers. Meanwhile, the bottom of Heaven''s Caste is reserved for the mockery of the pure Dragonian form. Man. According to Heavenly theology, Mankind is a child born from the "Sixth" Angel of the original creators of all sentient life, a sinful, egotistical, violent, beast taken from the form of the equally barbaric fallen angel from whom they originated. As such, mankind was cursed to be without magic and to exist as slaves for their hubris against Heaven. This has been the natural order for a majority of Planet Narva, and it is from this where modern "Orderism" as an ideology originates. Modern Orderism, much like its Heavenly ancestor, is zealously committed to upholding the species caste that keeps Humans and other deplorables (normally Beastkin, Radicals, Communards, ethnic and sexual minorities, among many - many - others) as slaves or undesirables. Unlike Heavenly Thought, Orderism has adapted to the industrial era of the world outside of the holy embrace of the Heavenly Empire''s borders. Orderism is one of the most enduring of the extremist ideologies, utilizing the power of the state, media, culture, and military, to corrupt nations from the inside out. Orderism, as it originates within the Valdacian Magedom and The Empire of Oran, generally posits Elves or Avians as the master race of Planet Narva (With differing theorists bickering over whether or not this means supremacy over the dragons too, or begrudging equality with them). Orderites seek to create a modern regime in a new world to safeguard elven civilization from the specter of Radical thought and Communard corruption. Hyper-Militaristic, rabidly anti-Commonwealth, even the supreme might of the Avonian Empire is but a tortured betrayal of true Elven civilization according to Orderite dogma. Orderism gained a massive following after the political zeitgeist of the late 1100s and early 1200s, rising to prominence after the complete devastation of the Trench Wars, the advent of radio and magivision, and mass industrialization destabilizing the major societies of the era. Finding a root among Avian artists who dreamed of a future utopia where they could return back to the limelight of their ancestors as untouchable rulers of the sky, and among Elven peasants who were driven out of their picturesque farms and villages and packed into urban slums en-masse. This dangerous synthesis culminated in both Valdacia and Oran falling to the festering hatred, anger, and fear that Orderite thought spawned - and the fruit of it was the single deadliest war in Planet Narva''s history... only to utterly fail. Disturbingly, Orderism still prevails in the minds of many closest to the spot of power, as the post-war world of Narva continues to decline in a quagmire of stagnation, defeat, and betrayal... Orderism lives on... or perhaps, it''ll morph into something new yet again...
==[THE UNHOLY TRIFECTA]== Despite what many across Planet Narva believe, the Avonian Empire is not entirely an authoritarian reactionary dictatorship. Imperial government is as broad as it is powerful, and to govern such a massive empire, all of the actors play a delicate balancing game in order to maintain a facade of responsibility. Known as "Trifecta of Power", the Imperial Senate, Imperial Throne, and the Imperial Rule Assistance Council all play a hand in governing the great nation. The unholy trifecta was established following Avonian victory in The Sacred War. Prior to the Orderite invasion and occupation, the old Avonian King Valois abdicated the throne and fled the country, leaving the absolute monarchy without its monarch. A democratic republic was hastily established and the Avonian Republic was proclaimed, but it only lasted a few short years until the Orderite invasion and a reactionary coup tore the republic apart. General Bonneville, a leading member of the Avonian military, defeated the coup and marshalled the nation on to victory in the long brutality of the Sacred War becoming the hero of the Avonian people in the process. In the wake of the Sacred War and the creation of the Reconstruction Government that ruled Avonia in the aftermath, the Trifecta was born. Reconciling the Avonian obsession with kings and absolutist rulership, with a defanged and heavily tempered "Democracy". The modern Imperial government rose in the ashes of the conflict, as the Phoenix rises from fire... While many will be able to tell what the Imperial Senate and the Imperial Throne are off of the name alone, few recognize the soft and often understated power of the Rule Assistance Council. A council of twelve to twenty four appointed officials who oversee the laws passed by the Senate to moderate the will of the people. It is a check on radicalism instituted by General Bonneville to ensure that extremist divisions in the Senate do not boil out of control and afflict the whole nation. While it was forward thinking in some regards, the mass amount of power that the IRAC has accumulated into the hands of about twelve individuals is impossible to ignore. At the snap of a finger, democracy can be overruled...
==[POLITICAL ANIMALS]== [The Nora Party] Responsible Economics, Common Sense Foreign Policy, and Democratic Values. The Nora¡¯s have a long history of being the established Visionaries of the two main parties. However, despite their ideals, the party has been tainted by it¡¯s long standing connections to the Empire¡¯s Oligarchs. Before Prime Minister Maya Fairchild, Emmanuel Francis Chiraq was the first Prime Minister of the nation, and the first Nora in the seat. His rule was disastrous for the party, fracturing it between the loyalists who remained, and the Radicals who rallied behind the rising Senator Theodore Drake, and fled to The Visionaries. The source of The Great Schism being the first sparks of the Kiote War, and EFC¡¯s refusal to dismantle Avonia¡¯s massive Slave Economy, built off the backs of the imprisoned, and heavily biased against the ethnic minorities. The Slave System, and long standing policies of Racial discrimination within Avonia have become a divisive point within the Nora. But under Fairchild, it seems the Party is pivoting towards the creation of a New, Harmonic, Avonia. [The Royal Party] The Royal party are the Senate¡¯s traditionalists. Made of Economic protectionists and pro-monarchy supporters, they stand diametrically opposed to the Harmonists in the Nora Party. They seek the stability of the Empire above everything, and hold the monarchy close to their values. Despite their traditionalist cohesion, the party is more divided than ever before. The Ardently Traditionalist Roses of the Party, who insist on economic deregulation, upholding the Stoneliner-Slave system, and pursuing a balanced budget. And the Reformers of the Royal Party, who are willing to offer an olive branch to the Nora¡¯s to pursue the end of the stoneliner system, greater protections for workers, and responsible economic policies. The Reformers, led by High Lord Henri Blum in the Imperial Rule Assistance Council, have gained a massive voice after the disastrous leadership of the Roses over not just the party but also the Empire at large. But as the Empire continues its path into the most chaotic period yet, the Royal party will only continue to shift. A shift that could spell doom for the empire. [The Visionary Party - Moderates] What is injustice? What is inequality? What is persecution? If not the long standing tradition of those who hold the monopoly on violence and power denying those who lack such advantage their fair deal to prosperity? Avonia is a land of injustice, but even despite what the naysayers may offer in defense of things like Species-based segregation, or the upholding of the brutal Stoneliner-Slave system, it doesn¡¯t have to be this way. Moderate-Visionaries will fight for a equal deal, a fair one, for all species. To tackle injustice and create a dream that all can prosper from under the wings of a new, free, fair, and visionary Phoenix. Among the ranks of the Moderates is a broad coalition of peasants, racial minorities, Democrats, Labourites, Visionary idealogues, and those who wish to operate within the system to enact real visionary change. [The Visionary Party - Radicals] It is impossible to fix a system that is fundamentally broken via reform. And the Avonian Empire is one of the most broken systems on the planet. Reform and being ¡°Moderate¡± is not enough to cure the rot that plagues Avonia''s institutions, economics, and culture. As such, Radicals look to the Ostralands for inspiration. Over 200 years ago, the Ostralanders had their revolution against their king, and from the violent beheading of the monarchy, the human revolutionaries birthed the greatest democracy known to Planet Narva. If Avonia wishes to move forward, they must look to their greatest rival for clarity. Though unlike the Ostralander revolutionaries a century ago, the Radicals believe they can win through electoral means. Radicals, much like their Moderate brothers, are a broad tent. Mostly full of the working class, unions, anti-monarchy Republicans, Radical-Democrats, and especially Communards. With this odd alliance of Visionaries and Communard forces, the Radicals hope to dismantle the Empire, the Monarchy, and all that holds the nation back. All to forge a new system cured of disease, a revolution by the ballot. [The Imperial Popular Front - Nationalists] The Nationalist Faction of the IPF are a strange bunch. Despite being the largest of the two factions, they hold a very loosely coherent Traditionalist ideology. Whereas most in even the Royalist or Nora parties would balk at the idea of introducing ¡°Communard¡± policies to impede on the Imperial free market, Nationalists draw plenty of their support from the Traditionalist parts of Avonia¡¯s working class, and as such are advocates for expanded social welfare programs. One that would benefit and take care of it¡¯s Elven subjects first. They hold few things as close to them as the Monarchy, which they view as a bastion of Avonian tradition. Nationalists even draw upon the Warhawks who think that it¡¯s time to end the Empire¡¯s humiliation at the hands of her enemies. These loose, yet popular, ideas have launched the Nationalists - and thereby their Reactionary allies in the IPF - into political prominence. With the nationalists positioning themselves as ardent defenders of Avonia¡¯s people, freedoms, way-of-life, and values. [The Imperial Popular Front - Reactionaries] The Avonian Empire is at a crossroads. Visionary evils are growing more zealous and violent, the old traditional ways of the Avon people are dying, and the Empire is falling into disgrace. Decades of constant humiliation at the hands of Belford radicals, and internal stagnation caused by a culture that''s forgotten the sacred past, have corrupted the Iron Phoenix into a shell of her former self. And in that void lies empty hearts and broken souls. If The Phoenix wishes to reclaim her glory of being the Iron Master of Farewind, then it needs unity and to return to it¡¯s traditional past. Traditional values must be taught in schools, the beastkin and minorities must know their place, the youth''s violent and immodest "Counter-Culture" must be destroyed, and good Elven subjects must not accept becoming second class citizens in the empire that they have built for themselves. The Reactionaries are the die-hard enthusiasts of Imperial culture, society, and tradition. They¡¯ll stop at little to ensure Avonia remains proud, elven, and loyal to her past. Democracy be damned.
==[END TRANSMISSION]==