RoR 3 -Ch14- (Patreon)

Letting out an explosive breath, Mark let go of the rifle in his hands and let it hang on its strap. Pressing his hands to his face he slowly leaned backward until his back pressed to the wall.

“You’re… telling me that we’re going up against the incarnation of War itself,” he said through his hands. His voice sounded strained and lacking in strength.

“Yes,” said Warner. They’d spent only a few minutes giving Mark a complete run-down since he hadn’t asked any questions. He’d just stared at them without emotion and nearly a complete lack of life. “The more wars that are actively ongoing, the more powerful she is. So… so she’s quite literally trying to get the world to go to war with itself. Setting up false flag attacks all over and disrupting as much of the world as possible.”

“Well, she definitely did that,” mumbled Mark. “We were able to repulse the attacks for the most part as a country. We even had a number of people in the right places to get a handle on this fairly quickly.

“On top of that, some of our mutual friends were able to alert me and others to the situation. That this entire thing was actually just a ploy by the Council. I thought they were all working for the Silent One but it appears they’re working for War.”

“I’m not so sure,” Inger countered. “I think perhaps the Council did work for the Silent One. At least, partially. Until some point that they split from him and now work for War.

“That or they were working for War the entire time and only held a false allegiance to the Silent One. That could equally be possible. Nor would it be surprising. War is… she’s a strange creature. One that always seemed torn by her own beliefs and wishes.”

“I… there’s something to that,” said Warner after a pause. When he’d spoken to War he’d felt something off. Most certainly her personality, but also a great deal more than that at the same time. That everything she was doing hid a great deal more. “I think in the past, long ago, she had a reason for doing what she did. A reason for why she betrayed the Originator.

“Or at least, she thought she did. Whatever… that doesn’t matter. What that reason might have been is long gone and all that remains is that twisted personality of hers. Her goal was to go to war with me, and anything else that might go with that, didn’t matter.

“She literally will go to war with me, without fighting me, for the sake of going to war with me. I can only think there’s some… underlying reason to that. Some goal that supercedes even her actual thoughts, short circuiting her logic.”

“That’s a fancy way to say she’s nuts, right?” asked Mark.

“I think what Warner is trying to say is that her original goal still forces it’s way into her thoughts,” Inger offered. “But that it’s completely twisted. In and on itself to the point that the goal will actually be her downfall.”

Warner nodded his head.

He suspected more than that, but he didn’t want to talk about it. He was actually somewhat afraid of the possibility because it directly involved him.

To the point that it might even include the downfall of Warin.

Unable to stop himself, his mind bubbled with thoughts of War and what she was doing. As well as ultimately what her true design was.

What if this entire thing really is what I suspect? From her betraying Runner and all the way down to desperately wanting to go to war with me, was all planned.

What if she had a hand in Baron’s death and Warin’s fall? If she was instrumental to my coming to power as I did because… because I’m not Warin.

Because I’m not just Retribution.

I’m Revenge and Redemption as well. One of which Warin never had access to.

She could just have easily have worked with Warin and gone to war with him, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to go to war with me.

Me specifically. That I was fated for her.

The only thing different is that I’m Redemption.

Is… this whole thing some ploy by her? To become as strong as possible, culminating in a war with me, just to… what… fight the Silent One? To battle him at the height of her power?

It’s actually timed pretty well if you think about it.

She’ll be as strong as she could possibly be just as Runner and Ryker come back.

If she loses her war with me, becomes my prisoner, and is redeemed, I would… I would shield her from Runner and Ryker. Even if it meant going against them.

I’d redeem her, as that’s my goal and wish.

If she truly wanted to be redeemed, I’d almost have no choice but to work with her. To turn that end. She even said we could both win and that I’d redeem her.

Damn.

The one time I even hinted at talking to her about all of this she changed and instantly fled.

I can’t… speak of this aloud though. It would put me at risk.

She’s insane and might believe me knowing her plan was a threat to her plan and kill me. You can’t count on insanity to be anything other than chaos.

“— makes sense,” grumbled Mark. “Well, at least for the US, we’re aware it’s all a false flag attack. It’s just a matter of mopping up Council forces and re-stabilizing.

“They’ve done a number on us, you know. It’s quite a bit worse than you likely think. Far worse.”

“How so?” Warner asked, genuinely curious. He wasn’t sure what he’d missed while in his thoughts but it didn’t seem like much.

Mark let his hands drop down to his sides and looked to Warner with a small shake of his head. He looked extremely worn.

“They’ve attacked our infrastructure at a level that isn’t just physical,” he said with a forlorn smile. “They’ve hacked into our systems. Power plants, energy grids, water distribution and systems, satellite control and communication, even the massive server hosting sites. It’s all under concerted attack at a cyber level as well as physical. A great many states are without power, water, communication, or the ability to contact anyone.

“We were complacent as a country. We didn’t guard ourselves against the threat of someone actually attacking us. Thinking that we were too strong, too superior to everyone, too… much. We believed we were too much for anyone. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of states right now were gearing up for a full on re-enactment of their own version of Mad Max.”

“And… the government?” asked Inger. “There’s no way they’d sit around and do nothing, would they?”

“The government,” repeated Mark and then chuckled. “The supreme court is dead. Someone had already been working their way through their ranks before this. The rest of them were killed outright.

“Most of the executive branch was assassinated other than the president. As for Congress, well, better or worse, they got hit by a tactical nuke while they were in a full session. Even if someone survived that, there’s not going to be much they can do.

“And the worst of it all… the absolute worst… is this is all old news. This is all what I heard before I lost contact with everyone. The only thing I can tell you is we’re fucked from the last I knew. There was even talk that maybe it really was China who attacked us. That the false flag was deliberately set up so that we wouldn’t believe it was them, even if it was them.”

“Right,” Warner said, frowning. War had gone above and beyond to bring the world to its knees. If he was going to stop War in her tracks, he’d have to start by bringing everything back together. That meant getting the country to pull back from the brink.

“Mark, I need to make sure we don’t actually go to war with anyone,” Warner said, meeting the other man’s eyes. “I think I need to go run down the president and whatever remains of the government to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Probably the best course of action if you’re looking to stop it from going further,” admitted Mark. Then the man made a strange face and looked away from Warner. “I uh… I sent your proxy to get my wife to Sam’s safe house, then back here. Alina didn’t seem to mind and she was getting restless just sitting around here.”

“That’s fine,” Warner said with a wave of his hand. “Use her to secure the state. I’ll… I’ll take care of the rest. It shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Kay. Won’t hear me arguing,” Mark said then he stood up, moving away from the wall. “I’ll head back up and get everyone together here. See if we can’t start linking up with everyone else through Inc-Suc. They’re only large enough to operate in a few states or two at a time, but it gives us a home-base to work off of.”

“I’ll just… get moving then,” said Warner. “Going to be a long trip to the capital.”

“Just go outside and see if there are any portal magicians nearby,” Mark said with a flippant gesture of his hand. “Your uncle has more resources than I can even imagine of. I bet there’s someone close by that could get you to the capital easy.”

Turning on his heel Mark went back into the stair-well.

There really much else to say. They each had their tasks and jobs.

Warner didn’t wait a moment longer and left as well. Heading right back out to the bunker outside and the soldiers within.

An entire squad of them were inside it now and they all looked to be quite ready to defend it.

“Hi,” Warner said, looking around to the large armed and armored mercenaries.

“Sir,” said the closest one in an unmistakably female voice.

“I need… a portal,” said Warner, deciding to just be direct about it. “Is there anyone nearby who could portal me to the White House? I need to make sure we don’t do anything stupid.”

“Sir, there’s a magic team just down the street,” said a second woman, who pointed off to one side. It looked like she was pointing quite literally ‘down the street’ as she’d just mentioned. “They have two people in their number that could easily send you via portal. They’re currently engaged in a fire-fight however and will need to clear that first.”

“I see. We’ll go assist them, and go from there,” Warner said, then exited the bunker. Not waiting to get a response he simply took to the air and started beating his wings quickly.

If the people he needed were in a fight, then he could easily intervene and provide assistance. In return, they might be all the more willing to provide him with their own assistance.

“Today has been fun!” Dayine shouted from his right. “I love fighting like this! I wish I had been there when you fought War!”

“Ylva didn’t seem to find that particular fun!” replied Warner, looking down the road to the intersection up ahead.

“I’m stronger than Ylva! I think you and I could have taken War on and won!” Dayine said with confidence.

“If I was there to help, it would have been simple!” added Inger.

To be fair… fighting War directly and bringing all my resources forward could make it work. But would it be worth it?

It honestly felt like War wasn’t going all out on us despite what happened. That she wasn’t trying to kill us as quickly as possible.

If she were ‘in it to win it’ would she have been quick to eliminate Ylva? Would she be as quick to try and kill Inger or Dayine?

Glancing to his left, Warner found the beautiful Inger flying right beside him. Looking at her he was reminded of how quickly Maya had bonded with the woman and her with Maya.

The idea of losing Inger, Ylva, Kari, or Laurie, was a very real possibility if they went head to head with War. That he could easily lose one of them in such a fight.

Or that War could go after his non-combatants like Daria, Bodil, or Aelia. They were all strong in their own regards, but not strong enough to battle War.

Looking ahead again, Warner saw what was likely the “firefight” that’d been mentioned. Except it wasn’t so much a fire-fight as two-mages wearing the Inc-Suc uniform fighting a group of enemy spell-casters.

Though outnumbered the two looked to be holding their own. Separated by ten feet they looked to be moving in unison and in complete lock-step with the other. Neither were wearing helmets and Warner had a strange feeling of recognition.

As he grew closer, he felt that recognition growing but needed to see their faces to confirm it.

Each of the mages had long hair. One with black hair as the majority and copper tips. The other had red hair with black tips.

Is it… Irene and Caer? No… it couldn’t be.

The mage on the right threw out a dark pulse of magic that felt as if it were a curse. A curse made from and part of death itself.

On the left the other mage lashed out with a whip made of bright purple flames and an ugly pulsing center.

Where the curse washed over the groups shield and clung to it, the whip of angry flames flicked out and slammed into that same shield several times. After the third strike one of the group slowly crumpled to the ground. Their body slowly growing flames a similar color to the whip.

“That’s well done!” Dayine said as they got closer. “They can’t stop holding the shield or the curse will smother them, and they can’t defend against the whip without letting down the shield!”

“Splendid cooperation!” Inger added.

Yeah… Irene and Caer. Of course it’s them.

Warner called his power to his palm and drew it back. Congealing it into a hardened rod he planned his attack to end this battle quickly.

If it really is that simple with the curse just waiting, I just have to collapse the shield.

Warner then began to dive toward the shield, putting on the speed as his wings slid out to help guide his rapid descent.

Reaching the point where he would need to slow down to land near his aunts, which meant it was the fastest point in his arc, Warner hurled his spear of power forward.

Then he snapped out his wings and tried to slow himself to land gently.

The crackling and roaring power of Retribution slammed into the shield and went right through it. Bursting it as if it were little more than a soap bubble reaching the ground.

A second after that and the curse that’d been cast fell down onto the enemy group. As soon as that black morass of hideous ropes touched anyone, they went down in a screaming bawling heap. Curled up on the ground as the curse contracted further and further. Boiling and burning away anything it touched.

At the exact same time that he landed, both female mages turned and looked to Warner.

Standing up he met the eyes of one, then looked to the other, grinning at them both.

He’d already known who they were.

The fact that both of them had enough beauty to bring most men to their knees was second to Warner. They were his aunts. Irene and Caer.

Each one had a dark blue eye, and a light blue eye. Though they were on opposite sides for each of them.

They resembled each other a great deal, though they did have different features. Almost as if they had been made of two different faces but each of them took some of each.

Sisters through and through.

“Mitch!” they said at the exact same time with blazing smiles for him. Then the two of them converged on him, hugging him between the two of themselves.

“Mitchie!” said Irene. “I can’t believe it!”

“It’s so good to see you even if it’s a battlefield!” said Caer after Irene finished.

“It’s good to see both of you,” Warner said, unable to help himself. He’d been their baby-sitter a great deal in his youth. He remembered that clearly now. Watching over their children in the odd moments they needed to get away or just had other business.

“Anna is quite cross with you,” Caer said, leaning back to look at him with lowered brows.

“She’s quite upset that you haven’t called her at all you know,” Irene added, having leaned back in the exact same way.

“It’s a wonder she doesn’t just write him off,” Caer said, looking to Irene.

“You know she’s always had a soft spot for him,” argued Irene, grinning at her sister.

Both women then looked back to Warner. Then they looked to Dayine and then Inger.

“Your wives?” the two asked in unison.

“Yes,” Inger proclaimed before Warner could respond.

“Right now we need your help,” Dayine interjected. “We need to get to the capital. D.C. So we can try and end some of this madness. We’re fighting War. War as in the incarnation. This whole thing is one elaborate plan on her behalf.”

“Eugenia told us about it all,” Caer said with a nod of her head. “But we’re ready.”

“We set up contingencies with Stacia to cover all possibilities. There’s no need to worry,” Irene said, nodding her head as well.

Irene and Caer let go of Warner at the same time and stepped away from him. They each held a hand up toward the other and a portal opened between them.

“To the capital you go,” Irene said with a laugh. “Though remember, no plane hopping. Quite a few planes are literally collapsing. Only the major planes with a great deal of life on them will be able to last.”

“And do remember to call Anna when you get a chance. We can only appease our daughter for so long before she tracks you down,” cautioned Caer. “You know how she gets.”

Warner knew the truth in that.

Nodding his head, he stepped through the portal. He doubted his aunts not at all.

Thankfully, he still had some people he could truly rely on.

He imagined with the world getting as dark as it was, he’d need them.