Idiot Brigade

Awoken

As John came to, the first thing he wondered was who was carrying him through the twilight sky. A quick gaze upwards answered his question; that crimson helmet was unmistakable. The twilight sun reflected off, brightening the helmet, bringing it closer to the visor color. Karlia looked intently at their destination, having not yet noticed John's awakening. John rolled over in her small arms, wondering how they could be so strong. Karlia looked down in surprise.
"You're awake. And a lot faster than I expected." John looked back up at her helmet. How long had he been out? And what the hell had happened while he was?
Karlia seemed to notice his confusion.
"You've been out for around half an hour, so nothing too serious." Looking up, she stopped talking long enough to dodge a skyscraper they had been flying towards. Looking out, John saw the country and farmland be replaced by gray buildings and places of industrialization. They finally made it to the center of Fortuna.
"As for Dustin and Jarrod, I haven't seen any sight of them since their little broadcast." She pointed to the side of her helmet. "And according to my communications monitor, neither has anyone else. Their main flagship seems to be hovering just above radar."
"What about damage to the city?" John asked. Karlia grimaced.
"The Kennedy Wall has been compromised." She let out a slight chuckle, which always helped calm her down. And boy, did she need a way to calm down."I'll hand it to you, those pricks of yours really know how to destroy shit. They made quick work of it. You must've been preparing for a while for this." John nodded.
"On top of that, they have revenge fueling them. Some of us have loved ones who didn't escape still trapped. We're here to destroy and save." Karlia sighed.
"Well, you certainly know how to destroy. Half the city is burning, with over a hundred thousand dead." John jumped up so fast he almost fell out of Karlia's arms.
"A HUNDRED THOUSAND DEAD?" John yelled. His orders were to minimize casualties, and from pouring over records, he knew there weren't close to that many of Inorian Guard with a fast respond time around. That only meant one thing.
"Too many civilians are dead." Noticing Karlia looking at him, John immediately got defensive. "This wasn't my doing, Karlia!"
"I don't know what to think, John. I mean, you really do hate Inoro." John glared at her.
"I don't hate Inoro, I hate the people running Inoro who've been corrupted by money." John gestured out to the cityscape. So far, this side of Fortuna was intact. "The civilians have nothing to do with this. The poor bastards are brainwashed with all this corporate shit, they don't know or care what goes on in the world." Sighing, John began to calm down. "They're innocent. They have nothing to do with it, which is why my goal was never to kill civilians."
"Alright, John. I believe that you didn't intentionally order it, but that doesn't change the fact that someone did. And that means something else is going on in the Brigade than you think." John pondered Karlia's point. He didn't condone killing civilians, and everyone in the Brigade knew that. Clearly, the order for civilian deaths was coming from someone else. But who?
Karlia interrupted his thoughts.
"Meanwhile in the Atlantic, naval skirmishes have begun all across the blockade. They must've contacted their buddies in the Polyfirian Empire, so attempts to break through the blockade have quadrupled."
"What of the Israelites? Any news there?" John hoped that there was good news somewhere. Karlia's slow response time to the question did not raise his hopes.
"As far as I've heard, the Israelites have lost most of what they held in Eastern Europe and have been pushed back to the Middle East." John sighed with relief. As bad as it sounded, he was happy that this was all Karlia knew, as it was old news to him. However, Karlia continued. "The Polyfirians have pushed hard against the Israelites ever since your attack began. Missiles are being launched from nation to nation."
Pushing a button, Karlia retracted her visor, revealing sad, green eyes. "The world is burning, John. Your attack may fail, but the effects will linger for decades to come."
"So, I won't fail." Karlia smiled at John. When he was transformed, she could tolerate him. As a guy, he always had a smirk that drove her insane. She could never deal with him. When he was a woman, however, his smirk seemed to disappear, making him seem...normal. Plus, she thought the blue highlights in his hair were pretty.
"Hold on." Karlia told John. "We're going to land." John gripped Karlia tightly, praying he wouldn't fall. Karlia laughed at his fear, and descended on top of a skyscraper's roof. Once John hearf the clanking of metal boots, he let go of her, falling to the ground. Karlia giggled.
"Fucking wuss." John blushed from embarassment.
"Shut up!" he yelled back. "You know I can kill you in three seconds." Karlia rolled her eyes before pressing a button on her wrist. Her visor fell back into place, covering her face once more.
"Yeah." she began, drawing her pistols from their holsters. "But you know you need me for this. I know my way around Charles's skyscraper." John's eyes widened. "Fuck, we're there already?" Karlia pointed behind him. Turning around, John gazed upon a skyscraper, the tallest one around, managing to dwarf all other buildings in comparison. Scanning the building, he saw guards patrolling catwalks and balconies all across the outside of the building. The whir of helicopter blades could be heard; the pilot was preparing for an emergency takeoff. Search lights patrolled the roads in front, swinging back and forth.
"Well, shit. Someone really hates door-to-door salesman."
"Here, catch." Karlia said. Turning around, John caught a bullet Karlia threw to him. Examining it with the little sunlight that remained, he noticed the bullet was actually a see-through capsule containing a black, liquid substance.
"Essence?" he asked.
"Yeah. To be more specific, Lexie's Essence. I have a couple clips that store Essence in case I was ever sent to...retrieve an asset."
"Oh! Yeah, I remember these. But the last thing I want is to release Lexie from this back into the world, so..." John let his sentence trail off before crushing the bullet in his hand, which surprised him considering his form. Maybe he wasn't weak in this form after all. Lexie's Essence attempted to escape, but was quickly snuffed out.
"I agree." Karlia began. "Consuming her Essence was the best option. She's too dangerous to be released." Reaching to her side, she grabbed John's sword and thew it to him. He caught the sword in midair, smiling.Karlia turned her attention to the skyscraper they were about to infiltrate. "So, what's the plan here? We going in quiet, or guns blazing?" John smiled. He pulled out a bottle of liquid from his cloak before dumping some on his glove.
"I think you know exactly what we're going to do."
"Hey, does this smell like chloroform to you?" John asked a guard inside the skyscraper. The guard jumped in surprise and tried to ready his rifle, but John clasped his gloved hand over his nose and mouth. After a few seconds of struggling, the guard collapsed. The commotion drew the attention of the other guards, who began shooting at John, who threw up a shield to deflect the bullets. Drawing his sword, he launched the shield at a guard, all the while surrounding his sword with Essence. The shield hit the guard, sending him careening over the front desk into a wall. Ducking under a hail of gunfire, John rushed in on one of the guards, kicking him in the knee, causing him to fall. Turning around at blazing speed, he swung his sword, sending the Essence at the third guard. The strike connected, bisecting him at the waist. Blood and guts began falling out of the guard, covering the tile floor. The guard behind John attempted to jump for his gun, but John immediately whipped around and stabbed him through his back, cutting his spinal cord. The guard stopped moving immediately and flopped to the ground, not even able to scream. Looking around the front office, John confirmed his work was done before checking his long, gray hair for damage. Suddenly, the front doors burst open. Karlia stormed in, her armor covered in burn marks from explosions, as well as markings from bullets. Her ammuntion supply was dimished by many clips. She retracted her visor, revealing a very pissed off expression on her face.
"Fuck you!" she spat. John held up his hands defensively, letting his hair fall to his shoulders.
"To what honor do I owe being fuck by you?" he answered cooly. Karlia pointed her gun at him, which quickly shut him up.
"It's so much harder to get annoyed with you when you're in that form." Karlia grumbled. John smirked. Grabbing his boobs, he shook them in Karlia's direction, causing her to blush.
"What's the matter? Can't handle how hot I look like this? I mean, I know I look hot normally, but with these things I'm irresistable!" Karlia, still blushing, charged at John, extending her arm out into a punch.
"Go to hell, you piece of shit!" she yelled. Smirking, Essence surrounded John for a split second before dispersing. His long hair had been cut down to its normal size, and the blue highlights disappeared. His lips shrunk, his hips thinned out, and his boobs were no more. With his strong hands back, John caught Karlia's arm, much to her surprise, and threw her over his shoulder into the floor, cracking the tiles.
"Ow..." Karlia groaned.
"Let that be a reminder, Karlia. You couldn't beat me if you tried." Glancing towards the elevator, John lifted Karlia's arm over his shoulders to support her beforw walking to their final vertical journey together.
Once they entered the elevator, Karlia gestured to the top button for the 100th floor. Nodding, John pressed the button. The doors closed, and they began to rise.
"Listen, John." Karlia began weakly. "You may be one of the biggest pricks I know, but I also know your dark side. I've seen it, and it's not pretty. And I was the one who caused it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about the Black Sun Incident." John sighed, not making eye contact.
"Look, I don't know if I can forgive you for that. I don't know if I ever will. But thank you for apologizing." Looking down at her, he smiled. "I'm sorry I used you as bait to sneak in here." Karlis glared at him.
"Yeah, never gonna forgive you for that." The elevator bell rang. They reached the top. Karlia's visor slid back into place.
"Ready?" John asked her. She nodded, getting off of his shoulder. "Alright. Let's do this." John raised his sword, while Karlia lifted her pistols.
The elevator door opened. John leapt out, ready to dismember Charles. But instead, he froze. Karlia peeked out.
"What's going on?" she asked. John threw his sword at the wall. Papers were scattered everywhere. The mahogany office desk still bore the nametag: Charles Fry, CEO. A large, red velvet chair sat behind the desk. Charles wasn't sitting in it.
"No..." John quietly mumbled. "No..." He began to get louder. "No!" he yelled, flipping the desk over. "That fucking coward fled! I always knew he was weak! He won't even let me have this final peace!" John threw his face into his hands. Karlia walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry." she whispered. A loudspeaker crackled behind them. John jumped up to face it, surprising Karlia and almost knocking her over.
"Hello, there, John." An old, harsh voice echoed throughout the room. "You made it back to me. I would congratulate you, except you were too late. The second I heard the wall was being breached, I fled in a private jet. Sorry to disappoint you." John growled at the voice.
"Fortunately, I have a sort of consolation prize for you." A compartment opened up on the top of Charles's desk. A red button slid up to fill the hole before flashing.
"This button will detonate twenty nuclear warheads buried in Fortuna by my company. I loved Fortuna, but its usefulness has run out. I give you the oppurtunity to wreak the revenge you have sought out for so long." Press the button, and you will destroy all that you hate." The loudspeaker crackled out before dying. John stared at the button.
"You can finally get revenge." Karlia piped up. John shook his head.
"Like I said, I wanted to kill the higher ups, not the civilians." John sighed. "Besides, I'm no idiot. The world is bad enough as it is. If I detonate this, it will be considered the largest terrorist attack in history. On top of that, all of Inoro could collapse. The economic effects of that could doom the world." He turned to Karlia. "I just...I can't do it. Not with the consequences." Karlia looked down before grabbing John and throwing him through a window into the night sky. She walked towards the button, smiling.
"Karlia, don't!" John yelled, hanging onto the edge of the balcony. Karlia glared at him.
"These pieces of shit sentenced me to DEATH for one mistake that I still believe was justified. FUCK THE CONSEQUENCES!" Karlia slammed her hand on the button.
"Detonation in five seconds." the louspeaker exclaimed. Tears welled in John's eyes.
"No..." he whispered before covering himself in an Essence shield to protect himself, the roar of rockets drowning out everything else.
When John came to, the Essence shield still encircled him, but deep cracks fell throughout. Groaning, he lifted his arms and dispersed the shield. His eyes widened from what he saw.
The proud building that once stood high was now nothing but steel beams and charred cement. The sky was gray, filled with fallout, blotting out the stars and moon. Radioactive particles could be seen from the corners of his visions glowing brightly. The ground smoldered, smoke filling the air. Screams could be heard from a directions. John cried, tears streaming down his face. Rising to his feet, he looked around the radioactive landscape. The sight was no different anywhere he looked. Looking to his right, he saw a charred body, bones visible. The face was horribly mangled. John threw up.
"Why?" he yelled to the sky. "They're all dead! Millions are dead! And I couldn't stop it!" He wiped his eyes on his cloak. John stared at the waste, not saying a word, not moving a muscle.
A gunshot rang out.
John gasped, clutching his stomach. Turning his head, he saw a figure in red armor flying with a figure in brown armor in the night sky.
"Jarrod..." he growled. The taste of blood flooded his senses. Another gunshot rang out, catching him in the shoulder. John fell to one knee.
"Hey there, John. Miss me?" Jarrod toyed. Jarrod and Karlia landed in front of John.
"It was you!" John screamed, spitting out blood. "You're the reason my soldiers killed the civilians! And you..." he pointed at Karlia. "You were with him the entire time! You fucking bitch, I never should've trusted yo-" John gasped as a gunshot from Karlia shot his hand. Blood poured from the hole.
"Shut the fuck up, John." Karlia said coldly. "You are a vile piece of shit that deserves to die. I'm not on the side of you, or even Inoro. I'm on the side of Jarrod." Karlia tapped on Jarrod's armor, making a metallic clang.
"Inoro will collapse." Jarrod stated. "The snake no longer has a head. And with the political knowledge and influence I gained from the Japanese Empire, I will use your Brigade to reconquer the body."
"You'll..." John groaned, blood staining his chin. "You'll never succeed. You'll see."
"Oh, really, John?" Jarrod laughed. "You've lost. You're dying. Good luck." John smirked.
"With pleasure." With unnatural speed, John raised his head and.let out a screech. His mouth began to glow with Essence. Karlia and Jarrod shut down their audio sensors.
"What the hell is he doing?!" Karlia asked through a closed channel.
"I don't know. Shoot him!" Karlia fired one last shot into John's chest, piercing the Life Essence that replaced his heart.
John collapsed in a heap, smiling. The ground began to rumble.
"What have you done?" Jarrod yelled at John. John just smiled. Screeches could be heard from the ground.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Jarrod screamed. The ground broke open. Essence streamed from the holes. Karlia took aim at John's head. Gasping his last breath, John opened his mouth.
"Just wanted to bring the rest of us to the surface." he whispered. "Don't want things to get too boring while I'm gone." A gunshot rang out. John slumped to the ground. Jarrod and Karlia walked away as the Changeling race rose once more.