Chapter 15: Free Master Peace
"How did it get this bad?" Shay asked. "Alogos, I mean."
Molly, trying valiantly to sleep, replied, "Give me your pillow and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
Shay rolled her eyes, but obliged. Molly conked out. Shay slapped her on the leg, then left the bedroom to see what Maro was doing. The young man was sitting in his special chair, practicing the same motion over and over again, and had obviously been doing so late into the night. He nearly jumped out of his seat when Shay tapped him on the shoulder.
"Hello, Shay!" he set his things down. "My rigorous training can take a break, what do you want?"
"Tell me about Alogos," she replied. "I don't feel like reading or doing research."
Maro looked at Shay with a face that said, I'm glad you asked! "Well," he started. "After the war, Alogos was a massive city on the ocean with no port. Hirudinea, being a lot bigger and better than us, offered to build the whole thing, and they did it good, too! But, they did it in exchange for some... benefits. Military presence and special trading privileges kinda spiraled out of control. Now we're here."
Shay nodded. "Cool, cool... so, what are you doing in the game?" As a closeted Never Reachers II: Reach Even Less fan, she pretended to be disinterested with his exposition.
Saturday
Tenra explained the plan in front of some visual aids. "Maro wants to stage a city-wide revolution the same day we attack the plant. Which means we have a hell of a lot more planning to do. However, we have three main strengths.
We know what Bruta's Kit does, which I'll get to soon. We also know she's in Alogos, because the KCD headquarters are here.
We have a city full of angry, desperate people, who will burn the place to the ground if they get the chance.
There's a storm coming. I don't mean that in a cool, 'Tenra is pissed and won't be stopped,' type of way, I mean there's a tropical storm showing up tomorrow.
We have blueprints of the building we are sieging.
"So, we have a real shot at pulling something off, and I'll tell you I am pleased to be doing some real work for the first time in years."
"So," Molly said, "Tell us. What's Bruta's Kit?"
"Counterfit. It manifests as ever-shifting armor that predicts attacks, even before she would have any way of knowing about them. It can stop just about anything short of a massive explosion, or a free-fall."
Vesta's eyes went wide, "How are we supposed to fight that? I can take on as many agents as need be, but I do not know how to beat armor that can stop any attack."
"Well," Tenra uttered solemnly. "I've had over a decade to think about this. The only way to win is to either wear her SOLE out by making her change armor several times, or to get her to attack herself. Besides that, nothing but a nuke is gonna get her off our back. Except for my Kit, of course!" He smirked. "Her armor manifests out of the plate on her chest that is Counterfit, like Molly's multi-tool, Vesta's boomerang, or Shay's shoulderpads. She has a glaring weakness; I can take that metal plate and expose her, if I can just spot her before she gets us..."
"So, anyway, that's the plan if we run into her. Wait for me to use 4sight and then we strike her down. And, I shouldn't have to say this, but Shay, you're not coming at all."
"I'm sorry, what?" Shay spoke to her father for the first time in a few days. "What do you mean? There's no armor in existence that can stop me from using Curtains on her. How can you know how her Kit works and still tell me I have to stay back?"
"Counterfit operates independently of her mind. It blocks attack, even those she can't see coming, so even if you change her perception, we're not gonna beat her. You're not coming, and that's final."
"Whatever," she growled and exited. No one present realized just how furious and afraid she was.
"Anyway..." Tenra pulled Molly and Vesta back in, "We're gonna go in when the hurricane strikes. Molly, we're gonna guard Vesta while she goes into..." Tenra whipped out the blueprints Molly had acquired earlier. "This room."
He pointed to the area where Vesta would have access to the entire city's power grid. It was in the lobby, the very first and easiest to access floor of the building. It was behind some (presumably) heavy CryptLocks, but Tenra had prepared.
"Huh, this looks like it will not be too difficult. With hell unfolding outside, we could go in and out easily," Vesta commented.
"Yeah, if we can deal with Bruta," Tenra concurred, "And then... well, whatever happens in that head of yours Vesta, might be able to get us somewhere. And, if everything goes according to plan, we're gonna blackout a city in a hurricane and start a revolution." He let out a sigh of satisfaction, before he remembered his troubles with his daughter.
--
Molly opened the screen door and beckoned Vesta to step out onto the balcony with her. There were two chairs, so they both had a seat and looked out onto the city. Molly gazed out, taking in her surroundings. "You know..." She began, "Late at night, the city's kind of..."
"This shit ugly." Vesta suggested.
"Yes!" Molly agreed. "You can't even see the stars through the smog! All the buildings are either flat gray or nauseatingly bright. Logos and concrete don't exactly set the mood." She quietly imagined what it would be like to live in the cities from ages ago, before they were like this. Little did she know...
"Do you think that's why they call it Alogos?"
Molly scoffed. "That'd be funny. But, it's probably an etymology thing. Like how I was named after a shopping mall."
"Ah yes," Vesta retorted, "And I was named after an outdated piece of outerwear."
"Or the asteroid, if you want to tell people you're out of this world," Molly replied. Then, there was a moment of surprisingly comfortable silence between them. "So, Vesta," She wondered what she wanted to say for a second, then decided she wanted to try something again. "How are you?"
Vesta had to physically stop herself from being mean. She silently and successfully suppressed the urge to dismiss Molly. With caution and much deliberation, she eked out the words.
"I'm... doing better." As soon as she said it, she realized it was true.
"That's all I needed to hear."
Vesta then said something neither of them expected. "And, how are you?"
Molly spoke with frankness. She was tired of the barrier between her and her teammate. "I'm better with you around. Don't get me wrong, I love Shay and Tenra with my whole heart, they're like family to me. But, they're like family to me. I needed a friend. Sorry if I'm making assumptions, but thank you for being that for me."
Vesta smiled. She did not reply at all. Eventually, Molly asked another question. "When do you plan to retire? What are you going to do after your career in... diplomacy?"
Vesta responded without hesitation. "I decided some time ago that if I ever find out who killed my parents I would take care of that and then call it quits. I know not what I plan to do after, but I realize I cannot live the fast life forever."
Molly nodded. "That's your goal? What if it's just some random soldier who isn't even active anymore? Seems a little... arbitrary. Well, not to you, but..." Vesta raised her eyebrows skeptically, but Molly continued. "I'm gonna kick it in my parent's basement once I feel like I've done enough. I don't know if I'll ever feel that way, though. Hold on, I gotta go. I'll be back in a bit."
Talking to Vesta had made Molly realize there were still loose ends to be tied. She began walking down the hallway, towards Tenra's room. I'm already a few years late, she realized. She redoubled her efforts, now sprinting.
"Tenra," she panted.
Tenra sat up in his chair, alert. "Is something wrong?"
"It's terrible," Molly said, taking heavy breaths between words. "I've made a mistake."
After a sigh, he relaxed in his chair. It normally only took him two seconds instead of three to realize when Molly was pulling his leg. She wasn't a good liar. "Yes, you have. You left your door open last night and your snoring had me trying to steal Shay's overpriced headphones. I'm glad you've come to apologize."
Molly rolled her eyes and sat down next to Tenra. She was quiet for a minute. Tenra noticed, and knew what it meant.
"Tenra, I never thanked you," she started. Tenra raised his eyebrows in question. Molly continued. "For taking care of me, all those years ago. I was only seventeen, and I decided to leave my home, my family, behind. You kept me moving, you kept me thinking, you never let me forget why I chose to join the organization, even if it meant giving up so much. You were there for me when I would stay up late crying over how I could only visit my family twice a year. I was just thinking about Vesta, and her family, and..."
"Say no more. It was my pleasure. You're a good--"
He was interrupted by a tight hug from Molly. He hugged her back and smiled softly. They grow up so fast.
"Alright, I have to go check on Vesta," Molly declared. She started walking out the door, and then paused. "Love you," she said.
"Love you too, kid," Tenra replied.
Molly exited, and Tenra sat back down in his seat. She's not a teenager anymore. Seeing her act so mature is disorienting, but I'm proud of her. Speaking of teenagers... Tenra exhaled deeply. After a moment, he summoned his courage and left his room.
One foot was placed in front of the next in the hallway each step measured carefully. Left, right, left, right, walking in the direction of Shay's door. His destination arrived, and he was not ready for it. His hand seemingly raised itself, but he stopped before knocking.
She probably wouldn't even hear me, she always has her headphones in, Tenra thought to himself, looking for a way out. Or maybe it'll be more like last time. I try to talk with her, but she always brushes me aside. Do I really have to wait until Shay is Molly's age to be able to connect with her again?
His palm rested on the door, silent. He succumbed to his fear and withdrew. With slouched shoulders and a heavy, rapidly pounding heart, he sulked back to his bed, disappointed in himself.
Shay listened carefully from inside her room. She heard her father exhale, and then paid close attention to his footsteps. After the fourth thud, it was evident that Tenra was walking away. The steps got quieter and quieter, until finally there was only silence between them.
Shay pressed her back to the door, and slid down. She wanted to complain that Pops had walked away, but she knew she would have reflexively given him the cold shoulder if he had approached.
She blamed herself, and wondered if Pops was doing the same. Then, she withdrew her LightTable and began to type. Just for one moment, I'm going to deactivate Curtains, and I'm going to talk to him, she decided. But first, I need to know what I'm going to say.
"My Grand Speech," she typed, before backspacing. She tried at another header, "What I Have to Say to You, Father." She shrugged and decided to continue. Something said verbally doesn't really need a title, anyway.
On that document, she poured out all of her frustrations with him, and with herself:
Her childish hatred of Tenra being with women besides her mother.
Her feelings of betrayal towards Tenra's selfishness. He kept Shay out of the fight so he wouldn't have to lose another family member to Bruta, but let himself battle, aware that Shay might have to be the one suffering the loss.
Her knowledge that her father was willing to lay down his life for this cause, regardless of what it meant for his child.
She wrote all of her feelings down in great detail, and then set the LightTable to the side, letting out a deep exhale.
Now I just have to muster the courage to say it.
--
March 9th, 2059. Location classified.
Mary Solis tried not to wretch. Hundreds of bodies were scattered around her, but the sight of one in particular sickened her: her husband's. Tenra's leg was mutliated so much that she knew it would have to be amputated. Mary did not have time to dwell on whether her husband would make it or not, because Bruta Cavarie was standing in front of her, blood streaming down her face.
Rain poured from the night sky. The mud on the ground was soaked with blood and littered with body parts. Mary could no longer keep track of how many lives she had taken, nor how many her husband had taken. All she knew was that if she did not slay Bruta Cavarie, Tenra would die, she would die, and her daughter would grow up with no parents.
Bruta traded her empty pistol for a vicious-looking steel axe from a holster on her belt. Hell of a time to run out of ammo, she thought, with a grim sense of humor. She readied herself, and anticipated Mary's next move. She's going to take the bait and switch positions with my axe. I'll pull out the hidden combat knife in my pocket, and stab her through the heart. Just like I rehearsed.
Mary held a knife in her hand, one that had been bloodstained for the past few hours. It was the object to which her Kit, Switchblade, was bound. She had the ability to switch the positions of objects and people.
Mary took one step forward, and now the two women stood twelve feet apart, in range for Switchblade. Mary drew on the little SOLE she had remaining, and activated her ability. Bruta smirked, thinking she knew what was coming. However, when the instantaneous switch came, Bruta found herself unprotected and at the mercy of her opponent.
Mary had not switched with Bruta's axe, but had traded places with the steel plate in her chest, the one bound to her Kit, Counterfit. With the plate gone, Bruta's armor vanished, leaving her with nothing but plain clothes to defend her. Mary had also grabbed Bruta's right wrist, stopping her from swinging with the axe. While still in midair from the switch, Mary had kicked her leg up, and then clamped it down around Bruta's other wrist, trapping it in the knee pit. Bruta was immobilized.
The knife bound to Switchblade was raised, and Bruta gazed up in wide-eyed fear. She's going to kill me, she decided.
Then, Mary stared into Bruta's pathetic eyes. She was a former friend, someone who had saved her husband's life as many times as she had, and a woman who had shared drinks, wins, losses, and life with the Organization.
Mary hesitated for one full second. It was all Bruta needed.
The rain and blood mixed together to make a surface slippery enough for Bruta to escape Mary's grasp. Bruta brought her free, armed hand behind her. Then, she struck with all the force she could muster. The steel blade of the axe embedded itself in Mary's skull, and the woman dropped to the ground and sank in the mud.
Tenra's tears began to flow. Only after he had seen his wife die did he faint from blood loss.