Yokai was his name. At least, that's what he preferred to go by. He'd forsaken his human name. He chose this name, obviously, because it told of his great power. A bit on the nose, but it sufficed, and he liked it. He sat beneath the branches of a tree in Central Park, basking in the warmth of the day. It was Sunday, November 20th, the year 2348. A mere day before the attack, a day before war would be declared on humanity. His black hair was in long braids, secured into a fist-sized bun at the base of his neck. With a body made of pure muscle, it was obvious to all that he treated it like it was a temple. True, the more God DNA one had, the harder it was to gain weight, but it was almost as difficult to build muscle, considering that they were already as strong as trains, especially an Omega such as he. His ebony skin gleamed in the sunlight, his eyes gray with blindness. Even with that though, he was still able to see, much like a bat with its sonar screams.
The Park was much more peaceful than he'd thought it would be. He'd never been. Kids and adults milled about, running, or playing on the various paths that carved their way through the gigantic park. They smiled, laughed, as if they hadn't a care in the world. He supposed that made him sick: the idea that these people who claimed brotherhood with their fellow men could seem so unpanicked in spite of all that had transpired in this year alone. The deaths of thousands of their own in both a neighboring state and one halfway across the country.
Yokai felt every death of one of his brethren, mourned them as if they really were his brothers. And he was saddened that so many of his brothers and sisters had to fall in Seattle to bring their plan to fruition. It was a worthy cause to sacrifice for, but still, it wouldn't have been necessary had it not been for the humans around him.
"That's terrible," he would hear some of them say about the attacks. And then they would move on with their day.
I will take pleasure in killing all of you.
They were all terrible. Every one of them. And they would pay for their sins.
The winds picked up, whistling, bashing against the trees. He could hear the leaves swaying, singing their song like static on a busted radio.
"BOO!" A voice shouted from right beside him.
Yokai didn't react in the slightest.
"Aww, come on. You're telling me that wasn't enough to scare you?"
"I could hear your footsteps. You're quieter in the air."
"Yeah, maybe." Oni said from beside her. She sank to the ground beside her, dead leaves crunching under her weight. "Or maybe you just have crazy-good hearing." She said with a laugh.
"Possible." He admitted, no emotion in his tone. "What are you doing here? You know he said we could spend the time until the mission doing whatever we please, right?"
"Sure, I know. But I figured I'd come and see you." She spoke. He had a feeling that she was shrugging when she said that.
Oni, barely a woman, lay down beside her. She was eighteen, the same age as Deity had been when she too had been admitted into The Demon-Heads. If you asked her, that was far too young. Young people had such fickle emotions. One day, they might buy into what you said, follow you with the utmost loyalty. And the next, they may hear someone speak with such fervor that their loyalties wither. They lacked the experience to have true conviction.
That was one reason he found it so unsurprising when Deity had betrayed them. The girl had no stomach for killing. And, worst of all, she'd had the Rage brewing within her.
And, from what Yokai understood, Oni had yet to experience her rage. Should that come to pass, would she too feel that becoming a betrayer was the only route open to her? He couldn't be sure.
"Why did you come and see me? From what I gather, most think I'm very uninteresting."
"What?! You're like super interesting. You have a very..." She pinched her chin in thought. "Mysterious aura about you. It's a bit alluring, honestly."
The winds picked up once more, flowing through Oni's shortly cut hair, which was crimson as the blood in a man's veins. Her eyes were affixed to the sky, one of a deep red and the other a hollow black. She wore a gray sweater that barely fit her slim figure, and a skirt that was three inches up her well-muscled thighs. A pair of leather Converse adorned her feet, socks erupting from them all the way to above her knees, dyed in a black and white plaid.
"And...you seem like the only person that I can talk to about something I have on my mind." The girl spoke solemnly, all joking gone from her voice.
"And why is that?"
"Because you tend to tell the truth."
She nodded in response, urging her on.
"I—I wanted to know...do you think that what we're doing is okay?"
"What? Laying here?"
"No, idiot. I mean, is the mission, okay? We're talking about killing hundreds of people. People that we've never met."
"You've killed people you haven't met before. We're assassins," She spoke dully.
"Sure...but I mean...I just want to know that it'll all be worth it. You know? All the kills I've made in the past had some kind of purpose behind them. Some I did just for the money. Others were for more than that. This war? It's just a bunch of killing. I feel like I'm losing sight of the goal. I mean...is this really how we achieve The Providence that Adastros thinks is so close? How will this help us?"
And there it was. The doubt in her voice. Fickle as a child should be...
"You can't get caught up in the semantics. In our jobs, we're assassins. It makes sense to focus on every detail. In war, we are soldiers and nothing more. We have a chain of command. You just have to trust in your leader with all your being. If you can't do that, you have no place on a battlefield. If you have faith, then merely follow orders. Focus on those single things as we move forward. Do you trust him?"
"Yes. Absolutely." She looked down at her hand, reminiscing. "He saved my life. He and Kirin. Sorry...I guess I'm just scared. I don't know what to expect. When Kyn left...it just shattered my world."
She nodded knowingly. She had been in love with the man. Yokai hadn't really cared one way or another, but he could at least relate. After all, he had loved someone once. A long time ago, before he'd been blinded by her once she had found out what he was. Turned out that human women weren't very fond of Godkin.
Who knew?
"Remember what you're fighting for...remember that goal and nothing else. It will help. All of this is necessary...because if we do not fight, the humans will just kill more of us, oppress us. And I for one am tired of not being able to live in the real world. I was forced to choose to be a killer, because there is no other choice for one such as I."
She nodded, laid back. "Do you think he'll be there? Kyn, I mean."
"Without a doubt. The traitor will make himself known."
"Do you think Adastros can beat him?"
"He has to. None of the others can. Hell...I'm not sure anyone in the world could beat that bastard. To be born with such power..." Yokai said enviously.
"Yeah...he was strong. I heard from Kirin, before he—before he died, that Adastros had never been able to beat him in sparring matches."
"It's true. Never once, as far as I know. But our benefactor has granted him new power, and with the blade, he might very well surpass Kyn in power. I suppose we can only hope."
"Hope is scary." She mumbled.
"So is war."
"Yes...but...can I really take all these lives and feel justified knowing that it brings me happiness?"
"That's all you can do. Especially since they did the same thing a hundred years ago."
She nodded. "Thanks. Talking to you helped."
He inclined his head to her. He wasn't sure what he said that helped. He just hoped it was enough to keep her from betraying them, just as that girl had. Just as Kyn had...
I remember training with him. I remember how much love he had for his brother. The way he'd looked at him with admiration and nothing else. I wonder how Kyn would look at his brother now. Would he be disgusted?
I don't know...but I guess we'll see. Isn't that right, Alamo?
"Yes...and I will see my brother soon, hiding in the eyes of the traitor god."
The world is a dreary place. I've known it for a long time. I saw it growing up. I saw it when I drove my own blade between my father's ribs and saw the light drain from his eyes. Kyn had always wanted to see good in a world where none had ever existed. We Godkin have been hated since our inception. Many could not accept the idea that true gods existed. That we were the ancestors of their mythical creators. The world had outgrown them. But I never wanted to be a god. I never wanted to rule them. I never even hated them. I still don't...not really. I just see that nothing will change unless I make it all change myself. At least that's what I tell myself, but I feel that itch in the back of my mind. The blossoming loathing. For everything. I feel like a line is drawn right there in front of me, and if I cross it, I'll be something more but also something less. The infection has worked its way through my entire body. But I knew that would happen...didn't I? Karyon had told me that would happen. My demonic benefactor. The so-called creator of darkness. The father of Kyn's and my powers. He gave me more power, knowing that I wouldn't stand a chance against my brother.
Still...I've yet to stop and ask myself why he decided to help us.
Why?
Why?
Why?
Every time I ask myself that question and never is there an answer. Just blankness. Why would this all-powerful being seek my help? What does he get by helping us?
These were questions I had but could never bring myself to ask. In truth, I'm utterly terrified that If I question him or his motives that he'll snatch the rug out from under me, right when I'm about to win this war.
I miss my brother. More than I care to admit. I never really speak of it because I don't want to seem weak.
But, way back, growing up, my big brother was just this hero in my eyes. He would take the brunt of father's anger so that I wouldn't get hurt.
Or maybe that was me. My memory is fuzzy.
I can't think straight these days.
But I remember my brother. That much I know. I remember when we would play outside in the snow, building forts. I remember when his powers manifested first and I was so jealous. I tried for years, but I was a late bloomer—rare for an Omega I had heard. Perhaps that was why my dad loved Kyn more. Maybe that's why I killed him.
I don't know.
I don't know anything anymore.
Is there a point to any of this?
Yes...
Don't lose sight.
Providence is coming.
It is. I have to believe that.
I have to know it in my bones.
Holding onto that thought is all that I have. I remember, a long time ago, I had thought that I would live in that tiny room in The Syndicate's Keep on the northern shores of Rasen Island, just a few years before global corporations like Titan Corps. had developed the lands into their own veritable utopia. I would stare out the window, carved out of solid stone, watching the birds as they flew freely over the open sea. I always hoped to be that free.
I'm almost there. Almost free. But not quite yet.
Part of me thinks I can turn my brother. Make him see the light on the other side. Come back to me, fight with me. Even after he and his new comrades killed Kirin, who was like a little brother—nay—a son to me. Another part of me knows that that is an impossible future. The real future, the unavoidable one, is where I must drive this unused blade through his chest and claim its power. If Karyon is true to his word, I will surpass even Kyn's great Bane and become a force that no one on Earth can contend with. No army could stop me. I'll force the humans to accept us. Destroy them if need be. My ancestors may have created them, if the myths are to be believed, but that does not mean I must love them. They're an abomination. Cruel and heartless, the lot of them.
And so, I suppose it nears the eleventh hour.
Let the war begin.
Manhattan, New York
United Nations Building
The voices were many and all consuming. Theseah could hardly handle the noise as she and the Princess Kalea Ala'Frah waited just out of sight of the countless world leaders that had gathered here, all to see her.
Kalea patted her breast, as if trying to slow down her steadfast heartbeat. "You weren't kidding about surface-people. They all looked at me like I was a mere plankton."
Theseah, who leaned against the wall that sat adjacent the center stage where the princess would soon speak, nodded. "They have a way of making Godkin feel lesser with sneers alone."
"It can't be helped. Where are the other guards?"
"They were told to take up rooms in a hotel near here. Though, I've instructed them to remain close. With all that has happened...I'm not sure it's safe to have only me guarding you."
"I see. You speak of your surface comrades? The Shredders. I hear they've been outlawed."
"Yes. My only saving grace is that I'm also an Atlantean. They didn't arrest me mainly because they were afraid, they'd cause an international incident. Some that regret the previous great war support our cause gave fervently. But I still worry for them...I have a feeling they will be close by though. I've kept in contact, and it seems that it's likely that the attack on Seattle was to draw attention away from this." She gesticulated to their surroundings. "It gives me chills."
"I know. But you must know that this conference is for the benefit of all. Hopefully, once we are granted status, life will get better for our surface brethren."
Theseah snickered lightly.
"What? What is it?" Kalea said softly.
"Nothing. I'm just happy that it was you who was chosen and not someone else. Gods know that you're one of the only Atlanteans that shares that view. Most would sooner see the other Godkin burn under hateful stares."
Kalea blushed. "Thank you, Thee. Had it not been for you, I'm not sure that I would have made it this far."
"Nah. You're tough, just as you should be. You could have done it without me." Theseah tried to be modest.
Kalea grabbed Theseah's hand. She tensed at her gentle touch. The dim lights above, hanging from the rafters, shone like spotlights on Kalea's dark hair. Today, she wore it in two braids that were interwoven, hanging all the way to her curvaceous hips. A dress white as an eggshell with spider-web like embroidery at her breast clung to her flesh, furling at her delicate feet. A pair of white high-heels adorned her feet. Her spine was stiff, straight as a ruler. But her emerald-green eyes conveyed only a heartfelt stare. "Theseah, don't play. You stayed with me, through all of this in spite of your worry for your friends. I know you fear for them."
Theseah looked away. She hated that Kalea could see through her so easily. "They can take care of themselves. I'll find them after this is over."
"Kalea? They're ready for you." A woman spoke as she approached them, eyes never leaving her clip board. She looked very official like, a gray skirt and white shirt, heels and glasses. The way she spoke...it pissed Theseah off to no extent. She spoke to Kalea as she were just another person, undeserving of respect. Like she didn't matter.
Kalea, still holding Theseah's hand, clenched. "Pay no heed to her. It's fine." She whispered. Then she turned back to the woman. "Thank you, Miss. May my guardswoman accompany me on stage."
"Sure. As long as she has no weapons."
"Right." Theseah said with a glare. She pulled the trident that clung magnetically to the back of her armor and impaled the oak-wood floors angrily.
The woman's gaze finally left her clipboard, eyes wary of the Atlanteans, as if seeing them for the first time.
"If that's it, then we best get out there." Theseah said sternly. She hadn't bothered to dress fashionably for this event. She wore still her stocky silver armor that coated her head to toe. The breastplate, which should have been emblazoned with her tribe sigil, was blank. Most guards wore their sigil proudly.
She couldn't. Not without revealing her secret. She doubted that even Kalea would look at her with kind eyes if her origins became known.
"Let us go and change the minds of men, then." Kalea smiled. She stepped gracefully past the woman, heading out onto stage.
Theseah was not so graceful. She walked like a brute, arms out to the side, gait wide and shoulders broad, a permanent glare levelled out at all. It was the face she put on in front of strangers. She liked the way it terrified the preppy woman enough to cause her to yelp.
They stepped out onto stage, and immediately the cacophony of voices came to a grinding halt. All eyes were drawn to the porcelain skinned beauty that delicately made her way to the center podium.
"Ahem." The Princess cleared her throat. "I'd like to start by thanking all of you for coming here. I know that times are tumultuous at best with everything that's happened. And, for you, President Adam Keller, I offer my deepest condolences for what has happened to your country."
The President's face was grave, eyes gaunt and bagged. The young man looked as though he might have aged a thousand years, gray hairs already beginning to prick out of his shortly cut brown hair. Aside from that, his appearance was exactly what it should be: well-kempt. Still, Theseah couldn't blame the looks that crossed his face as he stared into space. After all, he'd gone from Speaker of The House straight to presidency in a single day. President Lycan had lost his life to that mad-man, Kirin Carnacious, and The Vice President had been assassinated elsewhere under mysterious circumstances, his family slaughtered with him. From what Theseah had read, they had found him strung up on his lawn, his family sliced to ribbons in the living room, their blood dried and flaking from the stark white walls.
"Dispense with the pleasantries, we're all very tired." The Queen of England spoke. She appeared as tired as the President. She was Queen Elizabeth the eighth. She was usually kind, even to Godkin. It appeared even she was a bit worried about Godkin gaining leadership in the world.
"Right...then I'll get right to it." Kalea said nervously.
Come on, you've got this. You practiced for weeks. You're ready. Theseah thought.
The Princess took a deep breath. "Well...I suppose many of you are worried. Scared even. Godkin are a terrifying force after all. We are stronger and faster and smarter than humans in almost every way. Power means something different to us than to you."
"Are you trying to make your case, or break it?" One of the one-hundred and Ninety-four world leaders shouted.
Many of the leaders laughed.
The princess waited until the laughter died down before speaking again.
"You all fear us. It's in your eyes. Your words, your laws. Many of them I agree with. Registering us, categorizing our abilities? It has to be done. Otherwise, you would fear us even more. But the others? The insurances denied to the sickly. The segregations of our peoples...it's not right. I will make that opinion known. I believe there is a rocky road ahead for all of us. I know you can't phase us deep into your society right off the bat. We must each dip our toes into the opposing waters and know each other's misgivings to build a bridge of trust. And, I believe that a step in the proper direction would be ratifying my request. Accepting my people will send a message that you care, that you're willing to change. And I firmly believe that if you show that you are willing, my people will soon follow. We cannot continue on this path of separation, the path of hate and disgust. We all live in this world together, whether any of us like it or not."
"That's all well and good, but you must think about what you are saying. We are humans. We've been on this Earth for thousands of years, building our own governments and history. You Godkin are the intruders. It's sad, I know. You were cloned and released upon us without any warning by a narcissistic man who wanted to play God. Even if your ancestors were real, it doesn't matter. You've been gone for millennia. This world is ours, and if you want to live in it, you're the ones who have to change, not us."
Princess Kalea clenched the wood of the podium until her knuckles were white. "You're right. We were thrust upon you. But we are people, just as you. Some of us are despicable, just as your people has degenerates. My people have an ingrained hate of all of you because of our history! And you have the same hate burning in your hearts! You must be better, step forward!"
The woman who was speaking to Kalea was someone Theseah couldn't recognize. She wasn't sure what country the woman came from, but she was dark-skinned, Indian, maybe, though she didn't have the accent. She had dark black hair and wore a red suit that hugged her curves.
One of the other leaders spoke then. "I agree with The Princess. It doesn't matter who changes first. It only matters that change occurs to begin with."
"Really? You think change is good? Once we grant them what she asks, they will just want more. Give an inch and they'll want a mile, as they say in America."
"So, are you saying that you'd be so stubborn as to stick to your hatred all just to prove a point? Hate only begets hate! Please, show you are willing to change! You can show them that changing isn't scary, that it can lead to peace!" Kalea shouted with all her heart.
It started with only a few voices arguing, shouting their views. It seemed split in half. Some arguing for and some against. None could agree on one topic alone.
Before any of them knew it, it was an all-out war of words.
"Shut the hell up!"
The riotous behavior ceased with that single shout that rang throughout the entire hall. And Theseah was flabbergasted that the words had come straight from Princess Kalea. He'd never seen her so angry, so passionate.
"I understand many of you have your grievances. And many of you agree with me. But if making Atlantis its own entity will just start another war, then I don't want my people a part of your world anyway. Why fight over us? We're people, just as you. America fought Britain six hundred years ago for their independence in a time where it was required. It resulted in so much death and destruction...the world has been plagued by war since the inception of thought. Make us a country, or don't. That's the choice. If you're too paranoid to trust us, or trust anyone else, then don't bother."
The room was quiet, so quiet that Theseah could hear her own heartbeat.
This is bad...are they going to turn on us?
"She's right." This time, it was the President himself who stood. "Atlantis is new. Just as The United States was once new. Who are we to deny them? Who are we to tell them they can't be a country? What authority do we have? All because they're Godkin? I for one am tired of all the turmoil. Today, my country is the one in danger. Months ago, it was England. I know a lot of you are questioning whether or not my Shredder Corps. is responsible. And, honestly, I'm not sure of that myself. But that is an entirely different matter. We need to bridge the gap...end this strife once and for all. United, we can figure out this mess of a world. But throwing away the support of an entire nation with their power? We would be idiots to do so, especially when something terrible is looming on the horizon."
"Exactly. Couldn't have said it better myself." Someone said.
"Well...I suppose we can at least come to an accord if nothing else."
"I guess we should learn to tolerate each other..."
The voices leaned in the other direction now. The tide was turning in their favor.
"Well..." The woman who had first spoken. The dark-skinned woman that Theseah hadn't recognized. She came to stand, glaring at the entire room. "This is a dilemma now, isn't it? I had hoped that I could end this without violence."
That voice...it's familiar. But where have I heard it...?
"Hey...wait a minute...who are you?" The man beside the woman spoke. He appeared to be looking at his phone. "Milena, of Maldovia...? Your country is new too, so I wouldn't know you..." The man who spoke was Azmov, Theseah thought. The current President of Russia.
"Aw...is the ruse over? Did the news break already? Pity." The woman smiled sinisterly. "Oh, well."
Maldovia...a country that had been locked in civil war for over a hundred years. They just joined the UN last year, right? They splintered off of Russia centuries ago, I think...so why does she have British accent? And why am I just noticing...That voice, I swear I...
Kaliko!
"Get away from—"
"Too late!" Kaliko swiped her hand and Azmov died in an instant, his blood exploding from his suit of flesh, blood and bone splattered like shrapnel from a grenade. The faces of the world leaders looked on in shock. The guards who were on duty shouted, rushing to detain her.
Kaliko unleashed an insane laugh, her body twitching with each chuckle. She swiped another hand and the guards fell, bodies becoming stains on the walls.
"Everyone Run!" Theseah Shouted.
The Atlantean guards ran on stage.
"Get her out of here!" She ordered them. "Take her to the safe house immediately!"
"I don't think so!" Kaliko said maniacally. She raised her arms spreadeagle, then sliced them through the air. Using her terrifying power, every single world leader, all of them, died in a single moment. Their bodies fell apart, their blood bulging like tumors beneath their skin. Screams of unbridled anguish filled the halls. The people evaporated, their blood floating into the air and joining an orb of blood.
"So fragile, these humans. So easily killed. Miss Atlantean, you have to see that joining their world is beyond idiotic. We have to force them to join ours...only then can we truly live the way we were meant to...as gods."
Using the blood, Kaliko sealed off each of the exits, stranding Theseah and Kalea, as well as the four other Atlantean guards. The woman stepped over the skin suits, wet slaps of footsteps against the stairs as she slowly made her way down.
"I'd rather not have to kill you, you know? You could join us, Princess. Donate your forces to our cause and we are guaranteed to win the coming war."
Kalea trembled in trepidation. Eyes wide, she could only stare at the insanity before her. "Wh-what did you do? They—they were—we—"
"Aww, don't tell me you're that weak? A little blood and you're that scared?"
"Kaliko!" Theseah yelled. "What the hell did you do? All these people...the world will never forgive us! You'll start a fucking war!"
"That's the point." Kaliko winked, jutting out her tongue teasingly. "Nice to see ya' Theseah. Been a while."
"Can't say the same. Now, either let us go, or stand down. Because I don't want to kill you either."
"As if you could..." She laughed.
"Guess I can't turn the princess. Alright, then, it's plan B."
"I guess so..."
Theseah froze.
The guards. One of them spoke in response. It was Kara...the second in command. Daughter of The White Whales Chief...
Don't tell me...
Kara Ki'Lasta had wanted to lead so badly. She wanted to rule their country. She wanted to bring about a new era. She wanted to declare war on humanity. Many of her people had agreed that that might have been best. Until Kalea had given her speech. And suddenly, every chieftain was on board, as well as the exile, Theseah. The night that she had decided she would take the throne for herself once the vote had concluded, she had been in her chambers. Her lamp had burned brightly all night, as she sat on her bed for hours, legs hugged to her chest. She had mulled over the decision, fretted over it even. But how could she take the throne alone? With that character, the dreadful woman had won over the entirety of her people. No one would back her, not even her own father.
Of course, that was why she'd killed him that night. Buried her trident through his gullet while he slept.
"Bastard. Now, what the hell do I do...?" She'd said to herself.
And, as if answering her prayer, he seemed to step out of the very shadows in the corner of her room, blonde hair and black armor and blades in tow. Adastros.
She supposed, from there, the rest was history.
She liked what he had to offer. She was a vital piece in ensuring that Atlantis came to the aid of Adastros. She just had to kill four people. And then she would return to Atlantis, a hero with tell of the vile humans that had slaughtered their own leaders just to kill two Godkin.
She was confident that she could defeat The Princess. She was weak. But the tribeless exile? She wasn't so sure. The woman was tough as nails, trained under some of the best warriors Atlantis had to offer.
Kara drove her trident into the first guard's gut, then kicked the other in the jaw, snapping her neck with a single blow. And, just like that, the last of the Atlantean guards lay dead before her, save the exile, who stared in bafflement.
Kalea just trembled, fell to her knees, clutching her head as though she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"I knew you were weak, Kalea. You were too idealistic. Believed so wholly that humanity would just roll over and accept us."
"They almost did!" Theseah spoke in her stead.
"Please. Even if they did accept us as a part of their society, they would never truly accept us. They would always be afraid. Always ready to kill us after the slightest slip up. Our powers? The strength we have?! Atlantis alone could take the entire world on its own."
"You side with monsters! All because you wanted The Throne?!" Theseah clenched her fists.
"Wh-why?" Kalea finally spoke, tears streaming down her eyes, mixing with the blood that had splashed on her face. Her dress had turned from Eggshell white to wine-red, soaked in gallons of crimson. "Kara...I-I thought...I thought..."
"Thought what? That everyone would just agree the world had to be yours? That we should just accept your ideals? No. I won't let you destroy our one chance to make this world ours. Why should we have to hide beneath the sea while humans get to dominate the planet? It's not right. This planet is ours. And I'm done leaving it to them." Kara slung the blood from her trident onto the ground. "Now, do you want to die there on the ground, or fighting like a proper warrior?"
"I won't let you tou—" Theseah tried to rush Kara, but froze. Her body was rigid. She couldn't move. "Kaliko!" She grunted as she resisted Kaliko's ability.
"Ahh, allies. They make everything easier. Now, standing or kneeling? Which is it princess?" Kara put as much venom into that word as she could muster.
Kalea wiped away her tears, pushed herself to her feet. "I won't let you take away everything I've striven fo—"
Kalea's words were cut off as Kara drove her trident through her chest. "The queen is dead. Long live the queen." Kara laughed as she picked Kalea up with her weapon.
Kalea sputtered, looking down at the weapon, then at Kara, and finally at the frozen Theseah. Theseah screamed, pushing against Kaliko's ability so hard that her iron-like skin began to rip at the seams.
"Theseah...I—I lo—love you." Kalea uttered, blood spatter erupting from her lips.
Kara kicked Kalea off the end of her trident, letting her body fall to the ground, limp and lifeless, eyes glazed over.
"I'll kill you! You're dead, bitch! You're dead!" Theseah cried.
"Really? I think you're the one about to die." Kara smiled slightly.
"This isn't good." Clarion said to the group as they assembled outside the United Nations building. A crowd had gathered. Some in support of the summit. Some opposed. All concerned. There had been no word of what happened inside. But the entrances were all blocked. And an alarming news alert gave immediate cause for worry. "Milena Vlad, the President of Maldovia, was found dead thirty minutes ago. Along with her entire family. But this morning, she came through customs and checked into a hotel near here. By all accounts, she should be inside. That means..."
"Adastros has an impostor on the inside. Fuck." Kyn said. "What the hell are you planning, brother?"
"Alright..." Athena said. With Thane's help, she was now able to move much better, the damage to her body barely apparent. Kyn was glad to see her back to her old self. "Bolas, Apollo, Artemis, Spade, Deity. I need all of you to secure a perimeter. Undoubtedly, Adastros has scouts nearby, lying in wait to attack. Don't engage unless necessary. Scorch, Wendigo, go to the rear entrance of the building and wait for me to get back to you. Tempest, Asora, Thane, you'll take the front entrance. Kyn and I will take the west wall."
"Then Dorian and I will take the East Wall. So, are we all breaching at once?" Clarion said.
"Yes. But first, I want Bolas to get a scope on the room. Far as I've seen, none of Adastros' underlings have made themselves known, except for the one in the building itself. Once we understand the situation, we'll go from there. Either way, I want us ready at each entrance, ready to breach if at all possible."
"So, you want me scoping the situation out instead of searching for the scouts?" Bolas crossed his arms over his chest.
"No. Both tasks. I assign this to you, only because I know you can handle it. You're a good scout. The others are more muscle for in case any of the Demon-Heads, as Deity called them, decide to show themselves or if you sight them. Can you handle that?"
"Sure. I'll need a ride to the roof though."
"Gotcha. Latch on, guys. We don't have a lot of time." Spade said. Bolas, Deity, Artemis and Apollo each laid a hand on Spade. "Alright. Let's save the world." Spade chuckled. A second later, he teleported himself and the others away.
Dorian wasn't happy. He was stuck as part of the reserves with Bartholomew Black. They were told to hang back by Athena, on a nearby rooftop. The others would join the action, hunt down the bad guys, all while he and this insane ass watched from the distance. He sighed, running a sharpening stone across his sword, legs hanging over the edge of the building. At least he didn't have it as bad as Curie. She was still on the ship, ensuring that her sister didn't escape and ruin their plans.
Bartholomew stood beside Dorian his mask pulled taut over his face. That swirl of white on his mask was unnerving. Dorian couldn't bring himself to look at it. When he did, it felt like his very soul was being sucked from his body.
Black stepped side-to-side precariously on the edge of the roof, an incessant thump generated each time he flipped that gods-forsaken coin.
Well, I suppose even this guy could help pass the time. I don't want to sit in silence all day.
"So, what's your deal, dude?" Dorian spoke, not taking his golden-brown eyes off his work.
"Deal? Are you calling me a devil?"
"What? Jesus, you're crazy."
"Insane in the brain, as they say."
"The way Kyn talks about you, you're strong. What Branch are you from?"
"We're all branches of the same tree...most of us. Not me. Nope. I'm from a different tree altogether."
"So, what? You're not a Godkin at all?"
Black was silent then. Dorian shook his head with a sigh. This guy was impossible. He hadn't talked to the guy much, hadn't trusted him. Trust was hard to come by. But he had to try. After all, he'd thought so ill of Kyn because of who he was, what he'd done, but the man had risked his life to save Athena, all of his friends.
Far as Dorian was concerned, that bought his loyalty. This man was Kyn's ally. At least, Dorian thought he was.
"He's...strange." That's all that Kyn had said when Dorian had asked about him in private.
"Something is coming." Black said.
Dorian came to a stand. "What? What do you mean 'Something is coming.'?"
Black jutted out a long finger. "There."
Dorian followed Black's fingers, narrowing his eyes as he tried to find what Bartholomew was talking about. "Ho-holy shit!" Dorian exclaimed.
He tapped the comms in his ear. "Athena! Kyn!"
"What!? You're supposed to maintain radio silence."
It was Athena.
"Get out of there! Get out! Adastros is coming, right now. He-he's flying! Right for the building. He's gonna' bring it down!"
"What? But why? That doesn't make any—"
"Stop thinking and move! Get everyone out!!"
"Right. Maintain your position until I tell you. How copy?"
He was silent for a minute. He didn't want to be stuck up here, away from the fight. He belonged down there. Battling. Defending. Maybe Athena thought his inexperience or naivete would get in the way.
"How. Copy?" She said firmly.
He growled. "I copy. I'll maintain position until further notice."
With that, the line went dead.
A few seconds later, Adastros crashed like a bolt of lightning from the sky, the entire building caving inward, then launching away in a massive explosion. Smoke black as tar rose into the sky, rubble was flung all over. It seemed that Tempest and Wendigo tried to get to the bystanders in time.
They didn't make it.
Now, they were shadows staining the sidewalk.
And thus sang the dogs of war.