CityWars: Aftermath
A follow-up to the fan fiction written by: Druid
Contributions by: Tropical Islands, Omni, OMSI, The League of Nations, Spingebill and the always-disappointing Garry Newman.
Prologue:
Pseudonymous grumbled after hearing that WireMod had been taken out of the server. After Syntox's War (the name given to the bitter conflict to reclaim CityWars one year ago), Tropical decided to greatly reduce the privileges that regular players could have, lest there be another war. Pseudo saw sense in this, but he also saw serious downsides. For example, the creativity that some players exercised was no longer practiced. Players built gigantic castles and duplicated them, but lo and behold, Trop removed the duplicator too. Perhaps it was the players' faults for being unruly, but Trop could've at least been forgiving.
That's what changed after this war, Pseudo thought. Trop was no longer forgiving after one of his co-designers deserted. Rumors were around that he couldn't even trust RedArrow or Jason. Not that he would, because they were allies of Syntox as well, but he couldn't run all of 420 by himself. Trop began to be isolated, often sending Vik or Kush to be representatives. Vik became extremely callous after the war, and Kush became silent. He was seen talking to Druid on an abandoned TTT server, but he was never present on any other servers. Meanwhile, the smaller wars, if it was the correct term, were still raging on CityWars. Druid reinstated Overwatch and smashed the Last Hope in the Bangclaw Desert, establishing their rule over all of Bangclaw. It was now very hard to go somewhere without running into a familiar yellow-clad militia on the streets. Pseudo thought that it would've been extremely hard for Druid to maintain order and control in such a large faction. Surprisingly, it wasn't, because Druid managed to raid many, many factions and still find the men to defend while the invasion forces were out.
Scout360Pyro continued patrolling the skies, occasionally spotting a skirmish between clans, and wondered what CityWars would be like if he or Druid never came along. Perhaps more peaceful, he thought. But that would be boring. Then, he saw the raid alert flash, which was turning more ordinary to him now that Overwatch was back. Another massacre was about to happen, this time against a clan called "Purple"
Chapter 1: The Coalition
Druid ordered seven soldiers to invade the base while the remaining 5 could rest. He knew that no other clan could penetrate the defenses while at least one man still stood, and no other clan would willingly raid Overwatch. It became too powerful for them. However, the Purple clan, led by Death Team and SaintJohnnyGat, had only the two members, and yet still fought ferociously. Tribals, Druid chuckled. They never know the odds stacked against them. He hopped into his Dodge Charger and zoomed towards the desert to aid the invasion force, and was greeted to a massive hail of bullets hitting the car, coming from 6 different places. Through the flashing sparks he saw two tribals approaching with hammers. He tried to pull out of the desert through the tunnel, but found that the tribals blocked it. Instead, he drove forward and rammed one hammer-wielder, killing him, and driving off further into the desert. He heard the distant yells and war cries of the Purple tribe, and decided to take cover in the wooden house on the corner of the map. He quickly bought the door, locked it, and took a position near a window with his AWP. He heard voices out front, and tried to listen through the cracks in the floor. "Damnit! And that was the leader too!" a kid said. "Shut up. He's still around here. It would be a prize to kill him, what with his KDR…" Druid checked the KDR on his wristwatch and saw that he had 30 kills, no deaths. He also saw that Purple suddenly had an equal amount of members as Overwatch. There was an absence of the other, smaller clans, so he assumed that they joined Purple to try and defeat Overwatch. He heard the door burst open, and grenades shook the boards underneath him. "Spread out. Shoot him on sight, no prisoners." The kid said. "What about their base?" a deeper voice said. "That's not important. What is important is ending their only hope for a remaining member to be behind our lines." Another said. Then, Druid heard slow footsteps of the tribesmen walking on the lower level. He took their example and started crouching to remain silent, and made his way up the ladder on the upper level. His foot slipped on one of the bars, and this alerted one of the tribesmen, who unloaded an AK clip into the floor above them. They rushed upstairs and saw nobody, so, they threw their last grenades to clear the place out. One suggested that Druid was up the ladder, but another declined to order an advance. They had no more grenades, and Druid was certainly waiting with a rifle at the ready to pick them off. Then, gunshots and explosions were heard in the distance, followed by a clatter of footsteps down the stairs and out the door. "Sir, the desert town is clear. There were no defenders." A voice said over Druid's Bluetooth. "Well, watch out. They're coming." Druid said. He rushed to the window in the attic and began to snipe the running tribals. He managed to get three before the rest were mowed down by hails of SIG-552 bullets. Druid walked out of the house and back in his car, and was greeted to a transmission by Scout360Pyro. "Dude, nice raid." "Scout, what happened? Every damn tribe on CityWars was in on that raid!" Druid heard Scout sigh. "Druid, I've heard chatter. People are scared, man. What you're doing, it's alarming everyone. They want to be safe."
"Well, have them comply with Overwatch's demands! They won't be harmed!" "Druid, It's not that simple. They don't want to be robbed of their independence."
Druid grumbled, and Scout continued on. "There was only one option left to them. They've formed an alliance. My suggestion, if you can beat them in a battle or two, they'll lose all hope. They're already demoralized." "Ok, I might just do that. Thanks, Scout." Druid said.
Chapter 2: Remembrance of the Fallen
Overwatch's officers were sent into different corners of the city to guard against incursions from the Desert. Epikly was sent into the slum district with 2 men, where the biggest apartment building in Bangclaw was, and he was ordered to occupy the buildings and fortify with turrets. A way to get more turrets was to leave the faction and buy more, and then re-join. That was how Overwatch bypassed the limit in Syntox's War. Druid also sent 2 soldiers under the command of Fingerknitter to occupy the Neighborhood, and sent the remaining 3 men in the regiment with AbstraKT, who decided to lead them to the tower to act as snipers. Druid himself led the 2nd regiment, comprised of the 5 soldiers previously on guard duty, and decided to go into the sewers. Players who just now got on were rapidly forced into defensive duty on the walls, and promised a payout of 200 thousand dollars each if they successfully defended the walls. By this point, Overwatch now had 16 men, where before they had 12. Purple, in the meanwhile, had 14.
AbstraKT saw a machine in the distance, moving towards the city. It looked like siege equipment, but… how was it pulled? And then he saw that 2 Escalades were pulling the thing. He zoomed in with his rifle scope and saw that it was a trebuchet, the same as what was used in the last war. The Purples then called a raid, and loaded C4 inside of the trebuchet. Then, they turned it to face the point where Epikly was at. "Epikly! Code red! Take cover now!" AbstraKT shouted from the tower, and Epikly ordered the men inside any building they could. The trebuchet flung the C4 an incredible distance into the slum district, and it exploded, luckily with no casualties. "AbstraKT, I heard an explosion, what was that?" Druid asked over the communicator. "Purple's launching an assault, I repeat, Purple is launching their assault!" AbstraKT said frantically, and suddenly a swarm of bullets whizzed past his head and hit the tower, taking out 2 of his men, while the other was wounded in the shoulder. "Come on, we gotta get inside the building" AbstraKT said, and heaved the soldier up. He rushed inside the tower and laid the soldier down on one of the beds inside. "Okay, wound in the shoulder… Finger, what should I do, you have the medical expertise on this." AbstraKT said over the communicator. "Burn treatment. The bullet went straight through, did it not?" "Yes, it did." "Then use your blow torch. It should stop the bleeding, at the very least. Then, use anything as a bandage, a pillowcase, a tank-top, something…" Finger said. "…Shit, incoming!" he shouted. Then explosions were heard from the other side of the wall. "Finger? FINGER!" AbstraKT shouted. There was no answer. "Epikly, what's happening!" "We're overrun! We have to pull back to the base!" AbstraKT slammed his fist against the wall. "There is no retreat! No surrender! We do this for our leader! Finger gave his life for him, we shouldn't waste ours!"
Druid rushed to the surface and entered the yellow warehouse by the sewers. From there, they rushed through another door that took them to the entrance of the tower and the apartments. He saw Epikly and his 2 men running back, and asked them, "Hey! What's going on?" "Sir, we're overrun. We need to get to the base and fortify!" Druid pushed Epikly to the side and shouted to his men. "We need to regain any ground lost! Do you not see! We need to win! Now, forth unto the slums, and cursed be he that routs! For Overwatch!" Druid shouted, and his men shouted in unison, and rushed off to the slums. Epikly started to run with them, but then remembered AbstraKT stuck in the tower. He climbed up the ladder instead. As he got to the middle of it, he was hit in the back by a bullet. His eyes widened in shock, and he lost hold on the bars. He fell off the ladder, down to the hard concrete.
Druid ordered the grenades to be thrown, and this took out 3 Purples. He then ordered to pop some tear gas, and the men put on their gas masks. This led to another 2 Purples being shot. However, once Druid found his way to the subway, snipers from the tops of the buildings started opening fire, killing 3 of his militia. "Quick, down the stairs!" Druid shouted, and once they got down there, they ran into another group of Purples, supposedly making an IED. They shot them down, and disarmed the C4 charge on the explosives. More sniper shots rang out, and one hit the explosives. Luckily, it didn't go off. Druid counted his lucky stars and decided to led his men into the sewers, where they hoped to lose their pursuers. Once they got into the nearest room, Druid patched in to speak with AbstraKT. "Hey, AbstraKT! What's your status and that of the base?" he said over his comm. "Druid... he's dead. Fingerknitter's dead. So is Epikly." Druid froze. Fingerknitter and Epikly… dead? It couldn't be… no, no they're faking it. They're fooling him. They'd do that. "AbstraKT, what about the others…" he asked uncertainly. "The base is overrun. They're gathering up the survivors for… an execution." Druid began to get the sinking feeling that this may be the end. However, it would never be. "AbstraKT, are any of them on you?" "No. I'm tending to a wounded soldier here, and we're planning to camp out here. I think they forgot about us. There's enough food to last, though, if we are stuck up here." "AbstraKT, if this is the end of Overwatch, just… just remember that those two, along with many others, gave their lives for the cause…" "What cause?" AbstraKT snapped. "What cause was there, exactly? What cause was worth this?!" AbstraKT angrily shut off his communicator, and Druid followed suit. Druid turned around and saw his 6 men looking at him silently, as if they were waiting for another order. He saw in their eyes that they were scared, but simultaneously with a determination. He spoke in a firm voice. "Soldiers. The worst has come to the worst. It is not your fault that these men and the defenses fell today. It is mine. I ordered the assault on Purple, and it wouldn't have been this way if I hadn't." He looked into each of their eyes, and continued. "I will not force you to fight once more, and you are free to go. I understand if you wish to leave service. You've been invaluable to the cause, and you have shown time and again that no matter what the challenge will bring, you can beat it. Once again, you may leave if you wish. However, if any of you wish to fight with me, one last time, then I am proud of you, as I call you my brothers, as we fight our last battle." Every soldier in the room looked at each-other, and stood in place. A few pulled out pictures to look at, and some began to shed tears. However, none of them left. One of the soldiers, a rather small moose, spoke. "We'd follow you into the darkest depths of this city if you were still with hope. I will fight." The others agreed, and Druid smiled. He opened the door…
AbstraKT watched his fellow soldier… no, civilian, as they slept, and heard more gunfire. He thought it was the execution, but then he heard shouting of familiar voices. He grumbled. Druid had to be selfish and arrogant one last time before he died, taking his men with him.
Druid and his men shot down every Purple they saw, without any casualties. They made it to the Government Center and when they opened the door, 8 AK-47's were trained on them. Druid saw that 5 men were gagged and bound, on the ground on both knees. SaintJohnnyGat and Death Team appeared, and made their way to the pedestal that stood at the center of the room. "Well, this is rather historic." Death Team said. "Overwatch, the 'greatest clan in existence', falls by a force that just appeared. Turns out that you gentleman aren't as formidable as I thought."Johnny smirked, and said "Put the guns down. You've lost, Druid." Druid put down his G36, but kept his revolver at his side. Johnny saw the revolver and his smirk faded. He remembered that gun from so long ago…
Johnny and his company were outside the door to a house in the neighborhood that they would soon raid. He had his revolver loaded, and made sure that his clanmates had their guns fully loaded. "Bring the door charges. C4 won't be used, this guy is a tier 1." He said to his teammate, who pulled out a door charge from his backpack. He saw a bystander watching, and slowly drew his revolver to aim at them. They ran off, terrified, and he laughed. He turned to his friend, Scout360Pyro, who was examining his knife, and said "Wait here."
Druid was inside the building with Anti-Druid. They were embracing each-other, celebrating their success at making the printer last for whenever they needed it. It had been a long time, and Druid finally had the money to enable their escape from Kestrel City, where a rebellion was going on. "You've done so much for us, Druid," She said. "I wish I could've done more on my part." "Nonsense, madam. You repaid me every time I saw your face." He replied, smiling. She laughed, and then they released their embrace. "Here, I'll order some pizza from Tool's diner. Want me to go get it or should I just have them deliver?" Druid thought. "Well, crashes happen often in this town. Which is more important, pizza or you?" "Knowing you, you'd say pizza, Druid." She said. "Okay, I'll just call them." She made her way to the phone, and Druid heard a thump on the door. "Frikkin LongDong. Probably high again." He sighed, and made his way to the door. Then, he was flung back onto the wall as it was blown off its hinges. Anti-Druid screamed, and Druid found himself picked up by a muscular man and thrown across the living room. He blacked out, and the last thing he saw was Anti-Druid raising a kitchen knife against them.
He woke up later with his hands tied behind him, and sitting with his back to the wall in the living room. Anti-Druid was next to him, with a bloody nose. "Oh, thank god!" She said when she saw him wake. "'Oh, thank god!'" Johnny imitated, as he sat on the couch… their couch, with his revolver in hand. There were 3 other raiders with him, all wearing yellow Civil Protection gear. They had AK-47's in hand, and were looking out the window, looking around the building, and checking their guns. He heard rustling in the garage, and Johnny spoke again. "That girl of yours put up quite a fight… knifed one of my soldiers, had to take him to the Hospital down the street. However, now that you're all contained, we can explain what's going on here. You've been raided, and that means, we're taking your printers, drugs, even weapons and spare parts." "Why target us… we haven't done anything!" Druid yelled. Johnny laughed softly. "We don't care about morality; all we care about is money. It runs the world. You need to learn that. To make it in this city, you need to be strong! And fierce! And you have to be uncompromising. Nobody will respect a man who can't fend for himself. Now, have you learned your lesson?" "You bastard, I'm going to rip you apart!" Druid shouted. Johnny sighed. "No, then? Well, we'll just have to force the knowledge." He then got up, and leveled the revolver at Druid's leg, but then, he smiled. He rapidly swung the gun to the right and shot Anti-Druid in the chest instead. She hung her head forward and moved no more.
Druid's screams were blotting out Johnny's laughter. The printer was hauled out of the house along with the parts they wanted, and Johnny knelt down to a weeping Druid, and said softly "Let that be a lesson." He then walked off, leaving Scout360Pyro behind to shoot Druid. "Let him weep. When he's done, end it." He said, handing the revolver to Scout. Scout held the gun in his hands and looked at Johnny in confusion. "He'll be in a better world." Johnny finished, and he and his crew walked out the door. Scout was left in the building with Druid, and Druid finally spoke "If you want to shoot me then do it, damnit." He sobbed. Scout felt sorry for him, but he also had a duty to perform. He stared at the revolver and then let it fall on the ground. "Johnny may want you dead, but I see potential in you. I know what it's like to lose… you want revenge, so I'll allow for it." He said, and cut Druid's bindings. Druid looked confused. "Here, we swap clothes. Take my CP uniform; I'll take your leather jacket and… anything else in your closet. Oh, and take this mask too, you'll need it." He handed Druid a white mask with flame patterns on it, and they swapped clothes. "Now, there are only 2 shots left. You'll have to use one to make him believe you're dead. Then, you walk out, disguised as me. When the time is right, you shoot him." Druid nodded, but could not speak. He turned his head to Anti-Druid's body. "Don't worry. We'll bury her. For now, take that son of a bitch down." Then, Scout fired a shot at the wall, next to the corpse. And then Druid walked out of the building. There were no men on the walls, so he didn't put on the mask yet. He saw the neighbors watching him from the windows, and took a deep breath. He walked towards the base and rang the doorbell. "Hang on, we need to see your ID." A voice said, and Druid was worried. Scout gave him no ID. However, the man at the door saw the mask and said "Oh, hey Scout. Johnny wants to talk with you in the main room; we're having an assembly meeting." Druid walked into the building and Johnny said "Ah! Scout! Good to see you. You see, men, this is war we're talking about. Not a raid, a war. We have to attack that castle whenever we can, and make sure that it's leveled to the ground. Then, we'll form up a quite ironic puppet clan: The Last Hope, which will supposedly be literal for the last hope of players not wanting to serve us. However, they will serve us without even knowing it." Johnny said. Everyone murmured in agreement. And Johnny looked at Scout. "We'll talk about this later. Scout, into my office, please?" He said. Druid nodded, and walked with Johnny. Johnny sat down at his desk and looked straight at Druid. "Why don't you take off that mask, Scout? You must be getting hot in there." Druid simmered with rage. The sight of this man alone was appalling, not to mention the acts he committed. "Scout, take off the mask." Johnny said, his smile faltering. Druid then stood up and whipped out the revolver, and shot Johnny in the chest... close to the same place where Anti-Druid had been shot. He took off the mask and Johnny's eyes widened. "Now… we're even. I should kill you, rip you apart right now, and feed you to the dogs, but I won't. You have some use to me. Don't worry, that shot won't kill you. I just missed your heart, and your spinal cord, and your lungs. It sailed straight through. I will make sure that you will pay for what you did, but for now… I'll keep in touch." Druid said. Then, banging on the door was heard. "Sir, are you okay? We heard shots!" Johnny was too shocked to speak. Druid spoke for him. "Johnny's not okay. You better look after him." The door was slammed open and the men saw Johnny, shot in his chair. "Let that be a lesson." Druid said, and he walked out. On his way out the door, the men started cheering, and Druid turned around. "Man, we will serve you from now on." "Yeah, this guy will lead us to riches alright!" Druid frowned. "What for?" "For besting our leader in combat. The one, who beats the leader, IS the leader." they said. Druid suddenly realized the potential, and smiled.
Anti-Druid was buried at the cemetery next to the Government Center. The grave lay there 1 year later, and Johnny was standing here, in front of Druid, with 8 soldiers pointing their guns at Druid, who had his men lay down their arms. "No." Johnny muttered. Death Team turned to look at him. "What?" "No. No, let them go. Let all the members go." He said. "Sir, you can't be serious…" one of the soldiers said, and Johnny shouted the order, and the 8 soldiers left. Death Team spat on the ground, and walked out as well. Johnny looked at Druid, opened his mouth as if to say something, but then walked off. Druid and the soldiers with him were silent, and Druid activated his communicator. "All Overwatch forces, regroup at base." He then turned it off, but then turned it back on and called Scout. "Scout… I need to talk to you, about today." "Sure, man. It must've been eventful.
Epikly was buried at the cemetery next to Anti-Druid's grave, but there was no sign of Fingerknitter to be found at the blast site, so they presumed him dead and built a grave anyway. A great pillar was built, next to the monument to SaintJohnnyGat. It read "To those who died at the 3rd Battle of Bangclaw, we erect this monument, to serve as a reminder that nobody, even the lowliest of soldiers, is dispensable." Druid went into his office and held his head in his hands. So much had changed from 2 years back… he grasped a picture of Anti-Druid and remembered the escape from Kestrel City, and the forming of Overwatch, and many things beyond. He went to sleep in his chair, dreaming about… whatever it was. All he knew was that when he woke up, he wouldn't remember any of it the next day.
Chapter 3: The Underground Railroad
Druid woke up to a message from someone on his terminal. He cleared his eyes and went to make coffee. Once he was done, he walked to the terminal and saw that the message was actually an invitation from… "Vik?" Druid said in disbelief. He opened it and it was an invitation to the "Council of Admins, hosted by Tropical Trail Mix" Druid was confused. He wasn't an admin. He had a Hero rank, but not an Admin Rank. Then he remembered. Hero ranks had the same stance as admins. He took off his armor, and felt lighter. He put on a white suit with black tie and made sure he was presentable, even with the cuts and scratches. He took a shower and got the dirt off his face and body, and sent his armor to the cleaners. He then got into his El Camino and drove towards the Apartment building near the slums. He walked up the stairs towards the room noted and knocked the door. Scout360Pyro opened it and let Druid in. He saw Trop, Vik, Pseudonymous, AbstraKT, RedArrow, Kush, and Johnny, Scout, KSE, Plonker, and many more. They were all around the room, drinking wine and some were smoking joints. Trop beckoned Druid to come over to where they were grouped up, and said "We should meet on the balcony." They then walked to the balcony and Druid leaned his back against the wall. Trop put his arms onto the rail and sighed. "Druid… I'm afraid for this city's… this community's future. I envisioned the peaceful CityWars you envisioned, but you directly went against your own wish. This cost a lot of lives today. I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT!" he shouted. Druid hung his head. He didn't want to hear this… "You turned this city into a battleground; nobody wants to come to a place where they'll live under oppression and tyranny! This is idiotic, Druid." "Well, no wonder. Maybe it's because the name is fucking CITY WARS!" Druid snapped. "People die! This is a war! We need to make war so that we may live in peace! Didn't you have a single thought in your head when you founded this place that this might just happen?" "No, Druid. I had no thought. But does that mean that it's right just because it wasn't covered? I am the Shogun of Tropical Town and of this city, I can change the rules as I see fit." "Well good luck with that, gold star for you. But see, it's the players fueling this server, Trop. If you restrict us further, less people will want to join." Druid said. Trop took a deep breath. "Druid, I've known you since Syntox's War. You've always done right by us. Why choose now to take matters into your own hands by declaring a similar war? Don't you know how hypocritical this is? You speak of peace, and prosperity, but in reality you war with every faction that you see. What is it exactly that you believe in, Druid, that is worth fighting this much, this hard for?" Druid looked off into the sky. "I fight for the players, against the players. I believe in freedom, unified under one banner. The enemies I fight… they only see anarchy, and they are the reason that I started these wars. These tribals… they don't know the civilized way of doing things in Bangclaw. I am their only hope for a strong, unified safe zone. The Last Hope was supposedly guarding against our 'tyranny' but they themselves were tyrannical. The leader would be equal to me in terms of resemblance. He'd give out orders softly and they'd follow them, like me. However, he soon turned into the thing that he was supposedly fighting. I had to stop him and stop him I did. Then, Syntox revolted against you, costing the lives of many. We had to stop that as well. So, why would I fight tyranny if I was a tyrant myself? I see it as forceful unification. They may not like it, but it has to be done." Druid said. Trop shook his head, "But why fight at all?" Druid quickly reached inside his wallet and pulled out a picture, and showed it to Trop. Trop saw that it was Anti-Druid, and Druid continued. "I fight because she was a casualty of what happens when nothing happens." He said, and stormed back inside. Trop stared out at the vast desert. He now knew why Druid did what he did… but he still wasn't convinced.
The meeting started, and all the senior members of the government, Vik, RedArrow, Kush, KSE, and now Cloud were with Trop at the table. The rest of the group were told to wait outside, including the Heroes. "Trop, we cannot stand by and watch while Druid and the others tear each-other apart." Vik said. "You know of the deaths of those two men, so why not prevent more?" "Because if we put further restrictions on CityWars, the players will stop flowing!" Trop said, remembering Druid's topic. "Druid noted this too, and it will be a fact. More rules mean less fun, that's how it's always worked for cities and countries like 420." "Vik has a point, Trop." Cloud said. "Druid is forcing players to "civilize" and be a pre-set personality, when they simply are not so. This is why the wars started, because of his arrogance." "He may be arrogant, but it is not the reason for the wars." RedArrow said. "Druid fights for—""We know what druid fights for… or claims to fight for from Druid himself. He cannot overstate his own point." Vik said, and Trop intervened again. "Druid fights for more than that. He could be fighting for revenge, or for a purpose greater. He told me about how Johnny killed his girlfriend, and that led to a lust for revenge which ended up in him controlling Johnny and his gang. What is not obvious, however, it the motive afterwards. Most likely, he was going to set out to prevent this from ever happening to another person again. This is a noble goal. A bit hypocritical, yes, but still noble considering the circumstances." "However, Trop, somewhere along the line he became raid-hungry and wanting to annihilate everyone in the name of unity. How is that even remotely relating to his cause?" "Vik, Trop and RedArrow are correct in their own way, you in yours. However, I've not smoked any weed today, and I know what is right and wrong. There is nothing wrong with what he's doing. He's not RDMing; he's not griefing, so why turn attention to him?" Kush asked. "Obviously you have not heard a word of this conversation, Kush. He is being quite the annoyance. This war is tearing our city apart… We may need to evacuate." There was silence among them as the words sunk in. evacuation of the city… leaving the two clans called Purple and Overwatch to fight it out. "But where will they go?" Kush asked, and Trop and the others turned to Vik, who looked at the maps on the table. He saw one map of the desert, and answered. "We need to go to Planet Pseudonymous, the one that Pseudo was colonizing. The journey will take about a few years. By the time we get there, we'll have forgotten all about the carnage at CityWars." The Superadmins nodded, and Trop finally agreed. "Yes, I suppose that would work. However, building the damn thing is going to take forever, and the desert isn't the friendliest place to be at the moment." "We'll order Pseudonymous to build it on his planet, and then he'll fly it over and we pack up. It'll not take long coming here, but once all the belongings and people are on... it will truly take a few years. Pseudo already has a small spacecraft; we just need to improve on that design in the coming months." "MONTHS?! You can't build a passenger ship with a capacity of 10000 people in mere months!" RedArrow said. "Red, we'll always find a way." Vik replied, and the discussion ended. They didn't know that Druid had a device inside the room, and that he was picking up every word…
"Hm, so they're evacuating Bangclaw and every other city in the 420 Republic, now?" Druid asked Scout. "Indeed. This is why you should've made peace when you could. Now the whole city will be torn apart and your cause, if it's ever fulfilled, will matter little, because you'll be the only one to enjoy it, until your soldiers and you die." Scout said. They were at the hospital, where the soldiers were being healed. They heard screams and groans aplenty, and blood was all over the floor. The janitors were kept quite busy, and Druid had to be careful not to slip on the stairs as they went up. They were there to ask one of the survivors who were with Fingerknitter if he had really been killed, because Druid didn't believe that he had died. "Is he ready to talk?" he asked Vixen, one of the medics. "Yes, although he's on morphine." Vixen said quickly, and jogged off to another room to restrain a soldier. Druid walked into the room, and the soldier slowly raised his arm in a salute. Druid shook his head and the soldier paused, and then put his arm down. "What is your name, sir." He asked. "Geoff." The weakened man replied. "Geoff, I need to know something about Fingerknitter. Are you sure that he is actually dead?" The man waited for 5 seconds and then replied "If I told you that he wasn't what would become of me?" he asked, trembling. Druid half-smiled. "I'm sure my partners at BioTech could hook you up with some excellent prosthetics." The man smiled, but then looked fearful again. "And would I gain protection from whatever should come after me if I do tell you?" he asked again. Druid had a curious look on his face and said "Of course, we fend for our own… what could possibly be after you, good sir that you are so spooked?" the man opened his mouth, and whispered "Syntox…" Druid shook his head and laughed. "Syntox is long gone, mate. I know that those memories haunt you, they haunt everyone. But I need to know." "It is him. H-he has a following underground, an order of s-s-some priests. They-they-They worship him as the savior of CityWars. In the battle, Fingerknitter narrowly dodged the blast, b-but they cap-captured him. They're taking him into the-the…" "The what?" "The sewers." Druid was in disbelief. Syntox wasn't on the server anymore. He was banned. But this opened up a new level of danger. "How did you know all this?" "I-i-c-can't tell you, they'll k-kill me." He whispered, and looked out the glass panes making up the walls of his room. Druid looked as well and saw two men in janitor suits quickly turning their heads. "They have eyes everywhere. You should run, sir. S-Save yourself." One of the janitors was reaching into his jacket and the other was too. Druid pulled out his USP and shot one of the janitors, who fell to the ground with a Mac-10 in his hand. The other sprayed a whole row of rooms, shattering glass before getting stabbed by Scout. "Druid, we have to leave." Scout said. Druid nodded and tossed a stack of cash at the nurse, who stood petrified.
"Plonker, come with me. Scout, you too. Hey, you three, over here." Druid said. They were waiting outside the sewers with their M9K weapons, looking into the small tunnel in the back of the dark concrete canopy. "Okay, anyone you find in here, shoot. We have to find whatever central hub these fanatics are operating at." Scout looked genuinely scared, as did Plonker. "Don't worry; we'll end it before it begins. There's nothing they can do to bring Syntox back, but Fingerknitter is in danger." Druid assured them, and they all nodded. "Okay, check your clips, switch to semi-automatic to preserve ammo, and try to be silent. Here, some suppressors are in this pouch." He said. They attached them to their M14's, and on Druid's word, they went inside the small tunnel as quietly as they could. "Shit, there's that pit. We need to either jump or… do any of you have a grapple hook?" Druid whispered. Scout thought for a bit. "I have some rope, hang on." He fumbled around in his backpack and brought out a rope, along with one of his knives. He attached the rope to the knife and then swung it around, he finally let go of the upper part of the rope and the knife flew with incredible speed, attached to the rope, to the wall. It hit the wall and became lodged into it. "Good thinking… but how do we make it secure so that we can all walk there?" Plonker asked, looking down into the pit. Scout just pulled out another knife and jammed it into the concrete amazingly, and attached the other end to the rope to the knife, creating a tightrope. Using this, they crossed the gap and continued. They reached the hallways, which were only illuminated by red light. "Tread carefully." Scout said, and they stepped lightly down the tunnel, checking each doorway for any signs of the enemy. They had encountered no hostiles until they reached an abandoned train track. The room was dimly illuminated still, and 3 men wearing a sort of combat armor were in a group, talking. "So, those scientists, they find out anything of use yet? Cause' I want to hit those people where it hurts." "No, Smith they haven't. That one young officer they captured, the Overwatch fella won't open his mouth for anything. No matter how many stun stick whacks they had the security use." "Well, the one simple fact is for those guys, if you can't beat em', join em'. When will those lab-coat wearing freaks figure that out? No time soon, because we're still holding our crotches until we get reliable info out of Overwatch's HQ." Druid heard this, and decided he wouldn't go recruiting anytime soon until every cultist was dead or captured. He took aim with his rifle and fired a shot that went straight for the man's head. It hit him, but he didn't die. The cultist slowly turned around, grinning, and opened fire on the 6 Overwatch members. "Go!" Druid said, pointing towards the way further down the track, which presumably led to the lab. Gunfire echoed across the tunnels as Druid and the others ran through the doorway. Plonker stopped for a second and pulled a Proximity Mine out of his satchel, and placed it on the corner behind them. He caught up with the others when he heard a loud explosion, followed by a sound that they all dreaded. It was the sound of tons of concrete caving in, blocking their way out. "Druid, I'm so sorry, sir. Please, kill me if it suits you." Plonker said, kneeling. Druid rolled his eyes and grabbed Plonker by his backpack. "Nobody's going to be executed. Now just stick with us."
"Who the hell were those guys, and how did they block a M14 bullet to the back of the head?!" one of the soldiers asked. "It beats me," the second began, "But I think personally that these scientists aren't fucking around…" "Quiet. We have to make it to the center still. Hopefully along the way we can re-gain connection with the other Overwatch soldiers and then we can clear that rubble. For now, let's focus on the main task." Druid said. Scout tapped his shoulder. "They know we're coming." He said. Druid nodded, and put on his battle helmet. "Use night vision on your visors." He ordered, and the men's visors glowed green, faintly illuminating the ground and walls near them. Suddenly, shots fired from further down the tunnel, which hit one soldier in the leg. They returned fire, and Scout threw a Molotov, which set fire to the two attackers on the other end of the hallway. "Move up!" Druid shouted, supporting the wounded soldier. They got 5 paces further before more gunshots rang out, this time it shattered the visor of Plonker, who fell screaming, "MY EYES! OH GOD, MY EYES!" "Scout! Get Plonker!" Druid shouted, pulling out his revolver. He fired off 3 shots, 2 of them hit their marks. "I have no way of reloading my gun, Scout. We have to wait for a few seconds to take care of the wounded!" "Forget it, Druid. Our main task is saving the server from Syntox. Now, come on!" "Scout! What about Plonker and the other soldier? Plonk is a Hero Rank like us!" "Ranks will be meaningless if we die here!" Scout shouted back, shooting down two more cultists who appeared. Druid thought, despite the gunshots ringing in his ears. "Oi! You two soldiers still fighting! Stay here and care for the wounded, me and Scout will go on our own." "Are you sure, sir? Place is a hornet's nest!" The private shouted over the combat. "Yes, I am damn sure now get going!" Druid shouted. "Scout, with me. We're advancing on our own from here." Scout flipped him off and then started to walk with him down the tunnel. Eventually, they reached a caved-in parking garage with about 8 cultists. "Shit. Got any plans?" Druid asked Scout, who replied with "I always have a plan." Scout took out a pocket-sized Sawbeast and sent it rolling towards the men. There were screams and sounds of metal grinding on flesh and other metal, some gunshots, and a lot of blood spatters. Scout and Druid moved onto another room, which had no light and yet seemed to allow for sight without night vision. The room was caved in at parts, and had a few more doorways. Druid scouted out one doorway and saw that it led to the place he wanted to go. "Scout, I found it." He said over communicator. Scout got there and they both turned on the night vision again, and proceeded into the darkest chasm they'd ever been in.
Chapter 4: Delusions of Grandeur
It was a big cavern, covered in all sides with mud and clay. In the center of the cavern was a pool of water, and suspended over that pool was a gilded cage, shimmering brightly, and yet generating no light. Inside that cage, Scout saw a life-form, which with further scanning, turned out to be Fingerknitter, lying unconscious."Hey, it's that same gilded cage of the Sacred Temple Guardian! Remember that?" "Yeah, yeah, Scout, but we have to save Fingerknitter, remember?" "Druid… he's alive." Scout said, smiling, but then he looked down, and saw what he presumed to be the leader of the cultists at a terminal. There were 16 cultists, all pointing their guns at Druid and Scout. The leader calmly said, "I know you're there… how can I not know, what with all the noise you two elephants made." Druid and Scout looked at each other and put down their guns. They knew that this was it.
"So, Druid and Scout360Pyro, two Heroes, trying to save your friend." The Leader said, pacing. "And instead, you end up killing off half of Syntox's followers. This He will not allow." "Syntox is dead, Leader. Face it, the war is done. We can all live in peace now!" Scout said. "Funny, funny man, but you do know that He is eternal. Syntox Turtles, the Savior of CityWars, will never be truly dead. This shrine, for example. Take a look at the cage… you need night vision to see us all, but we have grown so accustomed to the dark that we see quite well in it. Syntox has trained us to see the darkness, to understand it. It gives us knowledge, and peace. That cage, the Gilded Cage, contains your friend, and your friend has the life essence that is required to bring Lord Syntox back from the dead." Druid shook his head after the explanation. "You are all a bunch of schizophrenic madmen. Syntox is dead; Trop killed him himself with the banhammer. I SAW IT!" he shouted. The Leader just laughed. "Would you like to speak with him right now? I can patch this terminal in." Scout, for the first time, looked terrified, and Druid grunted and said. "Fine. We'll die here, so I might as well." The Leader smiled again and pressed a button. A rasping, ghostlike voice echoed throughout the room. "What is it now, Argyll?" "My lord, these two were caught trying to free their friend. I think you know them." "Indeed I do. These two are the same as the two who led the Resistance against me. Why did you not kill them when you saw them?" Syntox asked. The Leader's smile fell and he trembled "M-my apologies my Lord, b-but they wanted to talk with you, uh, before I ordered the execution!" "As much as I expected. Well? SPEAK UP!" Syntox shouted, and there were vibrations in the ground from the thundering voice. "I wished to ask you a question, a question only you would answer." Druid said, and Scout looked at him quizzically. "Ah, Druid… although I cannot see you, I know that arrogant, childish voice anywhere. Tell me, is Anti-Druid doing well?" Syntox said coolly, and Druid flew into a rage, where Scout held him back. "It hurt, didn't it? Ah, I remember hearing about that incident when me and Scout were talking about the events of that day… a shame, really. Johnny was never forgiven by Scout for that… he took control of Johnny and made him his bitch." Syntox rasped. "Anyway, what is your question? Where am I? How am I alive? Why are there cultists worshipping me? Only the first two I can answer. The last question is theirs to answer…" "I want to know if there's a deal we can make." Druid said, firmly. This made total silence, and then Syntox said, "A deal? You are treading just shy of treason against Trop be even suggesting. So, what is your deal?" Druid stared at the ground as he spoke. "You let Fingerknitter go free, and I promise to give you—""Give me what? I need his life essence, you know. Another sacrifice? Trop's body perhaps? Too much to ask…" I will give you… THIS!" Druid shouted, as he threw a flash bang in the middle of the cultists, and both he and Scout covered their eyes. It blinded the cultists, who were too used to the dark to see light. The Leader was unaffected, however. "Idiots, now, you feel the wrath, OF SYNTOX!" Syntox shouted with rage, and the cavern started to crumble. A beam of light shot out of the Gilded Cage and struck the Leader, who fell to the ground. His lab coat was torn off, and his upper body was exposed, where Scout and Druid could see black liquid flowing through his veins. The room became filled with light from the cage, and the two Heroes took off their helmets and covered their eyes. The room's light died down to where it became perfectly lit up, and they could see the Leader's eyes, which were all black. He started to float in midair, and sent an electrical shock that narrowly missed Scout. Druid shot at the Leader with his revolver, which had the same effect as the M14 bullet only a few minutes previously. The clip ran out and druid ducked to narrowly avoid another bolt of lightning. He saw Scout trying to unlock the Cage, and decided that he would try and distract the overpowered Leader for as long as possible. He pulled out a vial of Nerve Gas (reserved only for all the heroes except for Johnny) and threw it at the beast. It screamed in pain and send 5 electrical charges everywhere, one hitting the Cage. It did not conduct, however, which made Scout wipe sweat off his brow. "Druid! Fucking kill that thing, don't piss it off!" he screamed. He pulled out another miniature Sawbeast, and attached it to a stick. He decided it would make a good buzz saw. With this, he had shattered the lock and pulled Fingerknitter's body out of the Cage. "Druid! He's free! Let's go!" Scout shouted. Druid saw that the beast was nearly down, so he took out his sword and slashed the beast's heel while it was floating. It fell, and he plunged the sword straight into its chest. It released a demonic scream of pain before it died. Druid then cut off its head for good measure, and put it in the Cage. He saw that Scout already ran out of the room, and made a move to walk out too when he heard the voice again. "How… how did you beat me?" Syntox asked. " I had captured you… gave Argyll limitless power, yet you and Scout beat me." "There's a difference between you and me, Syntox." Druid said. "When I aim to conquer something, I actually try." With that, he walked off. "Wait!" Syntox said, "I have something to say! About Anti-Druid!" "YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY!" Druid screamed, as he tossed a frag grenade at the terminal, destroying Syntox's voice. For good measure, he placed C4 at the entrance for 4 minutes, giving Scout and druid and the others time to get away.
They eventually made it out via the pit that tried to cross earlier. There was a series of pipes they climbed on until they reached daylight, and Druid finally got signal on his communicator again to the outside world. "Overwatch, we're back." He said, smiling, as he took a deep breath for fresh air.
That night in the city, there was partying in the city by Overwatch militias. Most were drunk and stumbling around the city streets, while those who weren't were joining the Paintball tournament in the slums to test out their combat finesse. Druid and Scout went up into the tower, and climbed up onto the roof. AbstraKT had recently moved out of the city, and went to Tropical Town. Druid opened a beer and offered a can to Scout, who refused. Druid looked over the vastness of the city and said "Well, Scout. It's been 2 years since I arrived here. I've been through a lot. I've led many, many clans, brought diplomacy and reasoning to the other clans, and even engineered a successful resistance without any knowledge of coding at all. Couldn't have been done without you, Scout, you've saved my life more than once." "Druid, most of those times weren't even fatal." "All the same, though…" The two laughed a little and Scout said "You know, Druid. We really stopped a big thing. Nobody will know the people who saved them in another year, though. It's how the world works." "The way I see it, Scout, you are only made eternal by the history books. And then, it's a matter of how you are remembered. Napoleon Bonaparte led France to greatness, but was remembered as a tyrant by most people. King George III did what he could for his Great Britain, but many Americans just remember him as an evil, greedy tyrant. See, no matter what path you take, you are remembered as something either good or bad, no 'in-between'." Scout turned his head and said "What will they remember us for, and how will they remember us in one year?" Druid thought. "They will remember us for being heroes, and they will remember you for inventing the craziest things. They'll remember me for bringing unity upon this city. However, I do not know in what light they will remember us in." he said. Scout sighed. "You know, through my many adventures with Johnny, I began to label myself as his evil twin. Then, I put down a Squeaker Rebellion, help you get revenge on Johnny, I help with the resistance effort against Syntox, and I take part in the vast tale that is CityWars History. I am far from what I see myself to be." Druid sipped from his can and checked his revolver. "Still some bullets in here, you want to fire off a few rounds in celebration?" Scout shook his head. "I'm not part of Overwatch." "Come on, Scout. It's just a few bullets." Scout shook his head again, and then Druid said "This isn't just an Overwatch victory, this is a CityWars victory. We saved the server again." At this, Scout got up and took the revolver. "Ah… this was Johnny's. I remember that." Scout said, and he fired off a round into the sky, which triggered cheers and more gunfire from the militias below. "Yep… I love this town." Druid said, laughing.
Chapter 5: Fateful Day
Druid was in the chamber again, without anyone around. In that cage was someone he couldn't see clearly. He pressed a button and the beam shot out, this time striking a casket with Anti-Druid's preserved body inside of it. The beam filled her veins with glowing white liquid, and she gasped for air. The beam disconnected and disappeared, leaving Anti-Druid breathing heavily. She tried vainly to look around the dark cavern, and when Druid tried to put on a pair of night vision goggles on, she screamed and batted them away. "Stop, please, get away!" She sobbed. "It's alright, Anti… it's me, Druid." She stopped sobbing and he tried to put on the goggles again…
Druid snapped awake, and realized it was a dream. He covered his face and felt a few whiskers of a beard. He got up for his morning routine and put on civilian clothes with a light ballistic vest underneath. He heard a beep on his terminal signaling a new message: Last Hope scouts were spotted at a town in California, and BioTech needed an all-clear from Druid to send troops to deal with them. Druid accepted, and soon another report was sent that entailed that the peacekeeping effort was a success. Druid transferred 500,000 dollars to BioTech's account for them to advance the drug-research. He needed a source of super-soldiers, and BioTech was his main seller, as well as his vassal. He went outside to see a perfect day, and decided to drive his El Camino to the residence of Tropical Trail Mix. Trop lived in the Apartments, so Druid parked his car in the lot and travelled up to the top of the building, where the Council of Admins took place. He knocked on the door and RedArrow opened it. "Oh, hey Red." Druid said, shaking his hand. "Ah, Druid. Come to see Trop? He's up on the balcony, sunbathing." "Thank you, sir." Druid said, nodding his head. "Need anything to drink before you head up there?" "No thanks, I've already had one at HQ. But thank you again."
Trop looked slightly comical without his suit or battle armor on, but Druid managed to get past that. "Oh, it's you, Druid. Thought you were RedArrow for a second." Trop said. "Come, pull up a chair. We can sit." They sat at a glass table with an umbrella over them, overlooking the city. "Damn fine day today." Trop said. "It's always a fine day, sir." Druid said, looking over at the two pillars near the Government Center. "Well, compared to where you've been in the past few days I can imagine it is." Trop said, and they both laughed. "Trop, sir, I've—""Don't call me 'sir', Druid. We're not on a battlefield." Trop said. "Right, I've been meaning to ask you your opinion on something. Something that's been on my mind for quite a while now." Druid took a breath and continued. "If, there was a way, to bring—""To bring the living back from the dead. Scout told me about that event yesterday. I thank you for saving us again, but do go on." "Well, if there was a way to bring the living back from the dead, we could bring back so many more good people who died." Trop put his bottle down and leaned on the table. "Druid, I've heard about the requirements. You need to kill a person to revive a person. That is some dark, dark stuff there. Now, I know that you're comfortable with killing. Hell, you've done it for 2 years now, maybe before you arrived here. But that doesn't mean that you can kill potential administrators and contributors—""What? Why not sacrifice the trolls for the good ones?" "Because, Druid, it's something I have witnessed before." Trop said, exhaling a deep breath. Druid stopped and crossed his arms. Trop half-smiled and began his tale.
"Syntox approached me one day and he requested I come down to his base in the Sewers. This was before your new-fangled communicators. See, we were basically relying on medieval methods to get by. Anyway, Syntox and I headed down to the sewers and he led me to a cavern, the same cavern that you saw. It was a cage, suspended over the pool of water. You know what the machine looks like. Anyway, he told me that he could bring someone back from the dead. I saw the body of Pkaboo in the on the ground, in his casket. Then, Syntox ordered one of his workers to go inside the cage. Well, the cage closed, and Syntox pressed a button. The worker made a scream of agony, and tried to pull the cage door open, but he was losing strength, and soon, a beam shot out of that cage and hit the dead body. It brought Pkaboo back to life… but the worker was dead. I commanded Syntox to dismantle the machine, and we argued about it. He eventually agreed, and I left without monitoring him. It was a grave mistake, because he kept adding onto it. He had a cloaking system, it appeared, and that's how it was hidden from us during the war. I will say no more, other than that that machine brings great evil, and no good." Trop said. And Druid stared out. "Pkaboo wasn't himself after the incident. He kept trying to kill himself, to get back to the "better place" of death. He didn't want to be brought back to life, Druid. He had experienced paradise in death. Eventually, he shot himself 6 times with a USP. Then, when he didn't die from that, used a shotgun blast to the head. You see, Druid, it is not wise to wake the dead, because the result is grief for both sides." Trop concluded. Druid wished him farewell and exited the building, making his way to the car. He passed by a group of 5 civilians, making their way to the neighboring room, presumably. Druid noticed them eyeing him and moved more quickly down the stairs.
On his way to the car, he was stopped by a man. "Change, sir?" The man asked in a raspy voice. Druid politely replied that he carried none, to which the man pulled out a pistol. Two more men approached Druid, and then the man spoke again, more clearly this time. "I said, did you have change?" He said in his deep voice. Druid saw that he couldn't talk his way out of it, so he quickly disarmed the man and used him as a shield against the other two, who paused with their Glocks aimed at him. "If you fight me, you either die facing towards me, or win running away." He said threateningly. They put down their guns and Druid released his prisoner, who ran away with the others. He then heard yelling in the apartments, followed by multiple gunshots. Alarmed, Druid pulled out a G36 from his trunk and proceeded up the stairs again. He saw one of the civilians he passed carrying an AK-47, and unloaded 3 bullets into him. He went upstairs to the top level, where the gunshots were coming from. He found that the door to Trop's room was forced open, and 2 civilians were firing at RedArrow, who was carrying a wounded Trop to safety. Druid shot the two raiders and hurried up the stairs. He saw RedArrow, hurriedly opening a first-aid kit for Trop, who lay on the ground with 5 bullet holes in his chest. "What happened?" Druid asked, breathing heavily. "Assassins. Thought they could get Trop out of the picture, from what I overheard on their yelling." RedArrow said, applying bandages to Trop's body. Trop was unconscious, and lost a lot of blood. Druid pulled out his communicator and called the HQ of Overwatch. "Moose, get the ambulance and extraction crew, we got wounded." Druid said, and a few minutes later a siren was heard. They carried Trop down the stairs to the ambulance, which drove off to the hospital. RedArrow dropped to his knees and said "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Trop." He began to sob, and Druid looked over the street, still taking in the recent events. He helped RedArrow up and said "Come on. I'll escort you to Tool's Bar." RedArrow nodded, and they both walked down a silent street, to the bar.
Druid later visited the hospital, where Trop lay in his bed. The doctors facing Druid only shook their heads and walked out of the room. Druid knelt beside Trop, who spoke quietly. "Druid." He said. "Tell Vik, and the other Superadmins… that..that they are in charge. Until… until a new leader is made." Druid wiped tears out of his eyes and said "You're going to pull through, sir. You are stubborn like that." Trop smiled a little and paused. He then spoke again. "Scout was right about you… you really do know how to kill off everyone." He said, he started to laugh and then coughed. Sighing, he said "Get Pseudonymous in here." Druid nodded, and walked out of the room. A few minutes later, he came back with Pseudonymous. "Leave us, Druid." Trop said. Pseudonymous looked concerned, and Druid went back into the waiting room. Pseudonymous came out and put his hand on Druid's and Scout's shoulders. "He's gone." He said, his voice cracking. He left the hospital, leaving Druid and Scout together on the bench.
Tropical Trail Mix, the leader of 420, had died.
Chapter 6: The 420 Civil War Starts
It had been a few days later when the news came to the administration about the death of Tropical Trail Mix. Many were crying into each-other's shoulders, while others simply stared into the distance, not believing the news. Druid stood by Trop's deathbed, still remembering the battles fought with Trop. How Trop himself executed Syntox, and brought about a new era of peace and prosperity. How he led the 420 Republic from but a mere city-state to a large empire. He remembered everything. Druid pulled out his Hero badge, given to him by Trop himself after the war, and placed it in the man's hands. He didn't feel like a Hero anymore. Had he not left when he did, this could've been prevented… "Druid." The doctor said. "We need to get him to the cemetery." Druid nodded and agreed. They carried the casket on foot to the cemetery and buried him next to many others who died in various wars. At the funeral were all the admins, as well as all of the Overwatch members and even the Purple members. Tropical Town citizens had travelled far to take part in the memorial, and even some hunters from the Hunger Games had arrived at the proceeding. Fingerknitter took his place on the podium next to the casket, and brought out a paper. He set it on the podium and then decided to put it back into his pocket. "420. The name alone wouldn't be recognized to us without the efforts of this man. He has done so much that we cannot re-pay on our own. And he has said so much that we cannot take in all of his words of wisdom. There will be no other man like him, and for his brave, kind, and necessary acts throughout his life, I wish him well in the realm of death." Fingerknitter said, and he walked off the podium. RedArrow stepped up next, and cleared his throat. "Tropical Trail Mix was more than our leader. He was a friend, and a hardworking one at that. I miss the laughter and challenges we had experienced, and I miss the talks and lectures we both had given. He was our good friend, and now, he's gone. We all owe him even now for his sacrifices, and with that, I wish him well." He said, and he walked off. Druid slightly shook his head. Words were not enough now.
There were many more speeches before the casket was lowered into the ground, and the group dispersed. Scout went back to California to meditate in his church, while everyone else went back to their homes to consider the next option. A council was called between the Superadmins over leadership of 420 in the Admin Room, and every Superadmin attended. Vik, Kush, RedArrow, KSE, Jason Bourne and a newly promoted FTW were at the meeting. "The time has come already to elect a new leader." Vik said, leaning over the table they were at. "Tropical said that it would be up to us. Jason has a right to the title, being Co-owner, but it is not going to be finalized until we have a vote." The other Superadmins looked at him, and he continued. "I feel as if I had done the most work at my title, even personally assisting Trop through his government issues. I have settled things after the war with him, more than you have. I elect myself as Owner." This triggered an outrage from the other Supers, and Kush stood up. "You know nothing of what the Republic was like 2 years ago, and more. We have been here longer than you. We have a right!" KSE looked at Kush. "And I suppose YOU think that you'd make a good owner? Nonsense, you'd lead us all in to ruin!" He shouted. RedArrow shouted too amidst their arguments. "No! None of you will be worthy! Nobody deserves to bring up Tropical's mantle!" This made everyone quiet down. "Nobody is worthy. Not even I. The only way we can be, is if we stop bickering like children! Trop never wanted us to fracture apart like we all did at Syntox's betrayal! He'd have wanted us to carry on, to be further united." FTW looked around at them and said coldly, "If none of us are worthy, then may the best man win." And with that, he left the room. Vik left as well, and eventually all of them left for their homes, leaving RedArrow behind. He looked at his gun, a customized Beretta M9, and knew that he'd have to fight, or die.
PART TWO
Chapter 1: True Colors
A few weeks later, the Civil War was in full swing. The Superadmins went to war with one another in a gigantic conflict that spread to Tropical town as well. Pseudonymous promised the populace that the spacecraft would be arriving within one more week, and everyone was packing their bags to move. The war was not just in the city, it was also fought in the sewers and Desert.
The war began with KSE raising a small army to occupy the Desert Town, thus forcing Purple to evacuate. This triggered Kush to declare war on him, as it threatened his way out to the Mining Point which Overwatch owned as a public printer. Kush's forces engaged in battle with KSE's forces inside the Desert Town, and lost. Jason Bourne called for hostilities to cease, and Kush retreated to the Slums, but then went again towards KSE's base with rocket launchers and troop carriers. They overran the defenses and KSE was taken as a prisoner by Kush.
The news of the attack prompted Jason Bourne to call for aid against Kush, which resulted in both RedArrow and Vik to unite with him. The Triple Alliance, as it was called, took over the apartments and attacked the Slums, where few soldiers stood guard over the entrance to the subway system. This gave the T.A. a strategic position, but it worsened relations with the ruling clan, Overwatch. Overwatch stayed neutral throughout the war, as Druid preferred to observe the fighting before he took a side. Many requests for aid were cast down by Druid, and eventually Overwatch declared war upon the Triple Alliance. Kush, with his "420-Kush" clan, offered an alliance, which Druid accepted. A pincer attack by Overwatch and Kush's forces resulted in a siege of the apartments, and RedArrow was taken prisoner, knocking him out of the war. Jason and Vik still stood, and the siege continued. FTW, who remained unaffiliated, felt threatened by Overwatch, who were tightening their grip upon the sewers in which they were basing. Before any tensions got higher, however, Jason and Vik surrendered, and a peace talk was negotiated in the Admin Room. "This war has cost us dearly. By signing the Treaty of Bangclaw, we acknowledge that the Republic is under control of Kush, and after this talk, we will order our troops in Tropical Town to stop fighting." Was the finishing statement by Vik, and the others signed the paper. They began to shake hands when suddenly, a hail of bullets rained around them, hitting everyone. Vik, KSE, FTW, RedArrow, and Kush were dead. Jason was fatally wounded, and could see familiar yellow-clad soldiers in the room. One of them kneeled down and said "Only one person is capable of leading CityWars to greatness. Druid." And with that, they shot him, dead.
Scout heard about the massacre at Bangclaw from one of his priests. He fell on both knees when he read the list of Superadmins that were killed… all of them. "Summon every other priest on the grounds." Scout said to the messenger, who hurried off. Soon, the large gathering of Raptor Jesus Priests appeared inside the church, and Scout stood at the podium under the stained-glass portrait of Raptor Jesus. "Priests! The time has come for us to renounce our neutrality! Druid threatens the very peace we held dear at the end of the wars. The Superadmins are dead, and the civil war intensifies!" Scout said. He looked into each of his students' eyes and continued. "We will fight, and if we must die, we died in defense of that peace!" He shouted, and a rising war cry came from the priests. "We will march on Bangclaw, and put down Druid's reign, once, and for all!" He said at last, and he drew out his knife. "To war!"
Druid ordered his troops to march on. They were carrying Anti-Druid's casket, and they reached the cavern where the Gilded Cage hung. The entrance was collapsed, so it took a few Biotech Gravity Charges to clear the entrance. They stepped inside to see the dead bodies of the cultists and the Leader, and Druid looked upon the cage, and then at the terminal which was smashed. "Finger, Outlaw, can you fix it?" he asked. Outlaw shrugged and said "Well…" "Do it. We don't have time for dicking around while we are still alive." Druid said. "Bring the prisoner." He said, and 2 soldiers carrying SaintJohnnyGat came into view. "Johnny, behold. The Gilded Cage. Looks familiar, doesn't it? The very thing you swore to protect…" Johnny was gagged and bound, and made violent motions and sounds. Druid simply laughed. "You know, I almost feel proud of you, that you are sacrificing yourself for such a goal. I thank you for that, Gat. Put him in the cage." Druid ordered. He looked upon the casket, and said, "Soon, my friend." He paused, and the soldiers looked at him. He smiled, and said "I'm taking a walk." He looked at the other soldiers and said "Repair the damn thing!" pointing at the cage.
Scout and the warrior priests arrived at the Bangclaw Gates and entered. "Remember, kill all of the yellow-clads." He said to one side of the priests, and they ran off towards the tower. He turned to the other half and said "Take up positions in the apartment near us. The smaller one. When the signal comes, we attack." They nodded and ran towards the destination, and Scout was left alone. He sensed that something was not right… there were no militias on the streets, and everyone was inside their homes. He pulled out his knife, and walked into the Hospital. Druid appeared from behind a corner and stood in front of him, in the center of the room. "Druid, I have to do this." He said. Druid nodded. "I know." Scout half-smiled, and ran at Druid with the knife, who sidestepped the attack and clothes-lined him. "Scout, you were never supporting my idea of uniting CityWars. That makes you…" He kicked Scout, who was on the ground, "A…" He kicked him again. "Traitor!" Druid shouted, and he started to pull his leg back for another kick, when Scout spun his leg and knocked Druid off his feet, and onto the ground with him. They both got back up and Scout re-positioned his knife. Druid cracked his knuckles and pulled out his own knife. They charged again, this time locked in combat. Druid dodged every swing of a blade, while Scout managed to parry Druid's strikes. They released from combat again, and Scout felt stinging in his cheek. "I had a dream, Scout, and what did you do? You took every step to crush it!" Druid said, and threw his knife at Scout, who just narrowly dodged it. But before he recovered, he saw Druid holding the revolver, aiming at him. "Well, so much for a fair fight." Scout commented, and Druid half-smiled. "You really think you can stop Overwatch, the heirs to Deluca Family, from forming a new era of peace? I created the world we live in, Scout." "Not true. Many, many people have said the same thing… they all fell." Scout answered. "Before me." Druid said. "You do not know my full potential. Only Trop stopped me from using it. But now, he's dead, and so are the other Superadmins. Scout, you, as well as others who dared oppose the greater good, have lost." Scout replied with "Druid, your method of peace is through war. You're killing off the people you want to unite! What sense is there in that!" "Scout, I'm only killing those who weren't nessecary to the cause. They weren't pure and noble. For example, Johnny Gat." Druid said, and Scout froze. "What did you do to him…" "I knew that Trop wouldn't let me use the Re-Animator in the cavern we saw. So, I waited until he was assassinated by men I sent. I dug up Anti-Druid's grave, hoping that my method of purification would work. The Cage needed a sacrifice… Johnny was that sacrifice." Druid said. "He killed her, Scout. You were there for it. It's only right that he has to pay." "Druid… he's a Hero, like us…" "Bullshit with the ranks, Scout! By the time CityWars is under Overwatch control, there will be no need for it! No need for admins, or trained soldiers anymore!" Druid said. Scout shook his head. "Druid, you're right. There won't be a need for them." He said, and then he walked off. "Where are you going?" Druid asked. "I'm giving you a head start." Scout replied. "What about Johnny?" Druid shouted. "Why would you care?" Scout said again, and exited the building.
"Scout's forces are in the city. Now, is the re-animator done?" Druid asked. "Yes, it is." Outlaw said. "We also have a teleporter hooked up to the main base, so we can teleport ourselves out of here. "Good, now, proceed with the re-animation." Druid said. Fingerknitter and Outlaw looked at each-other and did nothing. "Did you not hear me? I SAID DO IT!" Druid shouted. The two shook their heads and Fingerknitter said "How about you have the honors?" He said, in an annoyed voice. Druid glared at him and said "Fine." He flipped the switch and the cage lit up. Johnny screamed through his gag, and the room lit up with light. The first thing Druid noticed was Scout standing in front of him. Scout kicked him down, and warrior priests started appearing amidst the crowd of Overwatch soldiers. They cut down a few soldiers before full-on combat was initated. Scout ran towards the cage and noticed the broken lock again, this time, the door was sealed with duct tape. "Funny. Just funny." He said. But then, he was tackled by Druid, and fell into the water below. Druid swung his fist, which was only slowed by the water, and struck Scout on the side of his face. Scout head-butted Druid, and both of them reached the surface of the water. Gasping for breath, Scout desperately tried to pull out his knife, which was mysteriously missing. He saw Druid approaching, holding his knife, and rolled out of the way of an incoming strike. "YOU WILL NOT, STOP, ME!" Druid screamed, and he charged at Scout, who, remembering the last fight, sidestepped Druid and clothes-lined him. Druid fell back into the water, while Scout picked up his knife and cut the duct tape. He opened the door and reached for a dying Johnny, when he felt pain beyond comparison in his outstretched arms. He screamed and yanked them back, and felt weaker. A beam shot out from the cage and struck the casket, and Johnny went limp. The Overwatch soldiers prevailed over the priests, who lay dead on the ground, and Druid was kneeling next to the body of Anti-Druid, who snapped awake. The soldiers tied up Scout and sat him down to witness the reunion.
Anti-Druid was breathing heavily, and she was looking around frantically at the scene. "Shh, Shh…" Druid said, trying to calm her. "D-Druid?" She asked, seeing his face. "Yes, it's me. You're back." He said, smiling. A tear ran down his face and she smiled, crying. They embraced and Scout couldn't help but sigh, for he knew what was going to happen next in a few hours… They left him in the cavern with one soldier, to execute him as they pleased. The soldier chuckled and said "well… Scout360Pyro. One of the 'Saviors of CityWars'… this will be quite fun…" they said, and a knife was picked up off the ground. "Say your last words." The man said, and Scout replied, "Fuck. YOU!" and used his legs to spring back up on his feet and kick the soldier, who fell on the ground. Scout cut his own bonds with another knife on the ground, and beat the soldier unconscious. He dragged the body to the Cage and removed Johnny's body from it. He put Johnny's body on the ground next to the terminal and flipped the switch…
"I have so many questions to ask…" Anti-Druid said, as they arrived at the Government center. "I know. I'll answer them." Druid said. And she continued "I was watching over you. Why have you done this?" She asked him. He was at a loss for words. "The people you killed, the lives you ruined, for me?! Why, Druid?" "Because you mattered to me more than anyone else!" Druid answered. She was in tears again. "What happened to the man that was modest, that would help others around him before himself?" "I did help others around me. I helped many people into safety and protection!" "Through death?!" She asked in a raised voice. Druid paused and looked down. He had really changed things… now was the time to make it better.
Pseudonymous guided the transport to open land in the desert, where everybody was supposed to meet up for extraction. When he landed the craft, Druid's voice rang over the city via intercom. "Citizens of Bangclaw, there is no need to leave! The war is over. All enemies have fallen… you may return to your homes in peace. Welcome, to a new era of prosperity, borne from the ashes of war." He said, and yet none of them were convinced. "Get in!" Pseudonymous shouted, and suddenly, a projectile hit the hull of the ship and an explosion triggered. There was no damage to the airtight, armored hull, but Pseudonymous knew that that was simply a tiny crumb of what Overwatch… no, Druid… would do if he proceeded. "Scout, you need to stop them." He said over the communicator. "On my way." Scout said, and Pseudonymous continued to order everyone on board.
"Fire the artillery!" One officer shouted, and a barrage of explosive shells hammered against the thick hull of the ship. "Druid, it's not doing anything." Outlaw said. "Damnit… we'll not yet resort to our last weapon, but if it must be that way, then fine." Druid said. "Keep up the bombardment. If we're lucky, they'll take a hint." A few minutes later, Druid got restless, and took 5 soldiers with him to board the ship and take everyone off-board. "We need them to re-build the city." He told his men, who were injected with the latest in performance-enhancing drugs. They charged with super-speed towards the tunnel entrance to the desert, and Druid started to tag along with them when he heard a *click* sound. He turned around and saw Scout holding a pistol to him from 20 feet away. "It's over, Scout." Druid said. "We need to re-build." Scout shook his head. "This city will be rubble if you continue to do this. I have to try." He said, sadly. Druid nodded. "I know." They stood in front of each-other for 3 seconds, and Druid pulled out his own revolver. Scout fired off a shot that missed Druid's head by inches, and Druid fired off his own shot, which hit Scout in the shoulder. Scout stumbled, but got back up. He fired off another shot that hit Druid square in the chest. He had been wearing armor, but it still hurt like a… He recovered, and decided to holster his weapon and pull his sword from the sheath. Scout brought his own Katana to bear, and the two engaged in a brief melee. Druid was knocked against the wall, and Scout made a move to run him through, but suddenly, Anti-Druid went in the way of the blade, and Scout accidentally stabbed her. Her eyes flashed, and Scout's face fell once he realized what he'd done. Druid staggered to his feet and saw the sight. He was filled with rage, and he picked up his sword and stabbed Scout through the same shoulder where the bullet went through. Scout fell, and Druid knelt over Anti-Druid, who was already dead. Scout got up yet again and said "I never wanted this to happen, Druid. We were friends for a long time." He started walking to the tunnel entrance, stopped, and said "Farewell, Noir." He staggered off, leaving Druid kneeling over the body of the one he loved so dear. Scout made it to the desert, where he saw the soldiers that Druid sent dead near the loading bay. "Get on! Quick!" Pseudonymous shouted amidst the engine roaring. Scout managed to climb on board, and the spacecraft took off, and the rest of CityWars and Terrorist Town citizens with it. Scout lay against a nearby wall and hung his head. The last thing he heard was Pseudonymous calling for a medic before he blacked out.
Epilogue
The rest of the Overwatch soldiers were dead. They had re-grouped at the Government center, and once they had learned that they were the only ones left in the 420 Republic itself, they began to kill each-other in a blood-craze. When the last soldier died from a fatal wound, only Druid stood. He stood outside, looking up at the sky, which was red and cloudy. He pulled out his knife again, and knelt down, next to Anti-Druid's body. He took a breath and plunged the knife into his own gut. Through the pain, he saw a vision of Anti-Druid in his eyes, smiling. His eyes darkened, and he yanked the knife to the right. Druid, the leader of Overwatch, former Savior of CityWars and much more… was finally at peace.
Scout looked into space at the planet the transport had just left. He stood with AbstraKT, Pseudonymous, and Johnny, staring out. He thought about the very beginning, and how Druid was but Karatekid58, another civilian in the endless sea. How he rose to the top and even took a major role in Syntox's War. Scout sighed and felt AbstraKT's hand on his shoulder. "He's in a better place now, hopefully." He said, and AbstraKT walked off. Johnny said "Did anyone else know him better than us?" And Scout replied "No. Those that did know him, wouldn't have recognized the thing he'd become. They would've thought it was Druid, another tyrant, rather than Karatekid or Noir, a charismatic, eager person. Me… I'll always remember him as the guy who killed John Wheels and made empty threats against my church." Scout said, and Pseudonymous shook his head and walked off, chuckling in memory. Johnny looked at Scout and said "You think Planet Pseudonymous will be any better?" Scout closed his eyes, and said "Anything's better than what we've been through."
There were a total of 12000 out of an original 14000 people on board the ship. 2000 were Overwatch soldiers who were dead or left behind at Bangclaw, but the rest were 420 citizens. What they did not count, however, was a creature. An egg, brought aboard by a child who was exploring in the sewers. He had long since lost that egg, and did not notice its absence. In the air ducts, it was sustained by heat from the heating system, and when it hatched…
Well, that's for another time.