Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 6
Chapter 1: A Simple Matter of House Arrest
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
Dean was in his lodging of the makeshift headquarters of the Order as he saw the snow falling on a November morning. It had been four months since my house arrest in the castle as my older brother wasn't too thrilled into seeing me being a prisoner in my own home. He was getting fed up with the three squatters taking over the castle as he got out his binoculars and spotted Aelfric standing near the gate while turning one of the townsfolk away. He was getting tired of the ongoing squatting of the three members of the Alecrian Army encroaching on the turf we had as enough was enough already. By the time he was ready to go inside, he saw Timothy standing in front of him as he wasn't too thrilled to see three defecting members of the Alecrian Army taking matters into their own hands in this ongoing trouble on the horizon, for it was getting monotonous indeed.
"It's full of crap lately," he said as he put away his binoculars.
"After destroying General Wetzel's ambitions to destroy Alecrast with Project Apollo, Ginryu filed a complaint to Central 46 to cease Marshal Braddock's tirade to keep your brother confined," said Timothy. "She may be doing it for the greater good, but there are repercussions that will bite her in the ass."
"The old bag may keep Sammy cooped up with armed guards all over the castle, but according to the townsfolk here in Kanto Village, every time one tries to talk to him, they get turned away on their asses."
"That's not the only problem, Dean. Some of the people have complained that the three squatters have now increased to four this time."
"That's a pain in the ass to hear about..."
"You should watch out for Meredith Braddock's son, Jethro, and he's the worst in the Alecrian Army in which he even had the gall to put Reiko and the children under lockdown like your brother. He's also a man that is known to break any criminal that has committed any form of crime against the Alecrian Army ranging from desertion to murder. He's the sort of man who even encroaches on those who cross him as well."
"Well, Jethro's got another thing coming if he decides to confine Sam and his family even worse. They have the right to move around outside the castle, don't they? They can't just be stuck in there for the rest of their days all because the wrinkled old crone thinks it's for the greater good. Sooner or later, Sam will end up being a lot more broken than normal after he heard of the squatters putting him under house arrest, but the rest of his family? That guy's a noob and he should get his ass kicked for it, 'cause there are more darker dangers coming and it ain't pretty, either."
Dean was not too happy with the situation around the castle as he went towards a set of mailboxes in which he saw a courier bringing an envelope from the Alecrian Army. By the time he received it, he opened it up out of curiosity as he saw the letter to be a cease and desist order to the squatters who took over the castle from Central 46 itself. It was the court order that was needed as he was ready to show it to everyone in the Council of Elders in a nutshell, for he wasn't about to let the squatters get their way any longer…
I was in a room as I was being confined for the past four months. Even though I destroyed General Wetzel on the Sol-1, I was trapped in this room as I saw the presence of the squatters coming and going while repelling the townsfolk from ever setting foot here on the castle grounds. Even though I was still in my super-charged form, I hadn't left this room I was in as I mainly did so just to use the bathroom every now and then. There was nothing to do as I mainly stayed in here for the safety of my family in which I saw the mundane problem coming into the room against my wishes. The man himself was none other than a captain in the Alecrian Army as he had the same hair and eyes as his mother, Meredith Braddock. The man himself was a veteran of doing his duty as he wasn't about to let me leave my space for all the right reasons to do so.
"I see that you still come to cause me trouble," I said.
"Don't get too cocky, Sam," said the man as he sat down on the floor where the table was. "You know that we're not letting you off the hook because too many people here have died because of your negligence."
"It wasn't my say at all, Jethro."
"That's Captain Braddock to you, you worm! For far too long, we've seen people dying under the influence of Darbus Toller and the Executive Division in which we can't afford to pawn you off to some backwater planet while the rest of us suffer."
"I never left by my own free will, Captain. I left because of the fact that I was in danger of facing scrutiny or death."
"And what about your little soiree on Shiganshina or perhaps on Essos? You stayed there while we, the unified people of this planet suffered under the yoke of Darbus Toller and Tobias Wetzel. Both men were rotten to the core and they caused damage to us in many ways than one. My mother may be a marshal in the Alecrian Army, but I won't be so lenient to those who attempt to steal you away, you got that?" I see Jethro get up as he was ready to leave the room. "Dinner consists of borscht… again, but you're still eating in this room, so I suggest that you do as you're told or else I'll tell my mother on your ass!"
I saw Jethro leave the room as I was left alone for the time being. I hated being in this room as I wanted to be with Reiko and the children right now, but I was forbidden to do so. Staring at the window, I saw the fresh snowfall coming down as it was covering the ground and trees around the castle. Winter came early, but I wasn't too thrilled to be in this room after enduring four months of solitary confinement in this area. When I heard the door open again, I turned around and saw Reiko coming into the room as she was concern about my health and well-being, for she was also not too happy with the squatters getting their way for the past four months.
"I brought you something, Sammy," she said as she had a tray of rice balls and dango with a cup of green tea with lemon and honey. "It's not much, but I heard from the servants that Brother got a letter from Central 46 earlier."
"It's better than borscht all the time," I said as I saw Reiko set the tray of food down on the table.
"We've been in our home for four months now, but we haven't gotten a chance to do normal things outside of it. Even the children are cross with the squatters here in which one of them is making them do exercises in the bitter cold without any breakfast."
"I've seen them being subjected to Taicho's strict exercise regimen, but they can't just be put without any form of fun whatsoever." I went towards the table as I grabbed one of the rice balls and took a bite of it while swallowing after that. "I wonder if Dean and the others are concerned about dealing with the squatters..."
"When I was out there earlier, I saw Aelfric drive Valerie away when she wanted to see us for a long time, but he only listens to Marshal Braddock of all people."
"Hey…, you!"
Reiko saw Taicho standing in the doorway as she was itching to take her out of the room against my wishes. I hated the fact that I was being deprived of the comfort of my family and friends as I had a feeling that there would be trouble on the horizon. I wanted to wander freely in my own home as I was getting tired of the squatters raining on my parade already, for this has gone too far in the long run.
"Marshal Braddock said that there's supposed to be no visitors in this room, you know that!" yelled Taicho. "You may be family, but I know that you'll end up encouraging Sam to bolt the coop and cause chaos in his wake. For four months, we've been doing this for the greater good, but we're not about to let this intrusion slide right now."
"But Sammy wasn't going anywhere right now," said Reiko defensively. "He's been in this room for most of his days and he's not doing too well after the Marshal put all of us under house arrest."
"You think that this is easy? Think again! We're doing this in order to protect you and make sure that no other innocent bystander falls victim to slaughter! I lost my parents during the Army of Cain incident last year and I won't let this happen again by allowing you to run off so readily!"
"You shouldn't be too harsh to a pregnant woman like that," I said as I was getting protective of Reiko. "She comes into this room because she cares and for a while, she's been forced to sleep alone without my comfort for four months."
"That's it! I'm getting the Marshal and she'll do more than just give you a stern lecture. She'll go in and kick your wife's ass whether she's pregnant or not! No one comes into this room except for members of the Alecrian Army, you got that?!"
I was itching to throw something at Taicho, but I was stopped by Reiko as she shook her head in not doing so. Staying my hand, I refrained from causing trouble as I was powerless to do so. The squatters here had the upper hand into keeping us in our home without leaving as they weren't ready to give up anytime soon, for they were the ones who called the shots in this deplorable house arrest that we were under. By the time I saw Taicho leave, I was concerned about the retaliation that was coming as the thought of seeing Braddock here made me worried to the gills.
"I think that you better make yourself scarce," I said as I was concerned for Reiko's safety.
"I won't leave you, Sammy," she said to me. "You've been alone in this room for far too long and I won't let you sulk this way."
"If the Marshal finds you here, then she'll have everyone else here in this castle confined to their rooms. I don't like this any more than you do, but I can't take the risk of seeing everyone else become a prisoner in their own homes right now."
I felt Reiko hugging me as she cared for me deeply just as much as I did the same. Both of us were starved of the comfort of one another as we had to endure yet another day of dealing with the squatters who took over the castle. I even felt at the bulging bump from within her dress as it was growing more healthily, but under the microscope of our unwanted guests. When I saw her get up and leave the room, I was alone again as I continued to stare at the window where the snow continued to fall in the earliest form of winter coming down. Still, I wanted to be free to roam all over the castle without being under scrutiny as I wanted to get out more, but I was still trapped in the room I was in. I was shackled to be in there as I saw the fresh snow falling down in the wintry background. No…, those loathsome shackles would never leave me…, for I just wished them to just go away for once…
Ginryu was in the front area of the Order's makeshift headquarters near the castle as he stared at the members of Central 46 who were standing at the door. He was getting tired of the squatters taking over my home as he was among the chorus of dissenters who were ready to evict them on the spot. By the time he showed them into the assembly hall, they were greeted by Matsuo and Kazuo as they were also not too thrilled to see the squatters keeping me and my family prisoner for far too long right now.
"I see that Central 46 has finally had the balls to bring their asses here on such short notice," said Matsuo. "For four months, Sam and his family have been cooped up in the castle against their wishes in which the house arrest has gone too far right now."
"Central 46 is here to review the actions of Meredith Braddock and the three accomplices who squatted in the home of one of your Elders," said an elderly man as he was wore a scarf over his warm red overcoat. "Even the gods disapprove of the savior being in captivity in which we're here to reprimand the four squatters for their misconduct after the destruction of the Sol-1 and the death of General Tobias Wetzel four months ago."
"Ever since Marshal Braddock forced Sam to be under house arrest, everyone stemming from possible friends and family to some concerned townsfolk were turned away by those four squatters in which a complaint from Valerie Stevenson was the last straw that broke the camel's back already."
"You should tread carefully, Ginryu, for Meredith Braddock is a descendant of Toni Bevell from the Elder Days and you know how that bitch tortured the Sam Winchester of Old after the Darkness spared the Earth's sun long ago. As for her actions, we won't condone them in which the savior must move freely from time to time."
"It's a little risky on your part, Your Honor," said Kazuo cautiously. "Even though Sam is diagnosed with clinical depression, most physicians and psychologists were barred from coming into the castle grounds and that includes the Medical Corps."
"Then that does it… We'll deal with Meredith Braddock and her people, for they have gotten too far into concocting such a deplorable house arrest on an Elder of the Order."
"After this, then we'll deal with Sam in which he'll need the proper medical attention that the squatters have deprived him from. It's a win-win situation, but we're not about to let him stay cooped in his own home forever."
Kazuo's point was made clear as the time to bring the squatters out of the castle was coming into fruition. As for everyone else and the Central 46, it was high time that action was planned to get the squatters out of our home was proof that we also had to pull together in this time of uncertainty right now. The time to act was near as it was high time that the squatters needed to go right now, for their presence has infuriated everyone all over Kanto Village and the Order's makeshift headquarters…
I was in the bathroom as I was busy cleaning myself in the wash basin. The time in here was the most comfortable as I didn't have to deal with the squatters passing by my room every single day. By the time I rinsed off, I entered into the bathtub as I turned on the hot water as I saw it fill up to keep me warm. I was happy to be in here as it was the only comfort that I had so far, for I still had the mental shackles plastered all over me. When the water filled to the top, I turned off the faucet as I was ready to relax until I saw the door open up. To my annoyance, I saw Aelfric entering as he was most likely to ruin my moment of privacy after being cooped up for too long in my room. Still, he was very annoying as I saw him lift up the toilet seat and pull down his trousers the moment he sat down and emptied himself right in front of me.
The farting sounds that he made were awful as the stench from Aelfric emptying himself wafted all over the bathroom as I opened up the window to let out the awful stench that was intolerable for me in a nutshell. The ginger-haired squatter was there to invade my space every moment I was in the bathroom as he was not about to leave anytime soon, for he was still there bringing in the fumes of his own rectum while I was being stunk out by them.
"You should at least find another bathroom to do your business," I said as I was getting testy.
"Orders are orders, Sam," said Aelfric as he briefly conducted a courtesy flush while sitting on the toilet. "I'm not about to trade thirty pieces of silver just to pawn you off so easily."
"Then you're better off dead for stinking up the bathroom!"
"And do what, savior? Die off to become a ghost just to kill me for bringing on the stench? I don't think so! If you have a problem, then take it up with Marshal Braddock. She's the one calling the shots and no one will stop us from keeping you here in this house arrest!"
"And you waft your fumes at me out of spite, don't you? You think that you can keep me a prisoner in my own home, but you're wrong!"
"Don't try to contradict me! I know that for a fact that if you wander free, then all of Alecrast will suffer from the ongoing war against the Executive Division! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have duties downstairs!"
It wasn't long until Aelfric wiped himself as he flushed the toilet and pulled his trousers back up after he finished emptying himself. When he walked towards the sink to wash his hands, he was ready to resume his duties with the other squatters as he did so and later rinsed them off. By the time he wiped them with a towel, he left the bathroom as he closed the door behind him in which I was alone in my own privacy once again, but I was relieved to smell fresh air instead of the stench that Aelfric gave off earlier. I was happy to have the bathroom to myself again until I saw the window being opened up a little wider while bringing in the cold wintry air. I was ready to close it up until I saw Dean standing on the ledge of the window as he jumped over me and leaped onto the floor.
"Easy there, tiger," he said as he was standing in front of me.
"Dean?!" I yelled as I was startled to see him here. "What the hell are you doing here?!"
"Me? I'm just here to rain on the squatters' parade here, Sammy."
"If you're caught here, then Jethro will throw you out where you came from."
"Not with Central 46 intervening, he's not..."
"Central 46?"
"The same form of judges who brought out the smackdown on your two harrassers a few months back… This time, they answered in which they're at the Order's makeshift headquarters that looks like a Hobbit built it like the Empire State Building."
"You better make yourself scarce before Jethro comes in here. He's not the type that can be messed with at this time."
"After four months, you changed a lot, Sam. Hell, your hair is still silver after you did away with General Wets-His-Pants at the time. Besides, Kazuo's also here in which he put his foot down after what he heard from the servants."
"Good for him, but if Jethro finds you here, then you're done for. I can't let you suffer from my mistakes right now and I-"
Without warning, I heard footsteps approaching as I saw Dean hide into the towel closet. At that moment, I drained out the bathtub as I stepped out of it and dried myself off with a towel while putting it into the hamper. By the time I dressed up into my nightclothes, I closed the window as I heard the door opening up from behind me. Turning around, I saw Jethro standing in front of me as he was ready to bring me back to my room, but something else put him off for some odd reason. He spotted footprints on the bathroom floor as he was suspicious of what happened here.
"Who was here?!" he yelled.
"There was no one," I said as I was trying hard to defend Dean from scrutiny.
"There's a set of prints that match boots that the Hunter Corps mainly wear all the time, now is someone here or not?!"
"This is my home, damn it; not yours, Captain! You can't just keep me against my will and cut off everyone in my life and that is considered to be making me your hostage to you and your squatter friends!"
"Are you being defiant towards me, Sam Winchester? If you are, then I'm telling Mother and she'll find who is there in this castle! Now, is there someone in this castle or not?!"
I didn't want to give Dean's discretion away as I feared for his safety. I was shaking as I saw Jethro get out his weapon of choice as it was none other than a baseball bat in his hand. He was ready to let me have it as he knocked me down onto the tiled floor. He was ready to beat it out of me as I felt the harsh swing of the bat hitting me in the back and legs. I felt the pain engulfing me as the swinging of the bat caused me to scream at the top of my lungs. I couldn't take it anymore as I just wanted the captain to get it over with.
"Now, I say to you again, Sam," he said as he took another swing at me with his baseball bat. "Is there someone here or not?!"
"And I say to you, screw you, asshat!" I cried as I had tears in my eyes.
"You're hiding someone, aren't you? Where's the intruder at?!"
"The intruder's long gone, Captain! You can't find anything here!"
"Don't lie to me!" He uses his bat to strike me again as he was ready to deal another blow towards me. "You know that I don't deal with liars and I'm not gonna let you get away with harboring an intruder in this castle! I say to you again, was there someone here with you or not?!"
"Jethro, that's enough!"
The angry captain was ready to strike me again until he was stopped by Kazuo as he showed up at the last minute. The Medic General of the Medical Corps wasn't too happy with what was going on here in the past four months as he was ready to let the latter with the baseball bat in his hand have it one way or the other. When I slowly got up to my feet, I was in constant pain as if I was on fire from all the misery that I endured earlier. When Dean finally came out of his hiding place, he saw me to be a wreck after getting hit with Jethro's baseball bat. Anger flooded the latter as he was itching to hit me again until he was stopped the moment my older brother took away his weapon of choice and later opened the window up and tossed it out indefinitely.
"You ingrates!" he shrieked. "This is insubordination to the extreme!"
"Is that so?" said Kazuo. "You may bar everyone here, but you've underestimated the Medical Corps in a nutshell."
"I will have you thrown out at the behest of Central 46 for your insolence, mark my words!"
"Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but Central 46 has ordered a cease and desist command to stop keeping Sam and his family under house arrest," said Dean.
"There's no proof, so I suggest that you leave before I sic my mother on you and she's also a descendant of the Bevell Family like me!"
"Actually, Central 46 is already here and they aren't too happy with you," said Kazuo. "As of now, you and the other three are relieved of squatting in an Elder's home against his wishes, is that understood? For four months, you isolated Sam and his family in that deplorable house arrest, only to bar everyone from checking up on them after the defeat of General Wetzel. So far, your actions violated basic humanoid rights for the people who live here in this castle, only to stifle them even further all because of what your superior calls 'for the greater good.' If I were you, I suggest that you go quietly before you cause any more disturbances along the way."
We saw Jethro storm out in a rage as I was relieved to see him back off for once. As for me, however, I was happy but broken as I wanted to go back to my room for the rest of the night. Just as I was about to do so, I was stopped by Kazuo as he removed the top part of my white kimono and exposed the bruises that were all over my back in which it made Dean angry at Jethro for doing that to me. He wanted to punch the captain of the Alecrian Army in the jaw for doing that to me as he was getting fed up with the squatters being here for too long.
"Are you gonna be okay to walk?" he asked.
"I just want to go to bed, Dean," I said as I put back on the top part of my kimono.
"Jethro did a number on you, didn't he?"
"I didn't want him to go after you in which he's the worst in the Alecrian Army. I tried to cover for you, but he saw right through me in an instant."
"After all this, it's restraining order time after what you've been through. I bet that you can take Reiko on a date at the ramen stand after this."
"Not this time..."
I hobbled out of the bathroom as I went back into the room I was kept in. When I sat down on the floor, I went towards the futon as I curled myself into the warm bedding and stared directly at the ceiling. I wanted it all to go away as I couldn't take the pain anymore, for it was too much for me to bear right now…
Braddock was in the main hall of the castle as she saw the members of Central 46 standing in front of her. The judge with the scarf was not too fond of her squatting in our home as he was ready to pass judgment upon her for keeping me a prisoner in my own home for four months. Still, she was in the hot seat as she was about to fight this cease and desist order one slow step at a time in which she wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily. By the time Ginryu arrived, he was pulling no punches as he was also ready to issue the order to get her out of our business altogether, for he wasn't having it for too long right now.
"What's the meaning of this?!" she yelled. "Why did Central 46 come here on a false notice?!"
"Meredith Braddock; you, your son, and two others are charged with unlawful imprisonment under false pretenses that you have placed Sam Winchester, his family, and his servants under house arrest without a court order," said the head judge. "Therefore, your actions have caused you to isolate them even further by keeping them in their home for four months and even barring close friends, family, and other townsfolk to visit them. Are you willing to take responsibility for your actions so far or will you have your military career come to a dramatic halt?"
"I'm simply doing this for the greater good, not keep them as moving targets for the Executive Division and their allies!"
"Is that so?" said Ginryu. "According to Valerie, you kicked out everyone who were desperate enough to make sure that the family here was safe from harm, only to isolate them even further."
"You think that you're so mighty all because you sicced Central 46 on me, don't you, Ginryu Ashizoka?! Back in the Elder Days, my family served the Old Guard and its American counterpart-"
"-Until it was wiped out in 1958. I know the history far too well in which you should look up into the records of Torune Mitani at your spare time. As for Sam Winchester and his family, they're to walk freely as they please, is that clear?"
"You're putting Sam at risk again, aren't you?! Well, the savior needed to be protected from everything, but it all went down the toilet just now! You think that I can accept thirty pieces of silver to pawn off the savior, but you're wrong! Anyway, I've got news for you! You can take your thirty pieces of silver and shove it up your ass!"
It wasn't long until Reiko entered into the main hall and punched Braddock in the face the moment she fell onto her knees. She never punched anyone before, but attacking a high-ranking official in the Alecrian Army was highly unlikely for her as she had enough with the squatters keeping all of us here for far too long right now. When Braddock was back on her feet, she was ready to attack back until she was stopped by a familiar angel who tagged along. It was Gadreel himself as he wasn't about to let Braddock attack Reiko on the spot, for she had it coming sooner or later.
"Back the hell away!" she screamed.
"I won't let you harm Lady Reiko that way," said Gadreel.
"She threw the first punch on someone like me and that is a felony on her record!"
"And you threaten a pregnant woman for punching you in the face?" said the head judge. "That is vile for you to do so and you had it coming when you tried to harm someone who is with child. As for what she pulled, there will be no felony on her record because she is the other half of the Destiny of Worlds and you should respect her properly."
"I warn you to stand down, Marshal," said Gadreel. "For your insolence, you will never be welcome on these grounds again, for the house arrest of Sam and his family has been lifted as of now."
At that moment, Braddock stormed off as she had an escort of Central 46 take her out of the castle. As for the remaining three, they were brought forward as they were in deep trouble for what they put us through in the past four months. Without any further incident, the squatters left as the castle was relieved to be rid of them for the time being. By the time the head judge of Central 46 took his leave, Ginryu remained as he wanted to make sure that I was alright, but he had a gut feeling that the house arrest I suffered from took a toll on my health in the worst way. It was bad enough as the repercussions of the four months of hell were coming to an end soon enough.
"I never punched someone before, but Meredith wasn't about to let us go freely as we pleased," said Reiko. "I hope that Sammy's okay..."
"Sam has been attacked by Jethro Braddock," said Gadreel as Reiko gasps in shock. "I'm terribly sorry, Lady Reiko… If only Sam hadn't endured such torture from that brutal fiend."
"We need to see Sam at once," said Ginryu. "After what he's been through, he's ready to go as he pleases, but for how long? After four months of constant isolation from the squatters, it's about time that action was needed to flush them out one way or the other."
And so, Ginryu led the way as he had Reiko and Gadreel following them up towards the elevator to the floor I was on. As for the further actions, the head honcho of the Order vowed never to allow an incident like that to ever happen again as he put his foot down for the right reason to do so. It was a right move, but the real danger was still at large as the Executive Division was still out there and waiting to strike…, but not now…
I was dreaming as I found myself in Lucifer's cage once again. This time, I was being trapped above a fiery pit as I was about to meet my end. I was scared for my life as I was bound with the same meathooks and chains that pinned me there in the first place. At that moment, I was being lowered down into the fiery pit as I felt the flames burning my flesh until I woke up in a hospital bed in the infirmary wing. I didn't want to be in there as I had to go back to my room at once in which I feared the worst coming from the squatters. Sitting up, I noticed an i.v. drip inserted into my arm as I was stuck here in this hospital room. I wanted to get back to the room I was confined in as I was ready to get out of bed and back in there until I heard the door open up. It wasn't long until I spotted Kazuo coming into the room as he was concerned about my health, both physically and mentally, for he wasn't about to let me off the hook so easily after that.
"I'm ready to go back to the room I was assigned in," I said.
"Not entirely," said Kazuo. "After what I heard from your family, it's about time that you needed this dire attention before you were toast."
"How long was I out?"
"You were out for two days and you were shaking like a leaf when I dragged you into the infirmary wing. It's a first, but you should be thankful that I kept an eye on you after the beatdown you endured."
"You don't know the pain that I went through, do you?"
"I heard it from Gadreel directly in which he said that you took the heat instead of seeing your family get harrassed further by the four squatters."
"That's not all. Every time I go and take a bath, I see Aelfric coming in here to take a dump while invading my privacy for no reason."
"Perhaps you should be a vengeful spirit and haunt him for all the stinky fumes he made."
"This… house arrest I am under… It won't go away and I can't just bear it for much longer."
"According to Ginryu, Central 46 kicked them out in which your house arrest had been lifted. You're a free man, Sam, so I suggest that you roll in what you have."
"I don't know if I can..." Tears rolled down my cheeks as I wanted to go back into the room I was kept in. "After four months of dealing with the squatters, there's no end to their torment… My life is in shambles after being in that room I was assigned in, only to do nothing but stare at the window all day. I just can't take it anymore… Four months in that room with nothing but a table and a futon kept me confined like you wouldn't believe… They're still there and that captain will go and look for his baseball bat before he gives me another beatdown like-"
"That's enough, Sam. You know that you can't just be alone in a time like this. The house arrest has been lifted and you can go anywhere as much as you wish, so there's no need to worry right now."
"If only it were true… If only if I was out free once again..."
"You've been through enough as of now, so I suggest that you be thankful that you can go freely as you wish. As for the beatdown you went through, the bruises on your back and legs is more than enough to pin an assault charge on Jethro Braddock directly. He may be a captain in the Alecrian Army, but his actions to keep you and your family prisoner in this castle is more than enough to give him the option of either community service or risk losing his military rank. In the end, that assault charge is going on his record after what he did to you, but you're not out of the woods yet. Still, you need to keep fighting or else you'll get lost in the undertow. The Executive Division is still out there, Sam. The war that its leader is still going. As for your actions, you need to recover or else you won't be able to make it to the golden age as promised by what was foretold, is that clear to you?"
I was ready to get out of bed as I was later barred from doing so. Kazuo was adamant into not letting me go just yet as he was concerned about the repercussions that took a turn for the worst. The four months of house arrest took a toll on my health as I laid back down and stared at the ceiling. I simply wanted to disappear altogether after what I went through as the loathsome shackles were damaging to what was put in front of me. The four months of house arrest was a punishment that was worse than death as I wanted to just rot away for the rest of my life. I hated being alive at this time as I was nothing more than just a football that is get thrown and tossed constantly, for there is no end to what I had gone through right now.
"By the way, the winter carnival's coming up in which they're ready to come here without any form of difficulty," said Kazuo. "The children can even participate in a snowball fight after being cooped up for far too long now."
"They can go…, but this moment of happiness will never be for me," I said. "No matter how far I come, I always get pushed back to the bottom..."
"What would Ippei say if he saw you like that? He would be disappointed that you would fall to this low in which you fear retaliation towards your family and friends. As for what you call those loathsome shackles for being cooped up in that room, you and your family are going to spend your vacation elsewhere after the winter carnival."
"I'll think about it, but it won't be easy to agree on it. After the four months of misery, I could never be able to bounce back from what I went through and it still hurts. I endured the torment from Jethro Braddock, only to spare my family and servants so they wouldn't get hurt. Now, I've paid the price for doing so, but it's not easy for me to just be right as rain after being free from those squatters."
It wasn't long until Kazuo fished out a pamphlet as it featured an igloo on the front of it. The pamphlet itself was for the winter carnival as it was coming towards the castle after all this time. Still, I was shaken by what I went through as I was trying hard not to think about it, for I was still scared to death of what would happen next…
The townsfolk in Kanto Village was getting ready for their winter carnival as they were gathering up their wares and were going towards the castle. With Dean ready to go back to see how I was doing, he was up into trying out one of my famous pies I made during the fair two years ago as he was ready to pounce on the action. When he noticed Valerie with her children in tow, she was glad to see the squatters gone as they weren't about to darken another doorway again for the time being.
"The carnival's back on," he said as he had a smile on his face.
"It's about time that Central 46 got them out of Kanto Village," said Valerie. "As for Sam and his family, they should at least take a vacation after what they've been through. They should need some warm sun just in time to go back towards Essos in the town of Lillium."
"That seaside place is almost fixed, but Ryosuke made sure that nothing else caused harm to the townsfolk there. As for everyone in Kanto Village, it's peachy 'cause we've got fruit pies up the ass in this time of joy."
"You should treat Magda on a hot date when you get your day off some time. It's the best thing that you can do right now."
"Oh, I'll do that, but first, I'm going to the castle to check up on Sam. It's been two days since those asshats got the boot by Central 46 and they're not ever coming back to the castle. Speaking of castle, it's about time that I paid a visit to Sam right away."
And Dean made sure that I was still among the living as he went towards the front yard of the castle grounds. He was ready to see me as he entered into the main house until he saw me up and out of bed from that mess I went through. I was a wreck as I also found it hard to accept the fact that the house arrest I endured was lifted, but the repercussions still remained in my psyche. I wanted to go back to bed for the rest of the day as I didn't feel like talking right now, but it would soon change for me one slow step at a time.
"You look like an asteroid hit you," said Dean.
"I take it that you're up for the winter carnival," I said.
"The townsfolk had an ass full of being turned away in which they were also glad to see the hot-blooded ginger go away for once. As for the winter carnival, it's gonna be a great treat 'cause there's pie all around and it's not stopping soon..."
I had the pamphlet of the winter carnival on it in my hand as I fell to my knees crying woefully. I was a wreck all over as the four months of being confined in the assigned room was hell for me. Dean did nothing but stare at my anguish until he decided to give me a hug that assured me that everything was going to be fine, for this wasn't the end of my very reasons yet.
"It's okay to cry, little brother," I heard him say as he wiped the tears from my eyes. "Just let it out instead of keeping it all bottled up for once. I bet that Reiko's looking forward into taking the kids to play in and out of the castle grounds in such a long time, so I suggest that you go for what is put in front of you, are we good?"
I agreed as I stopped crying altogether. As for the confidence that was slowly growing, I felt assured about a possible joy in this outcome errors as I was trying to get back up to where I was intended to be. As for the possible golden age, it was already looming as it had one hurdle that was in need of crossing over, for there are those who would silence the Destiny of Worlds if I wasn't careful in this ongoing war that the Executive Division started after all…
To be continued...
