Act II

"Disruption"
January 6, 2020 – 13:45
Hyrule Castle Town

CJ and the other Sages were gathered deep below Hyrule Castle in a large room filled with computers, machines and various creatures operating them, several of them dressed in clothes that clearly showed that they were high-ranking military officers.

"What should we do, Your Majesty?" Questioned a Goron Army General. "The U.S. is officially deploying troops to our shores."

"We can't attack or fight back." CJ said. "Not unless Frost attacks first. If we make the first strike, the U.S. will counter with all they have."

"Sire, it's no secret that the U.S. is prone to military force." Stated an Admiral of the Zora Navy. "They've demonstrated it clearly over the past few years… North Korea, Venezuela, China. Frost isn't afraid to use force. And those were nations that allied with his views on Catalysts."

"I know." CJ said. "But we can't risk being the first to attack."

"If we sit back and let Frost strike, innocent lives will be lost, CJ." Shaylene argued.

"If we give Frost something to focus on, or better yet, give the United States voters a reason to doubt him, we may be able to stop this war before it begins." CJ said. "Frost is up for re-election this year. If we can show the American people that they aren't as secure as they think they are with him, maybe we can get him to back off."

"What are you suggesting?" Asked a Gerudo.

"Targeted strikes to U.S. intelligence." CJ said. "Show Frost that his operatives aren't hard to find."

"If we admit to hacking into CIA servers, Frost will rain even more Hell down on us." Stated a Hylian.

"That's why we don't admit to it." CJ said. "Frost may be allied with North Korea, Russia and China when it comes to Catalysts, but there's still a lot of mistrust there, and I'd bet money that the U.S. has undercover operatives inside those governments. Let's expose them."

"You realize you could be sending American agents to their deaths, right?" Shaylene asked.

"On it, Your Majesty." A Goron said.

"Frost needs to understand that he's crossing lines and making enemies. He tried to start this war, he'd better expect casualties." CJ said.


"Frost had crossed a line. Deploying troops in my kingdom. I wasn't going to let that go unpunished, even if I didn't plan on outing my kingdom as the source of the leaks. Maybe exposing American spies and potentially sending them to their death wasn't the best idea. But it may have only been a matter of time before Frost infiltrated my government and brought his special brand of death to Hyrule. And after the CIA and FBI gave birth to the agency that brought Alyson Hale down on us, it only seemed fair."


January 12, 2020 – 11:15
The White House
Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

A man walked into the Oval Office, where Frost was meeting with an Army general. Under the man's arm was a laptop.

"Excuse me, Mr. President. General. Sorry to disturb you, but you need to see this."

"What is it?" Frost asked as the man placed the laptop on the desk. He opened the laptop and pulled up a file, displaying a list of names,

"This was send to me by Director Porter." The man said. "It's a list of the identities of our intelligence operatives in the field."

"Do we know who leaked this information?" Frost asked.

"No, sir. However, it's been plastered all over the web and it's likely in the hands of our enemies."

"Thank you for the information." Frost said. The man walked out and Frost immediately picked up his phone. "Get me Director Porter." He paused for a few moments, waiting for a response from the other end. "Jesse, I want your best cyber unit tracking the online posts of the list of operatives."

"Mr. President, sir, that list has likely been downloaded and reposted hundreds, if not thousands, of times."

"I don't care. I want to know who posted it originally. Get your best team on it and get it done." Frost said before hanging up the phone.


"Frost may have ordered the CIA's best tech team to trace my leaks, but I had my best tech team working to mask those leaks… In a way that was sure to send Frost's head spinning."


"Mr. President, Director Porter is here to see you."

"Send him in." President Frost said. The door to the Oval Office swung open and in walked a tan-skinned bald man, dressed in a pressed suit, with brown eyes that were dulled from fatigue.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President." Director Porter said.

"I assume you're here with news of our intelligence leaks." Frost said.

"Yes, sir." Porter connected a small USB drive to Frost's computer, bringing up a large map on the screen. In various spots were blinking red dots. "This is a far as my tech team could get. We traced the leaks back to 5 cities. The capitals of five of the U.C.A. nations – Hyrule, the Mushroom Kingdom, Corneria, Dream Land and the United Federation."

"It's the King of Hyrule." Frost said. "I know it. He's taunting me. Bastard." He then pressed a button on his phone. "I need to pay a visit to the Capitol."


"Little did I know, raiding the intelligence community and exposing U.S. operatives would ultimately prove fatal to the U.C.A. Little did Frost know, I wasn't done with my show of power."


Frost stood in the U.S. Capitol before the members of Congress.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Congress, it's no secret about the misdeeds of Bio-Terrorists in our country, and the blatant disrespect to our country from the Bio-Terrorists nations of the world, specifically those in the United Catalyst Alliance. According to the CIA, five of the major nations in that alliance are jointly responsible for the leaking of intelligence records that led to the exposure of key operatives within the ranks of our enemies. I come to you today seeking…" In mid-sentence, Frost's mic shut off and the room went pitch-black. A few moments later, the emergency lights turned on and the chamber was bathed in dim light.

"President Frost…" A distorted voice boomed out from the speakers in the room. "United States Congress… You have gone vastly unopposed by the rest of the world for too long. Your nation has stomped on and bullied the world for too long. You have played Big Brother and put your nose where it doesn't belong. I'm here to show you that your attitude will no longer be tolerated. For decades, the United States has written the agenda because they've wielded the biggest stick. That is no longer the case. You are no longer the big dog. You may have an intimidating bark, but you'll find that my bite carries more pain. This is only the first show of my power. There will be more." Feedback blared through the speakers before the room was silent. Moments later, the lights turned back on the crackling of the President's mic could be heard again.

Across the country, a nationwide news network broadcast interrupted regular programming.

"We bring you breaking news out of the nation's capital. Reports are coming in that a cyber-attack was committed on Congress, and a threatening message was played through the Capitol's audio system. We've also received reports of widespread power outages across the country, as well as outages to major websites, including Facebook, Google, and many state and federal websites." The anchor stopped, as if she was reading something. "We have more breaking news to add: Reports are coming in from across the country of flight delays out of all major cities, and we have unconfirmed reports that last-minute alterations to flight paths may have caused a plane crash in the Midwest. We'll bring more as it comes."


"I wasn't planning on showing that I was responsible for the leaks or the attack on the U.S. infrastructure. I wanted the U.S. weakened and its people scared. I wanted Frost to see that he had made enemies. I wanted him to know that he had made powerful enemies.

In the months that followed, Frost backed down a bit. Troops pulled out of the U.C.A. nations and investigations into what we were doing seemed to cease. According to my contacts in the intelligence community, Frost stopped digging into the leaks of the U.S. operatives, and all the operatives exposed were pulled back by the CIA. Thankfully, they were surprisingly unharmed.

But Frost continued to speak of Catalysts as if we were the enemy. Social media chatter about us increased. Anytime a terror act occurred around the world, social media lit up with people blaming the act on 'Bio-Terrorist freaks'.

And with Frost getting re-elected in a landslide victory, it was evident that Catalysts wouldn't see the U.S. become our ally anytime soon…"


"Scorched Earth"
February 16, 2022 – 02:37
Toad Town, Mushroom Kingdom

"Spectre Two to Eagle One, we're approaching the target."

"Copy that, Spectre. We're approaching the TLZ now. Standing by on your go."

A group of five B-2 stealth bombers flew in a line toward Toad Town by the cover of nightfall. As they crossed the harbor, they began dropping a series of bombs over the city, which exploded with gaseous clouds until a haze loomed over the city.

"Spectre Two to Command, gas has been deployed."

"Copy Spectre Two. Metal Team, what's your status?"

"Metal Zero-One, on approach. Eagle Team, what's your status?"

"Eagle One, on approach. We're about half a klick from the TLZ. Over."

"Eagle, be advised no activity. It's gonna get hot down there. Be prepared to move in." A group of A-10 Thunderbolts raced across the city in various straight-line patterns, dropping bombs that exploded with a fiery gel that engulfed the city. A helicopter touched down in the south of the city near the harbor. Several U.S. soldiers rushed off the aircraft, dressed in flame-retardant gear and gas masks. The soldiers rushed through the city, the sight of Mushroom People choking, burning and collapsing around them. Before long, they had reached Peach's Castle.

"Eagle One to Reaper, we are outside the target building. What do you see?" Above the city, a UAV was circling.

"Eagle One, be advised. FLIR's picking up a lot of movement inside the target building. Do you want us to soften up the resistance?"

"Negative, Reaper. We'll handle it from here. Eagle One, out." The lead soldier turned to another, as they moved toward the castle's front door. "Rorke, take point. Get a breaching charge on that door." Everyone stepped back as one of the soldiers planted a square device on the main door. He stepped back, holding a small remote in his hand.

"Breaching in 3!" A few seconds later, he pressed a button on the remote and the door exploded open. The soldiers rushed into the castle's foyer where several Mushroom soldiers waited, guns drawn. A firefight ensued and the Mushroom soldiers were down in no time.

"Team, move up." The soldiers split up and moved through the foyer, opening every door as they passed through. They worked their way up the central stairs to a large door with a star on it. "Hold up. I'm hearing a lot of movement behind the door." He pressed his finger to his earpiece. "Reaper, we're moving up to the second floor. What do you see?"

"Eagle One, you've got multiple bogeys converging on the second floor."

"Copy that, Reaper. Everyone fall back to the first floor." Eagle One said. The soldiers retreated down the stairs. "Reaper, commence fire on the target. Danger close."

"Copy that, Eagle One. Danger close." The UAV launched a missile that struck the castle, blowing open the east wall on the second floor, as well as the foyer door. "Eagle One, multiple confirmed KIAs. Clear to move up."

"Copy, Reaper." Eagle One said. "Stand by. We may need more air support. Eagle One, out."

"Copy all, Eagle One. Reaper standing by."

The soldiers moved up the stairs and into the second floor hallway. The bodies of Mushroom soldiers were strewn about and there was a smoldering hole in the wall to their right. Before long, the soldiers had reached another star door, which had been damaged by the airstrike, and led to another staircase.

"Eagle One to Reaper, we're approaching the third floor stairwell. Status?"

"Eagle One, we're seeing four heat signatures on the third floor. Should be an easy sweep."

"Copy that, Reaper. Moving to eliminate." The soldiers pulled the door aside and began climbing the staircase. At the top was another star door. "Weapons ready. Let's make this quick and clean. 3… 2… 1… Go!" Eagle One kicked open the door and the soldiers stormed into a luxurious bedroom. In the room were two Mushroom soldiers and on the bed were Peach and Bowser. Peach looked at one of the soldiers.

"Do it." She said.

"Fungus Three to Albatoss One, initiate Fahr Protoc-" But his words were cut off as Eagle Team unleashed a hail of bullets that quickly took down both soldiers, as well as Peach and Bowser. Two of the soldiers moved in and examined the dead.

"Eagle Four to Command, kills confirmed. Repeat, the Mushroom Kingdom has fallen."

"Copy your last, Eagle Four. Return to base."

"Eagle One to Warhammer, we're en route to the LZ."

"Negative, Eagle One. Primary LZ is too hot! Re-route to secondary LZ."

"Copy, Warhammer. On our way. ETA 5 mikes." The soldiers began to rush through the castle.

"Command to Eagle One, be advised. We're detecting a missile in the airspace near the Mushroom Kingdom. It appears to be targeting the castle. Suggest you double time it. ETA to impact: 2 minutes."

"Copy your last, Command." Eagle One said. "Let's move boys!" The soldiers picked up the pace. As they exited the castle, a missile came crashing down in the center of the city, leveling most of what was still standing and unleashing a large mushroom cloud.


"Frost struck Toad Town under the cover of nightfall. They would've been prepared, but Frost knew his enemies well. The bombing runs over the city buried the place in a layer of napalm and a cloud of Agent Orange. Frost knew that dropping a powerful herbicide on a city of fungus people would prove more than beneficial.

With their capital decimated and their people dying, Peach and Bowser let the soldiers storm the castle. Even before his re-election, the nations of the U.C.A. started preparing for potential assaults by Frost. And for that reason, the Mushroom Kingdom had a contingency plan for if their capital fell.

The Fahr Protocol. A last resort nuclear strike on their own capital. With their leaders all but dead, and their capital all but destroyed, the Mushroom Army made the choice to take the U.S. forces assaulting them down with them. The nuclear strike decimated any forces in and around the city.

And they weren't the only ones with a play to make…"


"Expendable"
March 13, 2021 – 04:00
Cpt. Clayton Garron
Hylian Special Forces
Moscow Suburbs, Russia

A group of eight soldiers were gathered in a forest somewhere outside of Moscow. Not far from them was a large estate surrounded by a six-meter high wall. Patrolling the outside of the wall were four armed guards. Two guards stood at the main gate, and several patrolled the inside of the estate. Six of the soldiers had suppressed Scar-L assault rifles and silenced FN Five-sevens. One of the six also carried a Winchester Model 1897 shotgun. The final two had suppressed FN Five-sevens and suppressed Barrett M99 sniper rifles, and wore woodland camo ghillie suits.

"Alpha One to Shadow Command, do you copy?" Special Forces Captain Clayton Garron said into his comm.

"Loud and clear, Alpha One." CJ's voice echoed from the other end. "What's your status?"

"Target building is in sight." Captain Garron said.

"Copy. Remember, Alpha Team, this can't be traced back to us. If it does, there will be no avoiding World War III."

"Copy, sir. What's the status of the guards within the estate?"

"Alpha One, the HVT is the primary mission. Only use lethal force as a last resort. We have an AC-130 on standby about two klicks east. If this op goes south, we're levelling the estate."

"Copy your last. Alpha One, out."

"Sir, what's the plan?" Alpha Three asked.

"HVT is the primary objective." Captain Garron said. "This can't be traced back to Hyrule."

"And the guards in the estate?" Alpha Five questioned.

"All hostiles within the walls are expendable. Do not let them interfere with the objective. Lethal force is authorized." Captain Garron said. "Alpha Four, Alpha Five, take up defensive positions and provide overwatch. Alpha Three and Seven, take point. Move up and take out the perimeter guards. Alpha Two, watch our flank. Six and Eight, stay with me."

As Captain Garron and his men began to advance toward the estate, Alpha Four and Five laid on the ground in the woods, blending with the forest around them.

"Alpha Seven, two o'clock." Alpha Three said. Alpha Seven pointed his rifle at the corner of the wall to his right and fired, taking out one of the guards.

"Alpha Three, watch your ten o'clock." Alpha Four said, as she fired a single shot from her sniper rifle, taking down a guard rounding the opposite corner. "You're clear."

"Alpha Three, Alpha Seven, move up and get those bodies away from the corners." Alpha Three and Seven rushed to the opposite corners of the wall and dragged the bodies away from the corners, out of sight of patrolling guards.

"Alpha One, guard approaching from the northeast." Alpha Five said.

"Another guard approaching from the northwest." Alpha Four said.

"Copy that." Captain Garron said. "Everyone stack up on Alpha Three and Alpha Seven. Alpha Four, Alpha Five, take out the patrolling guards when they get close."

"Copy." Alpha Four said. Within a few moments, the guards approached the wall where the soldiers waited. As they neared the corners, Alpha Four and Five each took a shot, taking out both guards.

"Hostile down." Alpha Five said.

"Move up, team. Three along each wall." Captain Garron said. "Alpha Seven, Three , take one wall. Alpha Six and Eight, on me." Alpha Seven and Captain Garron led the teams along the walls, stopping them as they reached one of the corners nearest the gate.

"Hold up. Two by the gate." Alpha Seven said. Captain Garron leaned beyond the corner. "Alpha Seven, we'll take them out on your go." Alpha Seven leaned out and aimed at one of the guards.

"Ready… Fire." Alpha Seven said, as he and Captain Garron took down the guards at the gate.

"Lots of hostiles in the estate." Captain Garron said. "Stack up and prepare to breach." Garron and Alpha Two moved up to where the guards stood. The rest of the team stood behind them. "Alpha Two, on your go."

Alpha Two leaned forward, peered through the grates of the gate. Seeing minimal guard activity, Alpha Two pushed open the gate.

"Two parked cars at our 10 and 2." Alpha Two said.

"Move up." Captain Garron said. "Use the cars as cover." The teams moved up, Garron's behind one car and Alpha Two's behind the other. "Alpha Four, we're approaching the target building. Do you have visual on the target?"

"Negative, Alpha One."

"Alpha One, two guards at the front door. Two coming from the sides of the building." Alpha Seven said.

"Alpha Seven, take the guard coming at our 10 o'clock." Garron said. "Alpha Three, take the guard at our 2 o'clock. Alpha Two, you and I will take the guards at the door. On your go, Alpha Two." As the guards patrolling the perimeter neared the door, Alpha Two took a shot. Alpha Seven, Three and Captain Garron followed suit. The guards outside dropped.

"Targets down." Alpha Seven said.

"Move up. Inside the house, before any more guards show up. Alpha Seven, take point." Garron said. The troops moved forward and lined up at the door, with Alpha Seven leading the way.

"Sir, ready to breach." Alpha Seven said.

"Standby." Garron said. "Alpha Four, Alpha Five, preparing to breach target building."

"Alpha One, be advised, we have a visual on target. 2nd floor, east side." Alpha Five said. "Shall I take the shot?"

"Negative, Alpha Five." Garron said. "Maintain visual."

"Copy, Alpha One."

"Team, target is on the east side of the building, 2nd floor." Garron said. "Breach on your go, Alpha Seven." Alpha Seven turned the doorknob and opened the door. The team entered the building and found themselves in an elegant foyer. Ahead of them was a carpeted staircase leading to a long hallway that stretched to either end of the estate.

"Sir, the room is clear…" Alpha Seven said, a bit puzzled.

"They're not expecting us." Garron said. "Alpha Four, what do you see?"

"Target is still in the easternmost room. Two guards are in the room with him." Alpha Four said.

"Move up, team." Garron said. "Target is in the easternmost room." The team moved up the stairwell and turned down the eastern hallway. Within a few moments, they were lined up at the door to the easternmost room. "Alpha Four, status?"

"Still have visual on the target." Alpha Four said.

"Copy, Alpha Four. Preparing to breach." Garron said, pulling out his shotgun. He blasted off the hinges of the door and kicked the door open. Startled, the guards inside the room turned toward Alpha Team. Before they could react, Captain Garron took a shot at one of them, shredding the guard's abdomen and chest. Alpha Two pulled out his Scar-L and fired several shots at the second guard. The two guards dropped to the ground as Garron pulled out his pistol and aimed at the unarmed man in the room, who was standing near the window, not far from a fancy wooden desk. Sitting on the desk was a laptop. The man was bald with a gray mustache, and wore a pressed black suit.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" The man said with a noticeably thick Russian accent.

"Alpha Five, Alpha Four, Czar Dragon is down. Alpha Two and Seven were caught in the crossfire." Garron said.

"Captain, what are you…?" Alpha Two's words were cut off as Garron turned around and blasted him with his shotgun. He then quickly drew his pistol and fired several shots, bullets piercing the skulls of his team. Within moments, the team dropped. Outside, Alpha Four and Five watched as Garron turned on the team.

"His Majesty was right." Alpha Four said.

"Shit, I hoped he was wrong." Alpha Five said.

"Alpha Four to Shadow Command, we have confirmation on Black Viper. Repeat: we have confirmation on Black Viper."

"Copy your last, Alpha Four." CJ responded. "AC-130's en route. Alpha Four, Alpha Five, if you have visual on Czar Dragon or Black Viper, take the shot. You have less than 10 minutes to clear the estate. If you can't make it out in time, your service will be honored. Shadow Command, out."

"I have a visual on Black Viper." Alpha Four said.

"I have a visual on Czar Dragon." Alpha Five replied.

"On your go." Four said. Both soldiers took the shot, dropping both Garron and the Russian President.

"Let's move." Alpha Five said, as the two stood up and gathered their gear, before taking off running.

"Alpha Four to Shadow Command, Czar Dragon and Black Viper are down. ETA to estate destruction?"

"Alpha Four, ETA nine mikes. Exfil chopper's 3 klicks to the southwest." CJ responded.

"Copy all, Shadow Command." Alpha Four said. "We're en route." A short time later, an AC-130 circled the air above the estate. Several shots rang out and a hellfire of missiles rained down, leveling the estate. In the distance, a Black Hawk helicopter could be seen lifting out of the forest.


"I had my suspicions going into the mission that Captain Garron was a double agent. Russia was trying to infiltrate the major nations of the U.C.A. and I had my fears that they had already succeeded. I wasn't fond of assassinating world leaders, but I knew President Ivanov was running the campaign to infiltrate Catalyst nations.

Captain Garron volunteered Alpha Team for the mission without thought. He was a Catalyst who had emigrated from Russia – a Lt. Colonel in the Russian Army, allegedly discharged once he was exposed as a Catalyst. Everything about it seemed too perfect – he was too eager. After confirming Alpha Team for the mission, I briefed Alpha Four and Alpha Five on my suspicions. I had handpicked them for the mission and knew they could be trusted.

I didn't want to be right in my suspicions. I wanted Alpha Team to get in, take out Ivanov, and get out clean. No trace back to Hyrule. Leveling the president's estate was a last resort. It left a little more cleanup than I wanted, but Alpha Four and Five got out.

In the months that followed, my intelligence found several Russian agents operating within their ranks, as did the other nations in the U.C.A. With the assassination of President Ivanov, Russia basically abandoned their agents, focusing solely on dealing with their people reeling from the death of their leader. It wasn't hard to sniff the agents out at that point. Some of them even tried crawling to the countries they were sabotaging, begging for any kind of help, not realizing that we were the cause of their problems.

Thankfully, no one found anything linking Hyrule to the attack on Ivanov's estate. And, someone else was about to paint a target on their back for it. An ally who was never quite the best of allies from the beginning…"


"Nightmare"
October 17, 2021 – 13:27
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia

A large airship flew toward the U.S. East Coast. The nose of the airship was designed to look like a silver mask with a single slot across it. Attached to the back end of the ship were several large wings designed to look like bat wings. On the top and bottom of the ship were several cannons. Inside the cabin, situated in the nose, King Dedede argued with a small orange-brown creature with a single, large, round blue eye.

"Your Majesty, this doesn't seem right. This isn't even our ship." Stated the one-eyed creature, known as a Waddle Doo.

"Quiet! This man is a threat to my kingdom!"

"Your Majesty, troops are amassing on the ground. We're detecting SAM sites all around."

"Fire at will!" Dedede commanded. "We will not be stopped!" Several missiles fired from the ground, targeting the airship. As the airship cruised over the waters of Chesapeake Bay, Dedede's forces deployed flares to ward off the missiles, returning fire at the shores of the bay with their own strikes. Before long, Dedede's airship had reached the mouth of the Potomac and was following the river toward the nation's capital.

"Your Majesty! This is a terrible idea! We will be shot down before we can even reach the heart of the capital!" Protested Waddle Doo.

"Your Majesty, we're approaching the city, but we're detecting more SAM sites. We won't be able to stay airborne for much longer. We either land on our own, or crash land."

"If you have a clear shot at the White House, fire everything we've got!" Dedede commanded. The ship was rocked by missile fire.

"Targeting is down, sire! We've been hit!"

"Engine 1 is down! We're losing altitude!" Waddle Doo shouted.

"Fire what we've got! Don't worry about the targeting! We'll hit what we hit!" Dedede ordered.

"Payload 1 away." The ship was rocked by more missile fire.

"Engine 2 is down!" Waddle Doo's voice quivered. As the ship began to descend faster, several missiles launched in various directions. In the distance, an explosion rocked both the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.

"Payload 2 away." The ship was rocked by one last volley of missile fire, as their own armaments crashed into several residential districts north of the White House.

"All engines are down! We're going down!" Waddle Doo strapped himself into a nearby seat. Dedede looked ahead and only laughed maniacally. The ship began to descend rapidly, ultimate crashing into the south wall of the White House, as the Washington Monument toppled in the distance. Within moments of the crash, U.S. soldiers had swarmed the ship.

"Go go go! Take no prisoners!" One of the soldiers planted an explosive on the side of the ship, blowing a hole in the wall. The soldiers stormed in, several splitting off to the weapons control room, the others rushing to the cabin, shooting anyone in their way. As the first group of soldiers stormed the weapons room, the others kicked down the door to the cabin. As they entered, weapons raised, they saw Waddle Doo standing there, tiny cylindrical arms raised up.

"Please! Don't shoot! I don't want to die today!" Waddle Doo pleaded.

"You don't have to!" King Dedede said, as he rushed the soldiers, holding a giant hammer. The soldiers unleashed a volley of gunfire and both Dedede and Waddle Doo dropped.

"King Dedede is down." One of the soldiers said into his comm.

"Good. Prepare the counter-attack."


"Two things about Dedede's assault still baffle me.

One: How he managed to steal the Halberd from MetaKnight and his crew. And two: Why he chose to announce his attack ahead of time, and storm the city in broad daylight. The Halberd was more than equipped to likely level D.C.

In the days that followed, we got word from Dream Land that MetaKnight, Captain Vul and the rest of the Halberd's commanding officers were safe. But the men onboard the ship when it crash landed into the White House were MetaKnight's men, not Dedede's.

By the time the Halberd had reached D.C., Frost was miles from even the outskirts of the city. Chances are Marine One was in the sky before Dedede even left Dream Land.

All Dedede had done was doom Dream Land.

The White House released a statement quickly after the attack, claiming that Dream Land was counter-attacking for the strike on the Mushroom Kingdom. An attack that Frost defended by saying the Mushroom Kingdom was responsible for the attacks on U.S. infrastructure. He also pinned the assassination of Russian President Ivanov on Dream Land. Little by little, the United Catalyst Alliance was crumbling, and I knew I would have to make a play sooner rather than later."


October 20, 2021 – 15:30
Dream Land

"They may have taken down King Dedede, but they'll never occupy Dream Land!" Various creatures were locked in firefights with U.S. soldiers: Waddle Doos, strange blob like creatures known as Cappys, human soldiers wearing gray jumpsuits and black vests, and anthropomorphic dogs in blue jumpsuits. The human soldiers had patches on their jumpsuits that were marked only with a circle of stars and the letter "G". F-16s flew through the air, along with single-thrustered white fighter jets with red noses, and quad-winged silver jets. The F-16s were engaged in combat with the other two types of jets.

"Vulture Ten to base, we're encountering heavy resistance from civilians' militias in addition to two outside military parties!" One of the fighter F-16 pilots radioed.

"Vulture Ten, repeat!"

"Command, we have encountered additional enemy combatants! It's not just Dream Land civilians! There are two organized military forces!"

"Vulture Ten, can you identify the additional forces?"

"Command, it appears to be G.U.N. forces and the Cornerian Defense Fleet."

"Copy your last, Vulture Ten. We'll handle it."


"Following Dedede's assault on D.C., Corneria and the United Federation sent troops to Dream Land to prepare for the inevitable attack from the U.S. military. But they also opened their own countries up to attacks…"


"Euthanized"
November 11, 2021 – 07:45
Corneria City

F-16s raced over Corneria City, locked in air combat with CDF pilots, providing cover for a Black Hawk helicopter landing on the outskirts of the city. As the chopper landed, several soldiers stepped out onto the grassy fields on the outer edge of the city.

"Metal Zero-One to Overlord, come in."

"Metal Zero-One, what's your status?"

"Overlord, we are on the ground. Status on the targets?"

"Targets are in the center of the city, in the Defense Fleet Command Compound, coordinating the efforts in the sky and in Dream Land."

"Copy, Overlord." Metal Zero-One said. He turned to his team. "All right, team. We need to fight our way the Command Compound in the center of the city. Targets are bunkered down there, leading the fight here and in Dream Land." Metal Team raced through the city, engaging with dog soldiers as they made their way to Defense Fleet Command.

"Enemy combatants, 10 o'clock!" Metal Zero-Three shouted. Metal Team took cover behind a nearby ruined tank as a group of dog soldiers emerged from behind a nearby building. Metal Team popped up and engaged with the dog soldiers.

"Clear! Move up!" Metal Zero-One said. The team rushed forward, engaging with more dog soldiers as they did. Before long, they neared a large building, guarded by a pair of dog soldiers.

"Target building! 12 o'clock!" Metal Zero-Two said.

"Walker, we'll take them out on my mark." Metal Zero-One said. He took the shot, and Metal Zero-Two quickly followed suit, dropping the soldiers at the door. "Clear. Move up." The team rushed to the door of the building and lined up. "Mason, get ready to breach." Metal Zero-Four got to the front of the formation.

"Breaching!" Mason exclaimed, kicking in the door. The team stormed in to a surprisingly empty lobby. "Clear. Sandman, sir, where is everyone?"

"Metal Zero-One to Overlord, target building is empty. Can you confirm HVTs are still in the building?"

"Affirmative, Metal Zero-One. Intel reports that HVTs are on the third floor, center of the building. They re-routed all personnel to the ground and air fights. Only a small number of soldiers are around the room where the HVTs are."

"Copy, Overlord. Moving to secure." Sandman said. "All right, team. Targets are on the third floor, center of the building. Small defense force in and around the room with them. Let's move up. Mitchell, take point. Reyes, watch our flank."

"Yes, sir." Metal Zero-Three said.

"Sir, yes sir." Metal Zero-Five said. Mitchell led the team up the stairs to the third floor. The hallway in the third floor was a square corridor surrounding a single room. In front of Metal Team was a wall.

"Walker, Mason, move to the sides and take out any guards in the hallway." Walker and Mason moved to opposite sides of the hall, scanning around the corners. Walker fired several shots.

"Clear." Walker said.

"Clear." Mason said.

"Do either of you have visual on an entry?" Sandman asked.

"Affirmative, sir." Mason replied.

"Everyone, move up. On Mason." The team moved around the corner, lining up at the door to the room. "Mitchell, get ready to breach." Mitchell stood in front of the door and pulled out a shotgun. "Go." He blasted the door hinges and kicked down the door. Inside the room were three dog soldiers, as well as a bloodhound in a red military uniform and a Doberman in a black suit.

"Cornerian Defense Fleet, the United States has breached Command." The Bloodhound said over the comms. "Foxtrot One, you're in command. Pepper out." No sooner than he had finished, a firefight ensued and the dog soldiers, as well as the bloodhound and Doberman, were down.

"Metal Zero-One to Overlord, kills confirmed."

"Good work, Metal Zero-One."


"The United States sent an elite Delta Force squadron into Corneria City. General Pepper and Prime Minister Boxer didn't stand a chance. Metal Team made swift work of the Cornerian leaders. One by one, our allies were being picked off.

The White House's official statement was that Cornerian forces were attacking U.S. forces in Dream Land. The White House claimed that the U.S. was trying to aid Dream Land in 'establishing a democratic society following the execution of a tyrannical dictator'. Their people may have bought the bullshit, but I knew better. Dedede saw Frost as a threat, just as the rest of us did, and tried to take him out alone. Frost counter-attacked with the typical military force of the United States. It didn't matter that it was a Catalyst nation at that point.

U.S. troops were now on the ground in Dream Land and Corneria. And Frost had deployed new troops into the Mushroom Kingdom following the Fahr Protocol. World War III was no longer on the horizon. We were living it."


November 14, 2021 – 11:18
Central City, United Federation

"Shit! We're going down!"

A U.S. helicopter flying over Central City ricocheted off two skyscrapers and crashed to the street below. Before long, an Army soldier climbed out of the cockpit and slid open the side door. Inside we two more soldiers, slowly regaining consciousness.

"Clark! Greggs! Look alive." Army Sgt. John Simmons handed an assault rifle to the other two. "We're going to have to leg it. The city's subways run close to the president's complex. If we move quickly, we can get there." The three U.S. soldiers rushed down the road they crash landed on. As they moved down the street, G.U.N. soldiers began to emerge from the alleys and buildings.

"Don't let them advance! They can't reach the President!" One of the G.U.N. soldiers exclaimed.

"Take cover!" Simmons called out, as the Army soldiers ducked behind nearby stalled out cars. Occasionally, they would pop out and take a few shots at the G.U.N. soldiers. Before long, several of the soldiers had dropped. "Move up, team! I see the subway entrance!" Simmons led his team to the subway entrance. As they ran down the stairs, a message came out over their comms.

"To anyone on this channel, this is Sentinel Team. We're pinned down 3 klicks southeast of the president's complex. Request immediate evac!"

"Sentinel, this is Gulf Team. We're moving through the subway en route to the president's complex. What is your location?" Simmons responded.

"Gulf Team, we're half a klick east of the Mission Street subway stop. We've encountered heavy resistance!"

"Copy that, Sentinel." Simmons said. "We're en route." As they moved through, they began to hear more communications.

"This is Bravo Six. We're pinned down east of the president's complex! Bravo Two and Four are critical! Requesting immediate exfil!"

"Delta Three to Overlord, the Federation detonated some kind of explosive. Knocked all our birds out of the sky. Federation forces have us pinned down in the south of the city, 5 klicks west of the highway."

"If you can hear this, this is Indigo Team, we've reached the president's complex, but we're encountering heavy resistance. Anyone nearby, respond! We won't be able to hold out much longer!"

"Indigo Team, this Gulf Three-One." Simmons said. "We're in the subway tunnels. Once we RV with Sentinel, we'll be one our way to your location."

"Double time it, Gulf Three-One. We can't hold out for long."

"Let's move, boys." Simmons said, as they neared a stairwell. "Market Street." He scanned a map. "Shit, three more stops. Let's double time it."

"Gulf Team, this is Sentinel Two-One. What's your status?"

"Standby, Sentinel Two-One. We're still en route."

"All callsigns, be advised. Federation G.U.N. forces are holding strong. Intel reports that the president is still within the city, but is preparing to evacuate. We're initiating the Manticore Protocol. Thank you for your service."

"Shit." Clark said.

"They're cutting their losses." Greggs said.

"It's been an honor serving with you boys." Simmons said.


"The Manticore Protocol. The U.S. was taking down President Grey and the United Federation, no matter the cost. With their forces on the brink of destruction and Grey's potential evacuation, the U.S. made the choice to initiate a nuclear strike on the city.

A naval ship just off the coast of the United Federation launched a missile that detonated over the city within minutes. Central City was decimated, and President Grey was presumed dead. The White House's official statement was that the Federation was developing orbital weaponry. Another level of bullshit on Frost's multi-tiered cake of chaos.

The war raged on for another 2 years. The U.S. ultimately dropped troops in the U.K., Germany and France, after the European nations dropped troops to aid Dream Land and the United Federation, who both continued to fight U.S. occupation following the executions of Dedede and President Grey.

After Frost pinned the Ivanov assassination on King Dedede, Russia dropped their own troops in Dream Land. Before long, the U.S. worked on occupation of the Poke Union, despite their lack of involvement in the conflict. Even though they lacked a formal military, the Champions League and the Gym Leaders of the various regions stepped up against the military, striking the force of weaponry with the force of mystical creatures.

I knew they would move into Hyrule sooner or later. I was done building my defenses. I had watched President Frost kill my friends and allies.