Chapter 4: Parental Meeting
Warning: For the first part of this chapter, reader discretion is advised.
Brewerton Ruins, New York
10:59 am
The team immediately got into a combat stance, moving up Diabo and Pinya to a high place in the ruins of an old building so they be out of the way of the fighting. The blood riders surged over the hill, riding their dirt bikes with great speed, laughing manically along the way. They noticed the team and charged them, in which the team opened fire starting the fight...
" Blaze, got two heading for the prince and the princess!" Xavier shouted, pointing out two blood riders.
" I'll get them!" Blaze said, shooting the two riders dead.
The riders pressed their attack, but then the smoke cleared, the team still had all five members while the blood riders had suffered heavy losses. Pinya and Diabo began to believe that the team was supernatural as a team of five just took down a hostile force of 20 mobile raiders. Diabo stood over one of the blood rider's bikes, which was completely coated in red blood and covered in forged iron spikes, in which he didn't notice Xavier walking up...
" Now you've met another raider faction." Xavier said.
" What are these Iron beasts that they ride?" Diabo asked.
" This is called a dirt bike. People would use it to ride across harsh terrain that seems to tough to traverse on foot." Xavier explained.
" How did these raiders get their mounts so red?" Diabo said.
" After they kill their victims, they drain them dry of their blood and use it to paint their vehicles." Xavier said.
" That's...barbaric!" Diabo said in disgust.
" Why do you think we kill them?" Xavier pointed out. " But something seems off..." He added.
" What is it?" Diabo said as Xavier went to the satchel that had lain on the side of the bike.
" I saw something glimmering inside one of these." Xavier said, reaching around inside the satchel.
A look of shock overcame Diabo's face when Xavier pulled out of the satchel had been a bloodied bracer that had an imperial emblem on it, which both of them had knew what that had meant: the Riders had just hit the rest of the expedition before they crossed paths with the team.
" HAUL ASS!" Xavier shouted to the team.
" What's the rush?" Dante asked.
" That's the rush." Xavier said, tossing him the bracer.
" MOVE!" Dante shouted.
The team and the royal family raced across harsh terrain back to the gate, but came across a sight that would make the stomach of anyone who wasn't a hardened warrior turn. They saw the bodies of every soldier that had accompanied the prince and princess across the gate strung up on large metal poles, with little amounts of blood slowly trickling down the poles and into the Earth. Pinya was horrified while Diabo was visibly shaken by the sight, but the Ghosts that had accompanied them were unaffected by the sight, keeping their warrior's composure.
" My god." Diabo said.
" This is the kind of atrocities that the raider factions in this world commit." Xavier said.
" But, how are you not disturbed by this?" Pinya demanded.
" Because this isn't the first time we had seen a crime like this committed." Dante explained.
" Gravekeeper actual, this is Recon 3-6, come in over." Xavier said into his radio.
" Copy that Recon, this is Gravekeeper, what's the situation?" Daniel asked.
" Imperial Expedition force is K.I.A, I repeat, I.E.F has all been killed." Xavier said.
" Goddammit, have you identified the attackers?" Daniel asked.
" It was a Blood Rider raiding force, Gravekeeper, they are also K.I.A after they crossed paths with us." Xavier said as the rest of the team started to cut down the dead bodies.
" Understood hound." Daniel said as Pinya came over to Xavier and tapped him on the shoulder.
" Yes, your highness?" Xavier said.
" Can give me and Anna a hand in collecting some things to return to their families?" Pinya asked.
" Of course." Xavier said.
Xavier joined the girls in collecting an assortment of lucky charms, wedding bands, and other items that had belonged to the fallen imperial soldiers. Pinya and Diabo ventured back across the gate after Xavier gave Pinya a ledger containing information about their world's current state and what it was before for her father and telling her something, and the two were greeted by a military force that was sent to defend the gate in case hostiles from the civilization on the other side.
Imperial Palace
11:10 am
Pinya and Diabo were meeting with their father, Emperor Molt Sol Augustus, to discuss the results of the expedition to the world that had lain on the other side of the Gate when it had opened. They met in the throne room alongside Marquess Casel, an influential member of the Imperial Senate. Pinya held the ledger close until her father would request it...
" Diabo, Pinya, how went your expedition through the Gate?" Molt asked.
" We had learned that the world on the other side has been devastated by an event that the survivors of it call COLOSSUS Day." Diabo said.
" It earned its name from a weapon that they had called COLOSSUS." Pinya added.
" COLOSSUS?" Casel said.
" The information about COLOSSUS is in this ledger that a member from a civilized faction we encountered." Pinya said, handing the Marquess the ledger Xavier gave her.
" Civilized faction?" Molt asked.
" As a result of COLOSSUS Day, the humans that live in that world are divided. There are those who retained their civility, and those who have formed degenerate raider tribes." Pinya explained.
" The Civilized Folk live in massive, walled off, protected settlements while the raider tribes roam across the land." Diabo added.
" I see." Molt said.
" What is this faction? Ghosts?" Casel asked.
" That is just their name, Senator Casel." Diabo said.
" The Ghosts are built from the remnants of one nation's military forces. They protect the people of Sanctuary, and they saved us when the expeditionary force fell under siege by members of a raider tribe." Pinya added.
"So they watch over the people of this settlement?" Casel asked.
"Yes, they also have a reputation that causes many to percive them as supernatural." Diabo said.
"What made them receive this reputation?" Molt asked.
"They have feats that many would have deemed impossible, and we have seen what these people are capable of."Pinya said to her father.
"We witnessed a team of five of their soldiers save us both from a raiding force of over 20 men." Diabo said.
"How many of these raiders did they kill?" Casel asked.
"All of them." Pinya said in a cold tone.
Casel was rendered speechless by what was just told to him, five soldiers were able to wipe out a raiding force of over 20 men by themselves. Even Molt himself was actually impressed by what these Ghosts could do.
"Who is Daniel Perez, by the way?" Casel asked.
"He is the current leader of the Ghosts and a father to two sons." Pinya said before the throne room doors exploded open.
The group turned around to Zolzal, Pinya and Diabo's older brother, storming into the room with anger. Diabo immediately remembered that a lot of members of the expedition were close friends of his, which meant that his anger was caused by the discovery of their deaths.
"Zolzal, what brings you here?"Molt asked.
"Father, what the hell happened to their expedition?" Zolzal demanded, pointing to Pinya and Diabo.
"We were attacked by raiders from that world." Diabo stated.
"Is that all that lives there? Brutes and Barbarians?!" Zolzal exclaimed.
"Not all of them are like that, brother!" Pinya said.
"We were rescued by inhabitants from that world that retained their civility."Diabo added.
"I find that hard to believe." Zolzal said.
"It's true, brother." Pinya said, defending the Ghosts.
"They have survived a calamity that had laid waste to their world." Diabo explained.
"They fight to survive every day in their world since the calamity." Pinya added.
"I don't care, the blood of my friends has soaked their soil, they deserve to suffer for it." Zolzal said angrily.
"You can't punish all them for the actions of a few!" Pinya exclaimed.
"ENOUGH!" Molt exclaimed.
Pinya and Zolzal immediately went silent at their father's command, as he appeared to have come up with an idea that peaked the curiosity of the princess and her squabbling brothers as she noticed that he was now holding the ledger...
"Father?" Pinya said.
"The raiders that massacred the expedition are the ones who deserve punishment, but the knowledge in this ledger shows that we are ill-equipped to fight them." Molt started.
"So what are you suggesting, your highness?" Casel asked.
"A test of strength, if the Ghosts eradicate these Blood Riders and Howlers from existence, we will invite a representative from their world to visit ours." Molt said.
"Father, we can't invite the enemy here."Zolzal said.
"We are not at war, Zolzal, if they were our enemy, they would have killed your siblings and the expedition instead of saving them." Molt explained. "Pinya, do you know of way for us to reach them." He asked.
"Yes, one of the Ghosts who had saved us, a young man named Xavier, told me that the Ghosts will be keeping a close eye on the Gate from now on. We can have a messenger make contact with one of their patrols that are observing the Gate." Pinya explained.
"Excellent, have a messenger be dispatched this evening to meet with these Ghosts." Molt told a servant.
"Yes, your highness." The servant said before leaving.
"Father, you're about to make a mistake."Zolzal said.
"That's enough, Zolzal, return to your estate until request you." Molt ordered.
Zolzal angrily stormed out of the room, furious at his father and siblings for willing to converse with these foreign outsiders that do not follow Imperial laws and customs. Anyone who did not do this was immediately declared the enemy by his standards and deserved to be destroyed or enslaved by the empire. He met up with his slave Tyuule, the former queen of a warrior bunny tribe, upon his return to his massive estate.
"What bothers you, Zolzal-Sama?"Tyuule asked.
"My father wants to converse with these outsiders that live on the other side of the Gate." Zolzal said with an annoyed tone.
"What makes you think that?" Tyuule asked.
"Pinya and Diabo believe that are survivors of a calamity that devastated their world, I say that they are pulling the wool over their eyes." Zolzal said.
"What do you intend to do?" Tyuule asked.
"I will think of a way to make sure there is no peace between us both." Zolzal said.
Thus began Zolzal's sinister plans to destroy any attempts at peace between The Empire and the inhabitants of the world beyond the Gate...
Outside the Gate, Brewerton Ruins
11:30 am.
After the meeting with Pinya, Daniel organized shifts for squads and units to keep a close observation on the massive Gate so raiders couldn't make their way across and start trouble on the other side. The current squad on the scene was Hatchet Squad, which was commanded by Juliana "Firestorm" Godici, who was in fact an old friend of Xavier's plus a senior officer in the Night Witches. Those that made up the squad were Taylor "Wild Hunt" House, Nick "Scarecrow" Naum, Ricky "Ricochet" Howley, and Nicole "Sally" Holdsworth (she is called that because it was an old karate nickname) and they took up observation from a ruined classroom that was in the ruins of the elementary school, keeping a vigilant watch on the Gate.
"Anything?" Juliana asked Ricky.
"Nothing, Gate's been quiet."He responded.
"Alright. Let me know if there's any change." Juliana said.
She left Ricky's side and went over and sat down next to Nicole, who was standing guard at a doorway to watch their rear in case hostile raiders would try and sneak up on their rear.
"Hey, how's it been?" Juliana asked her.
"All quiet, raiders are not stupid enough to hit us in the open like this, they know we're dangerous." Nicole said.
"That's because they know that you're here Sally." Juliana said in a joking tone.
" Heh, that's true." Nicole responded.
"Jules, we got somebody coming out of the Gate." Ricky said.
Juliana hurried over to Ricky at the window to see a lone armored soldier coming out of the Gate, so Ricky whistled to him so he would know where they were. The soldier was carrying a satchel slung over his shoulder, in which Ricky decided to ask him about the reason he was here...
"Buddy, what are you doing here?" He asked.
"I carry a message from Emperor Molt Sol Augustus for your superiors."The Soldier said as Juliana approached.
"Really?" Juliana said.
"Yes, it is imperative that I get to Sanctuary immediately." He said.
"Nick, how far out is Zeta Squad?" Juliana asked Nick, since he was the team's communications officer.
" 10 minutes out before they get here for their shift." Nick responded.
"Sir, you can wait here with us until the next squad gets here for their shift and we'll take you Sanctuary with us." Juliana said.
"Okay" The messenger said.
10 minutes later...
The Tombstone Briefing Room, Sanctuary
11:40 am
Juliana kept her word and took the messenger back with her and her teammates to The Tombstone to meet with Commander Perez, who met with the messenger in the briefing room...
"I heard from Lance Captain Godici that you have a message for me." Daniel said.
"Yes, Emperor Molt Sol Augustus is offering the people of this world the chance to send a selected envoy group to the other side of the Gate and visit the heart of the empire, but a task must be accomplished first." The messenger said.
"The Howlers and The Blood Riders." Daniel said.
"Yes, send proof of their destruction along with the selected envoys." The messenger said.
"All right. Tell your superiors that we shall make preparations." Daniel said.
Daniel turned to his right hand man and second in command Alan Fisher as The messenger left the room to be escorted back to the Gate...
"Lieutenant Fisher." Daniel said.
"Yes, Commander?" He said.
"Inform the unit leaders that we're going to be meeting a few hours, we have an operation to plan." Daniel ordered.
"Yes sir." Fisher responded.
3:01pm
Tombstone Briefing Room
Daniel stood in front of a large map table while the leaders of the major units stood adjacent of them. The major units were The Eagles led by Veteran Army Sharpshooter Darryl Lynch, The Silent Knights led by Special Forces Veteran Raymond Hall, The Night Witches led by Air Commander Arielle Wheeler, The Hammer-Down Legion(Artillery Operators) led by 501st Airborne Ranger Veteran Darrell Winter, and The Hell-Born Riders led by Ex-Israeli Special forces member Alia Apel.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware of the Gate that has appeared in Brewerton, something has come to my attention." Daniel started.
"What is it, sir?" Darryl asked.
"There is a civilization on the other side that is willing to converse with us, if we do a simple task for them." Daniel explained.
"Really? What task do they have for us?" Darryl asked.
"Their expedition force that came here was massacred, so they wanted us to wipe out their killers." Daniel said.
"Who are their killers?" Raymond asked.
"The Howlers and The Blood Riders." Daniel explained.
"Now that's a cause that I can get behind." Darryl said.
"That's why I am designating this as Operation Iron Dragon." Daniel said.
"So what is the plan for the job?" Raymond asked.
" Selected teams will kill several members of each raiding tribe, then place these banners at each attack site." Daniel explained.
" That'll start a blood war between the two of them." Arielle said.
"Exactly, that will drive them to the one place that has been a war zone for quite some time now." Daniel explained.
" The Camillus Crater." Alia said.
"The one place that is the most difficult to escape from in No Man's land." Darrell stated.
"When the two sides take up position in the crater, Night Witches will cut off escape routes, Eagles will eliminate any scouts that will try to find a way out of there, while Hammer-Down Legion takes out the two factions." Daniel explained.
"So that means the Hell-Born Riders will drive them into war." Alia said.
"No, selected operatives from each group will handle it, Hell-Born Riders will just be the ones to make up the numbers for the attack on the Howlers." Daniel explained.
"Gotta make it look convincing since you guys know how to ride Dirt Bikes." Darryl said.
"So are we all in agreement?" Daniel asked.
"Sir, yes sir!" The leaders exclaimed.
This concludes Chapter 4, with the Ghosts preparing to launch Operation Iron Dragon, which will end with the eradication of the Howlers and The Blood Riders. But this also signifies the start of Zolzal's sinister plans to ignite a war between the Ghosts and The Empire as he believes that the Empire will win due to the Ghosts being weakened by COLOSSUS Day. But through out the progression of the story, you will see that the people of Earth have never been more stronger ever since COLOSSUS Day had occurred. The chapter starts off with the launch of Operation Iron Dragon, The arrival of the envoy group from Earth, and an attempt by Zolzal to spark a war, and a secret will be revealed...
WAIT AND SEE.