The Chronometal Wars
The Red Story
Out in the Open
Brick wakes up in his bed.
The underbelly of this city is stirring. Something is happening, be it through fear or anticipation of an awaited event is irrelevant. Brick looks a clock on the wall. It's almost seven. This room is actually very cozy. Judging from the exterior, this place should be a dump. He hops softly on the bed while he's still sitting on it. He looks in the corner, noticing giant fresh scratches on the wooden floor. It seems like people recently renovated this place. Very recently.
Maybe they cleaned this room especially for Brick? The people gave him warm stares on his way out, like he was what they needed. He gets up and leaves the room; noticing people outside the bar across the slum perk up at the mere sight of him. One person speaks to a nearby watchman and he runs in side, no doubt to tell Skarr that Brick is awake.
Brick looks around. A TV amidst the garbage in this slum is tuned to a news channel. He manages to steal a glimpse of Bubbles. He smiles slightly. The press conference, talking about Heroesbane and the panic it caused is scheduled to take place in about an hour. He stretches, unusually calm, even knowing that very soon he will be amidst a group of insurgents whose sole purpose is to assassinate Brisbaine.
The mere prospect gives goose bumps. He knows Brisbaine needs to be brought to justice... but... to kill him...
She shakes his head of the uncertainty and remains fixated on the one thing he is certain of.
Brisbaine killed Jenny and Raven, amongst countless more innocents!
A man outside the bar beckons Brick in across the crowd of people in this run-down section of Citysville. He snakes his way through the mob, still in his brown cloak. He enters the bar, noticing it's completely empty. He follows the people down into the false wall and into the war room.
A short man with a scar down his face grins once Brick enters the room.
"I trust you slept well?" – "Well enough. When is the attack?" Brick asks, before noticing a map sprawled over the dusty wooden table, illuminated by a faint hanging light. Skarr points at it.
"I'll be the general of this operation. We have double agents working within and just outside Brisbaine's private complex." – "About that;" Brick interrupts, gaining a reaction from Skarr.
"I didn't know Brisbaine had such a place." – "It didn't belong to him until recently. Shortly after Heroesbane went into effect, he forced his ownership on an abandoned government facility just to the east of Citysville. Our spies tell us that it's a lab that experimented with Chemical X years ago." Brick raises an eyebrow.
"Chemical X, huh?" Skarr nods. "I am well aware of its properties and past. That said; anything could happen... and it's nearly impossible to plan for so we can't take any risks." Brick nods. "Agreed. What about personnel?" – "During Bubbles' speech, more than half of the soldiers there will relocate to the town hall on order from the president, to give public apologies to the families that were destroyed during these events."
"Wait, the soldiers will apologize? I know they did those horrible things and I'd the last person to play devil's advocate... but weren't they just following orders?" – "That's the thing, Heroesbane wasn't enacted by the Supreme Court... or any higher council for that matter. It was corrupted and forced through by Brisbane and was kept on the down-low until Bubbles blasted it open... though... by then it was too late. Most of the world's heroes are already dead." Skarr says, followed by a deep sigh.
"I see... so it was Brisbaine who did this alone? No backing from the government?" – "Correct, it was a purely military operation. The soldiers even have a choice in the matter. Those who participated are required to give a public apology or face dishonorable discharge." – "So that's why his building will be understaffed..." – "Exactly, and that's when we strike!" Skarr says, pointing at the building.
"We don't have much longer. The guards will be moving out in a matter of minutes. Most of the militia is already positioned outside the complex, out of sight. Now's the time." He says, folding the paper up and putting it into a bag, with many weapons present within it.
"What are we hoping to accomplish with this?" Brick asks. Skarr looks over. "Brisbaine may answer for this in a court or two... but there's no way a man with connections so deep within this country as to assassinate the world's heroes without being detected is going to truly answer for his crimes if left alone." Skarr says with malice in his voice.
"The people here have spoken. If our government is willing to kill its own citizens, then we will not accept their justice! Our justice is our own! We will not settle until Brisbaine's head is on a pike!" He yells, throwing his sack over his shoulder and running up the stairs along with everyone else. Brick follows.
They maintain a low enough profile while still moving quickly out of this underworld slum. Soon they split up and leave the city at the same time. Brick flies to a staging point next to Brisbaine's complex.
He flies over the staging ground.
He lands to notice hundreds of armed, yet obviously untrained militia greeting him. He waves and blushes.
He looks around. A lot of these soldiers are just kids, no older than twenty. His demeanor sours. To make the concept of killing Brisbaine worse, he's also fighting alongside a bunch of kids who are certainly going to die.
He walks up to a random soldier and talks to him. "You there, how old are you?" – "U-Uh, s-seventeen Brick- UH, S-Sir!" – "Seventeen? God damn...!" He says, furious, ripping the gun out of his hand, forcing gasps from onlookers. "Get the hell out of here." He barks. "Wh-What?" – "You heard me. No kids are going to be dying today." He says with a scowl on his face, walking back with the gun in his hand.
"Wait!" The kid yells. Brick looks back to see a pained expression on his face. "I need to fight, sir... Heroesbane killed my family. I have nothing left! I can't just go back; I don't even have a home anymore! Here, I have brothers and a cause worth fighting for! If not for my family, then for all of their families!" He says, deeply passionate and pained. Brick turns around with an astonished look on his face.
"Please sir... I can't abandon my men! We are all here of our free will!" Brick diverts his eyes and grits his teeth. He quickly snaps the gun back at the man who barely catches it. The soldiers are still looking back Brick.
"I'm... sorry. I didn't realize that everyone here had reasons not much unlike mine for being here. Kids... men... so young. Just promise me you won't die!" He says. The boy nods. "Okay, sir!" He runs back to a militia captain.
Skarr walks up behind Brick, having seen what just happened.
"I know what you were trying to do, Brick. Hopefully now you know where we all stand on this issue." – "They're just kids, general." – "We were all kids once, willing to fight for what we thought was right." Skarr says, looking over the flat staging ground, hundreds of soldiers waiting for his order.
"Not a single one of them was untouched by Heroesbane. They are all willing to kill and die for this." Skarr says, turning around to Brick. "But what's more is the fact that there are so many more still that are not with us. Countless more people, not limited to just our country who don't have the ability to fight back, to get revenge on Brisbaine and let the world hear them." Skarr walks into the camp after letting Brick off with one final line.
"If we let Brisbaine live, it will let the entire world know that killing its own citizens is okay! It's time we finally take control of our own lives! We are not going to stand for this!" He roars, raising his fist into the air with the many soldiers following along. Brick nods.
It's time to attack!
Author's Notes: Why did Brisbaine do what he did? What would he have to gain from killing heroes, some of which like the Rowdyruffs, were his own pride and joy? There has to be more to this. Soon, we may find out.
