Chapter 21 Capital Towers

David

July 23rd, 2017

9:53 AM

Beirut, Lebanon

Capital Towers

My team and I breach inside the towers cautiously with no detection as planned. Going through the front entrance and into the lobby would expose ourselves and compromise the mission. So, we went inside using the emergency exits instead. Using small charges to blow the locks open. I radioed Cage and the others to signify our position.

"Cage, do you copy?" I said. "We've breached the inner compound through one of the emergency exits. Over."

"Roger that," said Cage. "We've made it to our destination as well. Is Heard and her group in position too?"

"You bet we are, Cagey," replied Heard. "Just went inside the backdoor to this place and picked off a couple of guards too. Doesn't this place have cameras? We had to shoot one just to get inside."

"We're at the power generator for this building," said Dhaled. "Shutting the power in five…four…three…two…one…"

And the lights go out. Gaining every ConDef personnel's attention especially General Alif's. We needed to release the prisoners and kill Alif fast.

"Bloody terrific, Captain," said Newblood. "I can't even see my gun in here."

"Neither can every ConDef a-hole in these towers," said Cage. "That's why we never leave home without the night goggles."

"Everyone, switch to night-vision," I said. "You all know what to do."

I put my night-vision goggles on with the rest of my team as instructed and we push forward. Since there wouldn't any power until we've reached the cellblocks, we had to take the stairs up.

"Get those prisoners out of their cages ASAP before they find us here," said Dhaled. "Standing by until then. Dhaled out."

It was going to be a long walk up the stairwell with our night-vision equipped and our guns held up straight. We had to march up the twentieth floor to reach the prisoners. Once we reach floor twenty, I cautiously open the door to our target floor and check the corner. I signal my team to move in.

We quietly pick off the patrols one by one who has flashlights on to see across the blackout. Shooting them down with our suppressed rifles with care. Someone in this building must be investigating the cause of the blackout right now and are likely on their way to the generator room where Cage and Dhaled are. The sooner we find the control room to the cells, the better.

Eventually, we make it to the control room and have eyes on three guards indoors through the windows. I knew how we could take care of them but I needed to notify Dhaled and Cage first.

"Madsen to Cage and Dhaled," I said. "We have eyes on the control room. Three guards, we need to neutralize. Stand by."

"Belay that Davey," said Heard. "We're breaking into the room right now. We've got this."

"What?"

We immediately spot Heard and the rest of her team bust through another door from the windows and see them shoot down the guards lickety-split. Heard gives us the okay sign for us to come in.

"What the hell," said Cayce.

"Nice work, Heard," I said. "We're coming in."

Cayce, Kristine, Mason, and I step inside the control room with Hear, Logos, Newblood, Flint back together again.

"Welcome to the cell control room," said Heard.

"Welcome back to Valor," I said.

"End of the world, David," said Logos. "Wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

"Man, I thought I was going to throw before we even reached twenty," said Flint.

"Madsen, Heard, you still with us?" Cage asked.

"We're in the control room now, Captain," I replied. "Just regrouped with Heard and the rest of the fireteam. You can turn the power back on now."

"Affirmative," said Dhaled. "Switching the power back on now."

Five seconds later, the power to the building was restored and the lights were back on. We switch off our night-vision and we were prepared to open the cells.

"Got it," said Dhaled. "You said you were at the control room right? Look for the controls to deactivate the cells. We've barricaded ourselves inside the generator room but we're exiting through the airshafts. Just release those prisoners and let the uprising begin!"

"Look, David," said Kristine. "There's a lever thingy on the controls. Maybe that opens the cells."

"You've read my mind," I said.

I pull the lever downward without hesitation. Making a loud ass buzz noise and we can see the cells opening in unison from the control room window. Releasing every civilian and resistance captive alike. With phase two checked, phase three was now in motion.

Ares

July 23rd, 2017

9:47 AM

Project Tesseract Archeological Mine

10 Miles From Beirut

My ConDef troops and I breach archeological site the Space Shard was located in. We slaughtered every last Resistance and Chrysalis scum in this mine, staff and soldiers alike until I at last found my fellow children of my Dark Order. Imprisoned by the wretched Chrysalis inside the frozen tanks that subdued them. There were screams from the staff and gunshots from men which was the sound of winning to me.

I find the controls to deactivate the cryo pods Apollo, Nemesis, Thanatos, and Hephaestus were encased in. Once I deactivated the pods, my children awaken and collapse out of their chambers. Succumbing to the cold of their cryo-sleep as their bodies shivered in icy condensation and residue. I comfort my four children and make them look at me in the eye to ensure their safety. I touch eldest child Apollo by his chin and he looks up at me in relief. Coughing out the cold.

"Sire…is…is that you?" Apollo asked.

"You're safe now, Apollo," I assured him. "Free at last."

"Father?" Nemesis whimpered. "You…you came back for us!"

"How long were we out?" Thanatos asked.

"Six months in isolation," I told my youngest child. "Since then, I have been preparing for our day of reckoning. Another Eternity War has begun in the wake of my new regime and a new traveler who threatens our cause. The time has come to reunite our order and for every one of you to join the fight against the ones called Chrysalis."

"Sire, you have found Eternity Shards?" My second eldest child asks. Noticing the four shards I've collected.

"Indeed. Four shards in my grasp. Two other shards to collect. One that is held here in this facility. The other, with the traveler."

"And which shards have you obtained currently and which are still in the hands of mortals?" Apollo wondered.

"I've obtained Power, Mind, Soul, and Reality. Space is in this facility. Time is with the Traveler. Come with me and we'll take the rest together."

"We will not fail you, sire," said Nemesis. "Not this time."

"It is I who have failed you, Nemesis. As well as you're brothers. Not this time."

My Dark Order follows me into the project room containing the Elysium Forge containing the Space Shard. I blow the bulkhead door to the room open with the Power Shard and we all step inside. And there it was. The Tesseract standing on the pedestal the humans used to open their gateway to Hades' realm to the Underworld. Waiting to be wielding under my power.

Apollo approached the Elysium Forge before me. Removing it from the pedestal to hand it over before his father. Apollo carried the Tesseract over to me with caution and bent his knee to honor my prize.

"My humble personage," he said. "Bows before you're grandeur. The universe lies within you're grasp."

I remove my helmet as Apollo bends the knee and carries the Elysium Forge with the palms of his hand. Then I remove my shoulder and arm guards as well as my knee and leg guards. Knowing with five shards in my clutches, the only armor I would utilize to my necessity is the power of the shards held on the knuckles of my Eternity Gauntlet.

I take the Tesseract from Apollo and hold it in the grip of my fingers. Then I press my fingers tightly on the glass of the Elysium Forge to squeeze the shard out of it. I press tighter and tighter until the glass is crushed and shattered onto the skin of my hand. And then finally, the Space Shard was glowing blue in the palm of my hand. I then take the Space Shard and place it in the fifth slot of the gauntlet.

Once it's in place, I can feel the essence of the shard entering my body and feel it flowing inside me as I feel the shock of the Space Shard's power with all the other shards' power combined. I take a quick glance at the five shards on my gauntlet with only one remain from the treacherous Maxine Caulfield. I take her out, I take out every vermin that perishes half of this overpopulated world.

"There is one more shard in Meridian Prime within the traveler's grasp," I said. "Her name is Max Caulfield. We find her, we find the Time Shard. But first, we take care of this filthy Resistance army in Beirut. Then we find Caulfield, take the shard from her, and kill her."

"Your request is our pleasure, Father," said Nemesis. Bending the knee with the rest of her siblings.

Note: Hope that was something. Cuz my new Dark Order villains will be the most badass antagonist I've written yet! I'm writing this note to let everyone know that there are only two more chapters left and this episode is finally over! Things are about to get tenser and action-packed as well as emotionally heart wrenching with deaths of characters to come and shocking twists of some particular characters you won't see coming! Or so I think.

Until next time, stay tuned and golden!