A/N:

Hey guys. Sorry I disappeared for awhile. Been nearly three months since this story was updated, so I kinda felt bad about that. To make it up to you all, I made sure that this chapter had a lot of content within it. Hopefully you all will enjoy as we near the end of the first major section of the story (about another four chapters or so). And if you enjoy my writing style, please consider giving my Mystery Dungeon story, Into Darkness, a read.

Also wanted to mention that we've now hit over 40,000 views, and we're nearing 200 followers. I don't know what to say other than you guys are awesome!

Thanks to both Vixal and Orthros for proof reading this chapter previous to publication. My spellcheck has an odd habit of changing misspelled words into something hilariously different, so it was nice to have other eyes on this chapter before everything was uploaded.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Michael's thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse.

-John Stuart Mill

Ch. 25 - Facing the Darkness

The Indigo League was as incredible a sight as the day he and his team had last stepped foot there. Only now, it failed to invoke the sense of awe within the Reaper that it had then. Michael sat at the cliff overlooking the hundreds of mountains and the snow-covered final destination for so many trainers, his feet dangling over the edge. Light reflected from the snow shot back into his eyes, blocked by the aviators of his buried friend.

"You planning on avoiding us all day?" Layla asked from behind him.

"That's not what I'm doing…"

"Mhm, sure." She took a seat beside him, then quickly looked down. "M…Michael…" He turned to look at her horrified expression, her ears having dropped to the sides.

"I'm not… if that's what you're wondering…"

"I just… wasn't sure… Your aura… it's so negative…"

"I would never do something like that," he said.

"Alright. W-well… what are you doing out here?" the lucario asked.

"Just thinking… wanted to be alone for awhile…"

"Oh… do you want me to leave?" she asked dejectedly.

"No, you're fine." She positioned herself on his lap, having to be mindful of the three handguns positioned on his two hips. She placed her arms on his side.

"Look at me…" Michael met her gaze - her calm, soothing look. "Everything's going… to be okay. We love you, and we're all here for you. So please… don't shut yourself out…" Layla pressed her mouth to his, but he barely put any effort into the kiss. She silently withdrew from him, slightly saddened by his response.

On their way back to the base, Michael noticed the commotion on the runway. That's weird… Usually everything was relatively quiet on Sundays, as most people were attending church. But a lone Chinook had landed and was unloading its cargo onto forklifts - several colossal segments of forged metal. Long and thick curved pieces that look like braces - and one that was undoubtedly a giant mask of some sort. What the hell?

"Could we… go inside?" Layla asked, apparently unconcerned with what was happening on the runway. "The others were looking for you…"

"Okay." The lucario gently took his hand and lead him back, to which he followed without another word. They entered the warmth of the base, where the others were waiting for the two of them.

"Where were you?" Charlotte asked. "You just disappeared on us…"

"He was outside," Layla said.

"In this weather? Why?" The braixen's question went unnoticed to Michael as he checked his phone. An unread text message from Alex - they had a meeting in a few minutes in the conference room. He turned away, but his arm was grabbed by the vixen. "Hey - where are you going now?"

"Let me go Charlotte. The others are waiting for me."

"We were waiting for you too. Are you just gonna blow us off like that?"

"I… what? I'm not—."

"We go looking for you for several hours after you just go and leave without telling anybody. And now you're heading off again and you've got nothing else to say?"

"…Look, I'm sorry, but I have to go. We'll talk about this later." With that, he left them to themselves.

. . . . .

"Thank you all for showing up on such short notice," Giovanni said. Both he and Wesley sat on the other end of the table amid stacks of reports.

"Something wrong?" asked Kevin.

"Aside from the fact that we just got hammered, no," Wesley stated. "But we're not gonna wait around for something like that to happen again. The CIC's intel has narrowed down several locations of interest - places that we think could very well be hiding Douglas' aircraft. They've slipped people into dozens of locations already, but we need to get things moving faster."

"So here's what we're gonna do," Giovanni said. "Given the fact that there could very well be members of Douglas's organization within local airfields, we need to go through records in order to search for unregistered aircraft. We've been taking inventory of what's located within both the Brant and Kenneth Air Bases - former air force locations that have both been bought out by PMCs. We have found a couple of older models that we suspect may have been involved in the attack on your facilities and we need to access their records to see what all they have documented. If it's found out that those aircraft aren't legitimate, then Douglas may be running things out of these two bases, or he could be moving the planes back and forth. Whichever it is, we're gonna find out and have those things taken apart."

"But given the circumstances," Wesley continued, "this mission is going to be a lot harder than your previous stealth operations. For all we know, we aren't breaking into some thug hideout - these people very well could be innocent. Silenced MP5s and USPs in case the wrong people do happen to be present, but other than that, don't expect to use them. These aren't our enemies as far as we know. But we need this information - and if they do happen to be working for Stone, then it's unlikely they would just hand it over. They would interfere with the data if they knew that we were after it."

"So if we get caught?" Thomas asked.

"You won't have to worry about a thing - you're sitting this one out," Wesley replied. "As for the rest of you… don't get caught. We don't want to have to explain why we were snooping around within the walls of a paramilitary organization."

"Main thing is that we want to know about a couple of planes that they have on hand - one of them is a B2, and that was the first aircraft to strike Johto. There are only thirteen that have reportedly been built within the confines of Kanto - thirteen serial numbers that we have - so if this happens to be the one, then we've got a pretty damn good lead on him. The five of you just get the intel and leave the data analysis to us," Giovanni stated.

"As for who's going where, John and Alex will be sent to Brant - the smaller of the two - while Kevin, Michael, and Samuel will be going to Kenneth. Both teams will meet privately with me this afternoon to go over the layout of each base. Any questions?"

"Yeah, I got one - how long do you think it'll take to find out where Doug is?" asked Alex.

"Depends on the outcome of this mission. If it's found that the B2 or the other aircraft being stored there is illegal, then it would really help give us a few pointers towards who exactly Stone is doing business with. Interrogation might reveal where exactly he is, and from then on it'll be a straight shot. If it's all clean, though, then one option would be to continue searching for the locations of the other twelve B2s. It's gotta be somewhere - not like he just went and fucking built one." It wasn't fully the answer the Reapers were hoping for, but it was something.

"We'll be heading out in two days," Wesley said. "I'm sorry that you boys are heading right back out there so soon… especially after all that just happened… But the sooner we kill this man, the sooner we end this fight."

As he had said, they discussed the plans for the upcoming mission. Wesley and Nate would each be looking over satellite coverage to assist the Reapers in their infiltration of the bases, and it had been decided that Alaina would accompany Michael's group and assist with her natural invisibility. Each of the Reapers would be equipped with the EMP jammers that they had become familiar with in order to discreetly interfere with camera footage long enough for them to slip by. Since entering through the gate would be setting them up to get caught immediately, they would cut the fence towards the end of the runway, where there were almost no surveillance cameras. The route had been memorized - how exactly they would get to the command and control center, where cameras were throughout the base, and other similar information. It was ordinary for them, and yet, it felt nothing like it had before.

Their enemy was far more powerful than they had initially thought - Douglas could hurt and kill them with relative ease. In fact, they could all count it as a blessing that only one from their direct group had passed away in the attack. Nearly half the people in the base had died, after all. And if these two air bases just so happened to be completely run by Douglas, then they would be far outnumbered and would be forced to flee - and that was if they were lucky in that scenario. His days were numbered, they constantly tried to remind themselves. But with all that he was willing to do, and with all that his supporters stood for… they of all people were in the most danger.

It wasn't just the fact that they were in direct opposition to the traffickers. No, it was what members of the Twenty-Fifth also had done. Aside from the countless corpses in their footsteps - the bodies of many of Stone's best men - there was their domestic lives as well. None of them even wanted to think about what these enemies would do to those that were involved with pokémon. Likely something that would put The Assembly to shame. And at least two Reapers had something to fear in that regard. But they would all have to press on - the lives of countless others were at stake.

. . . . .

A slight stir sounded in the night; though she was untraceable to the human eye, they could all clearly see the outline of the red dragon with their thermal vision. "No one's coming - you three are in the clear." Samuel stepped from behind the bush and immediately went to work with the pliers, cutting through a small section of the chain link fence. When he finished, he lifted the small segment - just large enough for them to crawl through - and set it to the side. They crawled under, ensured that they were out of sight, then got to their feet on the other side. The three soldiers kept to the fence until they approached the gym. The Officer's Club - the next facility they would pass on their route - was within view.

"There are currently two guys in front of the entrance. With their position, pretty sure that y'all could evade them," Nate said. "Twenty meters northwest from your current locations. I'm marking them on your visors now." Soon enough, two light blue silhouettes popped up on their visual displays.

"The less unconscious bodies we have to hide the better," Kevin said. "Alaina, could make a distraction to the left of them?"

"Of course," she replied. "I'll… find something to do. You all listen closely, alright?"

"Sure thing," Samuel said. She presumably left their presence and flew near the guards. A moment later, and this was confirmed when they heard a loud clash off to the side. What on earth did she do?

"The fuck was that?" one of the two guards asked. The blue silhouettes moved towards the sound, and the Reapers saw their chance to quietly slip by. They stepped quickly through the clearing while the two guards were distracted, then cautiously stood near the corner towards the edge of the building. The three of them were now facing the outskirts of the main section of the camp. About four hundred yards west from where they currently stood was the command and control center - right in the middle of the base.

"What's it looking like up ahead?" Kevin asked Nate.

"I'm seeing fifteen total feet on the ground. You route should intercept maybe another six. Cameras are outlined in green." Information regarding both obstacles was uploaded to their visors, and they mentally scanned through what all they would have to deal with as they made their way to the command and control center.

"There you are," Alaina said quietly from behind them.

"Hey. The hell did you do over there?"

"Knocked a trash can over. They probably thought it was a wild pokémon nosing around or something." As she said this, the other three were readying their EMP jammers. They would cross through this smaller clearing and take cover beside the barracks, where the road there would lead them towards the other side of the base. All three would need to be used back-to-back in order to slip by the cameras that aligned the side of the two-story building.

"You guys ready?" Kevin asked.

"Yep," Samuel said, "let's roll." They ran forward as Michael disabled the first camera, lightly sprinting underneath the large, concrete building as the cloaked dragon trailing close behind. Kevin stopped momentarily to use his EMP jammer, followed by Samuel once they got near the end. One lone guard was making his way towards their location, seemingly about to use the back entrance to the barracks. Must have been the end of his route. They all stood against the wall closest to the guard as he approached, remaining silent as he walked past, completely oblivious to their presence. The group waited until they heard him enter the building, followed by the closing of the metal door. Looking over the remaining guards that were out and about, they found it safe to cross - after, of course, one of them disabled the camera on the outer corner of the building. Since Michael's jammer had become operational again, he proceeded.

"It's down. Let's go," he said. They sprinted towards the final building: the command and control center. Unlike the barracks, it was significantly smaller and roughly square-shaped, but it was the most tightly secured nonetheless. They were approaching it from the side - and that required both Samuel and Kevin's jammers in unison for them to go undetected. They had to get in quickly, or they would undoubtedly be caught. And yet no matter which side they wanted to enter through - both front and back - there were two guards standing in front of the doors.

"Looks like there's no getting through without taking them out," Nate said. "You guys are gonna have to go for a non-fatal."

"Won't that defeat the whole purpose of not getting caught?" Kevin asked. "They're gonna know someone was snooping around if we knock out two of their guys."

"Hide the bodies. All that matters is that they don't know that we were sneaking around. They can think whatever the hell they want for all I care, as long as there's no evidence of Reapers on the site."

"Well alright then. Alaina," Samuel said, "think you can take these two quietly?"

"I think so…" She levitated around the corner, coming to a halt right over the two guards. Be careful… Michael's breath came to a halt as she prepared to deal with them. If she messed this up… no, she wouldn't…

In a swift motion, the rifles were yanked from the grasps of the guards. "What the f—." They were both hurled into the wall, a violent smack sounding around the immediate vicinity as their heads struck the concrete. The three soldiers finally snuck around, getting out of the open.

"Well… so much for non-fatal…" Kevin said as they looked down at the bodies.

"They are alive," Alaina said in a hushed tone.

"Define alive."

"Shut up Kevin," Samuel said. "Nate, where are we gonna put these two guys?"

"I'm sure there are some rooms inside. Maybe a janitor closet or something."

"Hope we can find one in time. I don't wanna be caught dragging these two around in there." He took the card key from one of the unconscious bodies, while Michael and Kevin each took one. Swiping it in front of the reader, the door sounded with a light click and a green light. Samuel then opened the door slowly, and one by one, they entered the building. The sniper took the lead position, readying his EMP jammer in case they should come across any cameras. None within immediate sight, but that was sure to change. And within the building, they had no knowledge of their locations. They all kept to the wall, slowly making their way towards the first hallway. Samuel ever-so-slightly peeked around.

"No one's out for now. If we wanna go, now's our time."

"Now where're we gonna put these two?" Kevin muttered. There were several doors throughout this hallway - hopefully own of them would be a small room of some sort. Only one way to find out. Samuel cautiously opened the first one they approached, revealing a small kitchen.

"That'll work," Nate said. "Hurry!"

Once they dragged the two inside, they set their weapons by the door and shut it. "We just gonna leave 'em here? They could wake up…" Kevin did have a point there, but they needed to move on.

"Michael," Nate said, "can you get Alaina to stand guard? I'm sure you all can sneak past a few cameras on your own. Those two wake up though, y'all are fucked."

"Yeah, will do." He began to speak aloud, albeit quietly. "Alaina, mind standing guard over these two?"

"Of course not. They won't interfere in the slightest." He nodded, then turned around, followed by the others. Kevin grabbed something from the countertop - a cast-iron frying pan - then handed it to the latias.

"If they come to, hit 'em with this."

"O…okay…"

The three Reapers checked to make sure the coast was clear before walking back into the hall. Shut doors aligned the wall to their right, while a small, open hallway was at the end to their left. "That's gotta be the stairs," Nate said. "Careful - there are probably cameras around the area." They proceeded with caution to the doorway, where Kevin peeked slightly around, then up.

"Oh shit," he said. "Right over the doorway. Pointed towards the steps." He took the jammer from his side and pointed it to the device merely two feet overhead. "We're good here."

"Get another one ready to be safe. Could be one at the top," Nate said. Listening closely, they heard mostly silence upstairs. Nearly everyone was in bed, of course. The only real threat that they faced was the guy watching all the security footage - and so far, they hadn't done anything to slip up. One step at a time, the three silently ascended towards the second floor. Before they had finished the first flight, though, a camera similar to the one they were currently standing in front of came into sight. Michael disabled it quickly - they had to move quickly, lest they get caught between the two right when the effects of the EMP jammers wore off.

It was once they neared the second story where they heard incoming footsteps. Fuck, why not? And the jammer would only last for a minute more. Their breathing came to a halt as the brisk pace grew ever closer, the hardened leather echoing across the tile floor. Coming up with the best plan he could, Michael reached up and pushed the head of the camera until it faced towards the ceiling. They would know that the camera had been interfered with… but then again, complete stealth had gone out the window after knocking out those two guards. And they had more pressing matters at the moment…
"Careful," Nate warned. "This is a great way to fuck everything up…"

"He won't see a thing," Samuel said as he position himself to the side of the door. Michael and Kevin went to the other side, waiting for the inevitable.

A man in his mid-thirties walked through the door - an office worker, by the looks of it. He was too focused on his phone to recognize the two Reapers that quickly made a move towards him. Samuel slipped both hands around his face, blocking him from seeing a thing or breathing as Michael kicked the back of his knee. He fell to the ground, where Samuel pinned him down as he continued to choke him out. He was overpowered, unable to move, and, before long, succumbed to the Reaper's strength. He stopped moving; Samuel smothered him for a few more seconds, then let off.

"Alright, now we got another one to hide," Michael muttered.

"The intel should be nearby. Drop him off there," Nate said. Outside of the doorway, a short hallway circled around the stair room. There was a slightly open door straight ahead of them. As they picked up the fallen man, Michael noticed that the phone was still on the previous internet page. Thinking quickly, he scrolled to the camera app and reversed it. He walked towards the doorway and slowly extended it outwards, facing the corners of the hallway to their left and right. A lone camera was situated in one of the corners. He took the phone back, slipped it into the man's pocket, and took care of the camera with his jammer.

"Let's go," he said. They crept as stealthily as they could while transporting an unconscious body. Before they went anywhere else, though, Kevin peeked through the ajar door.

"Here we are," he said. "Security." Presumably after making sure the room was vacant, he pushed the door open, revealing a large set of monitors, each displaying a different view throughout the base.

"Perfect. You can stop the recording process here," Nate said. "That's one less thing to worry about, anyways." Kevin went to work on the computer while Michael searched around the room. A messy desk with scattered papers was positioned along the wall adjacent to the door. Under the desk you go. He dragged the man over, where he silently set him down. "You don't suppose they kept inventory on that computer?" Michael asked.

"Nope - just footage," Kevin replied, before the monitors all went black. He then unplugged the system completely before taking out his dagger and cutting the main power cord. "Cameras are down."

"Good. By the looks of it, that footage is being sent to that external hard drive on the monitor. Take it with you." Kevin slipped the device into his vest, and they left the room with only one final destination left in mind. It had to be on the other side of the second floor. Without worry of being caught on camera, they walked straight around, coming to face a final doorway - a large, open room full of computers. It was completely empty. They entered and looked around. Servers towered alongside both walls.

"Great… where do we start?" Samuel asked.

"All of it - those drivers can hold it all," Nate replied.

"Oh? And how long's that gonna take?" asked Kevin.

"How should I know? However long it takes."

"Michael, give me your drive. You stand guard by the stairs," Samuel said. He tossed it over, then retraced his steps back while the other two went to work. He closed his eyes, trying to clear his head of all that had been troubling him. But the more he tried to push them out, the more those images flashed within his head. The frozen, pained expression on his face - the three gaping holes in his chest. He had looked nothing like the friend he had known in life, but rather a carnal and helpless creature.

It just wasn't fair. Right when he had gotten what he had wanted - a family - he was taken from them. It was just one more statistic under Douglas's kill count. Just another number. And how desperately he wished that he could forget about that number… But yet he had been far too good a friend to even consider blotting out of his memory.

Michael finally managed to pay attention to the three small icons on his visor. The progress on the download had increased to a whole 12%. And they still had over a dozen computers left. Annoyed, he propped himself up against the wall.

. . . . .

"Alright, fucking finally," Kevin said. Michael stretched out and got back on his feet. He had decided to wait inside the security room for the past hour. Nobody had come upstairs, but he did have to knock out the office worker a time or two again. Hopefully everything had been okay for Alaina… More than a little ready to leave, the three reunited at the stairs and began to make their way back.

"Nice going - hardest part's over. Now get back to drop-off and we'll get you guys the hell out of here. I'd do it soon, too - they're gonna rotate shifts before long, so unless you wanna hide and keep track of half a dozen more bodies, I suggest you get outta there soon."

Going back the way they came, they found the building empty and silent… all except for a rough, shuffling sound in the kitchen. They hurriedly readied their weapons and pushed the door open, being greeted with a horrendous sight.

"Arceus fucking dammit - what did you do?!" Kevin asked aloud. Alaina was furiously scrubbing blood from the floor.

"H-he woke up!" she said. "I hit him and… I think I broke his nose…"

"…You think?"

"Did he see you?" Michael asked. That could be very problematic - Alaina was traceable to the Reapers.

"N-no… he couldn't see me… But they're gonna know…"

"Doesn't matter - we're bailing outta here now. They don't it was us," Samuel said. "Now come on - they could swing by here any minute!"

The four of them retreated into the night, leaving wreckage in their path - wreckage left by a ghost for all the PMCs knew. Hopefully it would all be worth it.

. . . . .

"Well… the data was analyzed through without a hitch," Giovanni said with his hand on his forehead. All members of the Twenty-Fifth had been called in for a meeting to discuss the results of their missions.

"And?" Wesley asked. "What's the news?"

"Absolutely clean. Both of those groups had legally bought all that stuff. Douglas had no interference there…"

"Can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing," Alex said.

"Hell, I was hoping these could provide us with some leads. But it looks like we'll have to continue searching."

"So then what's the game plan now?" John asked. "He's gotta be hiding all that shit somewhere. It can't be that hard to find a giant base run by paramilitaries…"

"If that was the case, don't you think that we would've found them by now?" Nate answered. "Kanto is massive and he could be anywhere within it."

"What makes you say that?" Kevin asked.

"What do you mean? Our sources have known this for awhile now. What are you suggesting? That he's hiding away in some other region? And then sending all these guys into the same country over and over to carry out these missions? And to top it all off, transporting all this military tech back over there? Well shit, I hope he bought himself an aircraft carrier while he was at it."

"Calm the fuck down," Kevin retorted, "it was only an idea."

"A pretty stupid one, if you ask me," Nate said.

"Both of you shut up," Giovanni said. "Fuck's sake, it's like listening to children bicker." Both Kevin and Nate quieted down, though he was unable to stop the occasional glare between the two. "Now, here's what we're gonna—." A phone began to ring from within the room. They all looked towards the source; Giovanni withdrew his cell from his pocket. 'Unknown Caller' was the only thing on the screen. He answered it, and by default, it went to speaker. "Hello?"

"Giovanni," the caller said.

"Who's speaking?"

"You know, I find it awfully funny that you guys are so desperate to find me that you're willing to go sneaking around on your own allies for information…" The room went deathly silent as the calm, collected voice continued. "But I will hand it to ya - you truly have made this whole thing one long, difficult ride. Too bad we're about at the end of the line."

"You're right about that," Giovanni replied. "Although it's going to end with a bullet in your head."

"Oh? Are you sure? Seems to me like we were just able to topple the world's strongest military power. I doubt a couple of militant blowhards like yourselves are going to stand a chance when we come knocking on your door. And believe me - we're gonna knock that fucker down just like we did in Johto."

"You're going to pay for what you did to all those people," Wesley said.

"Ah, so the others are listening in. Seems like I called at just the right time then. Tell me, how many of your boys went into the dirt?"

"None of them you son of a bitch."

"Well that's a damn shame," Douglas said. "But I guess I shouldn't complain. We lost some people - that's for sure - but I think we did pretty well for our first offensive strike. And as valuable as Reapers are… ten thousand regular troops is far more significant a loss, wouldn't you say?

"We don't need an army to take you down," Wesley said.

"I'd disagree with you on that. The CIC and Reapers pale in comparison to our forces - to our sheer numbers. But I guess you'll just have to see for yourselves. And trust me, that will be soon enough."

"Looking forward to it."

"Well, it's time for me to head out. Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day for me… and for you. I'm going to be there - hopefully I may see you. Well, I mean… your bodies, that is." With that said, Douglas hung up, leaving everyone in the room at a loss for words. It wouldn't be long before they would see - he was not bluffing.

. . . . .

He went to unlock his door, but realized that it wasn't necessary. Going inside, though, he found only Alaina to be there. "Where is everybody?"

"Ver's out flying. Layla and Charlotte are battling, and I'm guessing Elise is watching them."

"Oh." She came closer to him, then placed her arms to his sides.

"What's wrong?"

"…You're joking, right?"

"No Michael…"

"Let's see… well, for starters, one of my best friends just got buried, so there's that. We both just went and beat the ever living shit outta a bunch of our own allies, so that's also weighing in on my mind. And then to top things off, Douglas of all people calls us in the middle of a meeting, saying he's gonna destroy the base tomorrow. I don't know Alaina - I don't know what's wrong." She pressed her body against his, wrapping him in a tight embrace. He stood still for a moment, but halfheartedly returned suit. "Look… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that…"

"I understand Michael… you've been through a lot these past few days…" That's an understatement… "But… we are all your family here, and none of us are at fault. You need not shut yourself away from us - we are here to help you through this."

"I know… and I'm sorry…" She gently pecked his cheek as they remained locked together.

"This will all work out in the end. That horrible man will face justice for what he has done," Alaina said.

"I hope so. I want him to suffer just as we have…"

"No. We are not like them," she warned. "We do not have to sink to their level, and you know that. We will take his life, and that will be the end of all of this."

. . . . .

The base had been ready ever since the call had come. Tanks were fueled up and loaded onto C-17s, ready to be dropped wherever they needed to be. Scouts had been deployed within a fifty mile radius to report for any signs of enemy traffic. It seemed as though every available weapon on base was loaded and ready to go. The Reapers certainly had several at their disposal.

The entire morning was tense. Very little was said, and secretly everyone there was wondering if they would be claimed by Douglas's ever-growing death toll. But the scouts had continuously reported no signs of the enemy. Nothing at all.

Throughout the lunch break, nobody seemed hungry - the feeling of dread made it far too difficult to eat. Already so soon after the events in Johto, and they would be engaged in another fight just like that. This time they were prepared though. That didn't shake the anticipation of what was inevitably coming their way. At least the company of the girls gave Michael some relief, though.

It was nearly three o'clock when it started. They were waiting in their rooms with the doors open when the announcement was made. "All combat-ready personnel! Report to the docking bay immediately!" Michael and the others got up, readying their weapons as people began to run through the hallways. "Please… please be careful," Elise whimpered.

"I will," Michael said. "I want you five to shut that door and don't open it for anyone, got it? Alaina…" Michael withdrew the two Berettas from his side. "You know how to use these. If things go south down here… if someone forces their way through that door…"

"Then I will blow their brains out."

"…Good. I love you all so much, and just in the off-chance that—."

"None of that talk!" Veronica said. "You are coming back - right here! You understand?!" She couldn't maintain her facade throughout this, though.

"Of course Ver… Nothing's going to happen to me. If I survived shrapnel through the heart and Douglas's surprise attack… then this won't be a problem."

"It better not be," she said with tears in her eyes.

"It won't. Now you help protect your sisters. I will see you all tonight… maybe tomorrow at the very latest."

Shutting down that conversation had been the most difficult thing he had ever done. If he didn't do it, though… then there was no chance they'd actually let him go. None of them knew if they were coming back from this one. But yet that was what they signed up for. And now, his very reason for joining was about to be fulfilled. Douglas himself would be there - somewhere in the mix. Michael's hand rested on the revolver. That was what would finish Stone off if he could help it. Soon, the Twenty-Fifth was grouped together, making their way towards the docking bay.

"Ready for this?" Samuel asked him.

"Not one bit," Michael replied.

"Yeah… same here."

"But it's almost over…"

They reached the bay, where a large projector beamed on the wall. One of the local news channels had gone live, showing the scene that nobody had expected - all coordinated with the brilliance as if it had been planned for years. It probably had been. It was Viridian City - no mistaking it. They were roaming the streets, dressed in camo and armed with AK-47s. How?! How did they do it? There had been no word of conflict breaking out - and certainly no word of these guys approaching an entire city. Where had they come from? One of the armed militants - donning a dark black beret - finished talking with a small crowd of officers, then made his way towards the camera.

"Hello there, fellow citizens of Kanto. I am General Wallace, military leader of the future of this region - the freedom fighters that so many of you have longed for. The time is now; we're not sitting on our asses while we watch history repeat itself within our boundaries. A course of action has now been long past due. It is time to take back our country - to put it back into the hands of the worthy. You may join a side, or you may sit it out and watch. But know this - all who side with this crooked, cowardly president will receive the exact same thing he does. Many have already come to their senses and want to embrace the new Kanto. People among you. Now you too can come to support a better future for this land. Or… you could die with those that want to poison it with perversion and with immorality. You make your pick, just like them." General Wallace motioned for someone off to the side. A mid-fifties male in a suit and tie appeared from the side.

"Fuck, Senator Hendricks!" someone yelled within the crowd.

"As he has said, it is now time to pick a side. The government has proven that it is both inadequate and far-too-willing to appeal to the left's every desire rather than what is best for the country. It is necessary to reestablish a sense of justice within Kanto. We have tried negotiations - the left, however, is a force that you cannot reason with. A bunch of selfish, twisted little children that must now face the consequences of their years of stupidity. As a result of the ideological war that they have started, Viridian City is siding with Douglas Stone and his forces!" Wallace nodded, a grin plastered on his face.

"Thank you for your words, Senator." He turned back to the camera. "This is the beginning of a new era for our region. We will expel this cancerous group from Kanto." One of the officers from before came up to Wallace, then said something quietly to him. "Looks like it's time for a word from our leader. Off to you, Stone." He pulled out and aimed it at the camera. Static almost immediately took over. The screen remained that way for a moment, then was replaced with another scene - this one being far different in nature.

The same insurgents populated Pewter City; thousands upon thousands of them - in the streets, on the tops of the buildings - everywhere. In the background they could see helicopters swarming through the skies. All those enemies so close by… and they had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. How did they do it? His thoughts were interrupted by two insurgents leading a hooded figure towards the top-right corner of the screen. They ripped off the covering from his face, revealing a young black-haired man.

"Who is that?" Michael asked a nearby soldier.

"…That's Ron Mosley… the Senate Majority Leader…" Oh fuck… Given the current scenario, it wasn't difficult to guess what political party he was on. But then he came. Older than what he had been in the picture… but there was no mistaking who they were looking at.

"This right here… this is good," he said. "It couldn't have worked out any better - watching the true Kantonians rise and take back their land… and watching people like you get what has long been overdue." He walked up to the senator, making him flinch as he stopped nearly a foot away. "Where's all that charisma that you always had on television? Oh, that's right… it's a lot easier to spout your bullshit rhetoric among an echo chamber than it is to actually stand up for your views in the face of hostility. But then again, courage isn't exactly something you liberals are familiar with, now is it?" Not a word came from the scared senator, and not a sound aside from his rapid breathing. Douglas withdrew a knife - a Kabar - from the sheath on his side, seeming to investigate the blade in front of him.

"P-please…" Ron begged, "please d-don't do th—."

"Do what?" Douglas asked. "Carry out the punishment that you rightfully deserve? You have sold your country out - thrown them under the bus with your bullshit ideals! I'll give you this - I've done far more than my fair share of horrible shit. And I will be the last of my kind in history. But you, on the other hand… you all will not stop until you have a stupid, blinded population. You will stop at nothing short of radicalization - just like Hoenn. And the left will not be happy until every shred of dignity has been forced out of the region. People like you are what is wrong with this planet; as long as you obtain the position you want, you are perfectly content with ripping out the very heart and soul of your country. I've watched it happen before my own eyes. Tell me, do you know how that feels?" He placed the tip of the knife to Ron's chest, receiving another bout of pleas from the senator.

"No! Please don't… do this!"

"It feels… a lot like this." Calm as before, Douglas slowly pressed the knife inwards, not being phased in the slightest as Ron yelled in pain, wildly squirming within the grasps of his captors. Douglas brought his other hand to the handle to steady himself, then forced it all the way in to the very hilt before letting go completely. He nodded to the insurgents, causing them to release their holds on the senator, who fell to the ground as he struggled to breathe his last.

"Oh fuck… what the fuck," someone said from within the crowd.

"I apologize that you had to see that, Kanto. Really, I do. But it's time to grow up and leave this leftist disease behind you. Rise up and take your country back from those who would seek to destroy it. Rise with us… and together, we will create a land worth living in!" The picture was once again replaced with static.

The bustling room fell silent as everyone turned to face something in towards the back of the room. Giovanni had entered, with both Nate and Wesley at his side.

"Alright, as you all just saw, this maniac has just taken over two cities at a very close proximity to us. Within the hour, many of you will be headed into direct fire. Reinforcements from Johto, Sinnoh, and PMCs across the country will be joining us. Now let's make sure we end this war just as quickly as it started. This sick fuck is going to pay with his blood for all that he's done, so let's make that happen!" The soldiers all quickly applauded his words, but were then silenced by Nate.

"Alright, so listen carefully. Alpha Regiment is staying here - we need people stationed at base in case he's got plans to attack here. Beta will be headed to Viridian, and Charlie to Pewter. The second you step into that city, you are to fire at will. Do I make myself clear?" A loud "hooah!" echoed through the docking bay in response. "Good. They've taken this fight to us, just as they said they would. Problem is that there are civilians everywhere throughout the battlefield. Pay attention to where you are aiming - we need to keep civilian casualties as low as we possibly can. These are our families and friends. Don't allow harm to come to them, and don't be the cause of that harm. The enemies are going to be mixed throughout the terrain; this is going to take several days of fighting. But we will succeed, and we will be dragging that freak's lifeless body back with us!"

While everyone was getting ready to leave, Wesley approached the Reapers. "We're heading out in a few minutes. All of us are going straight to Pewter. This has become more than a little personal at this point. We're going to find where he's hiding and we're going to kill him."

They put their masks on and exited the base. In the distance, the Indigo League was locked up tight, with armed forces standing by, ready to protect all those inside. Hopefully, if everything went according to plan, no one near here would have to fire a single shot.

The runway was swarming with activity; the vast majority of the aircraft were readying themselves for takeoff, including the Chinook they had arrived in.

And the ride there… It seemed to be the quickest they had ever gone on. The anticipation made the hour feel like only a few minutes. They tried distracting themselves. Small talk had gotten them nowhere; most of them ended up fiddling with their weapons in a futile attempt to hide their nerves. Mainly, this short time was one for reflection. All this work - everything they had done and sacrificed - had led up to this very day.

Despite the reality of what they did for a living, they were now forced to face the truth - the truth that they had so bitterly learned back at their own base. Their jobs were dangerous, of course… but now they had truly seen how dangerous. These people knew what they were doing - they weren't a group of untrained thugs. They were insurgents raging an ideological, twisted war, and they were more than capable of taking their lives. There was a frighteningly large probability - odds that they wanted to ignore - that one or more of them would be coming home in a casket. But they had to go. This was for all those statistics that Douglas had claimed. And to Michael… this was for Zeke.

A war was already raging when they got there, and for the first time ever, the Reapers witnessed actual dogfights. Jets in the distance from both sides were twirling in a morbid, graceful dance among the skies. Gunfire was steady and unceasing.

"We're gonna have to drop you off here," the pilot said, descending towards the highway where many of their allies had started setting up a temporary base. "We won't last long over there!"

"Understood!" Wesley said. "Boys, get ready!" Michael and the others loaded a round into the chamber of their rifles. Michael also dropped a 40 mm grenade into the M203 mounted on the bottom of his own rifle while Thomas was going about straightening out his ammo belt for his Negev. The Chinook came to a quick landing among the field, and the six Reapers quickly stepped out of the aircraft.

"What's the plan?" John asked.

"Over there," Wesley said, motioning to the dozens of RG-31 Nyalas that had been parachuted in. "Join the CIC in their raid. You all will be hitting the city from the south. Watch the skies - the air force will do its best to keep the enemy birds off of you, but nothing's guaranteed. Get to cover if that happens - you won't be able to take a missile. Now get out there and bring that fucker down!"

They ran and joined the others among the heavily-armored vehicles. "Y'all tagging along with us?" asked a second lieutenant.

"Looks like it," answered John.

"Good," he said back. "You six get the second-to-last one over there. We roll out in two minutes!" The vehicle was mounted with an M2 on top, complete with two steel plates to shield the gunner.

"I've got that," Thomas said. He was the best for that job - no questions about it. But the fear lingered in Michael's mind - Thomas was a very large target, and nothing that would be shot at him could be stopped by his bulk.

The others got inside the armored vehicle and shut the doors. The first one about a hundred meters ahead of them began to move - they were heading into the city. "Kevin," Alex said.

"What?"

"Still so sure about not having any religion?" he asked.

"Yeah. What's that got to do with anything?"

"Might wanna change that right about now…" John hit the ignition, and they were moving. An F-16 was shot out of the air miles ahead of them. One of their own - the first one ever to lose a dogfight in history. They could only watch as it spiraled into a skyscraper, striking it with enough force to carve out a frighteningly large portion of it… along with all those within the vicinity. Michael silently prayed as they drew ever closer to the most deadly conflict they had ever experienced. And as they neared one of the bridges on the interstate, the machine gun over their very heads began to unleash a barrage of lead. Arceus… please help us through this…

This was their chance to end it all, but it was a gamble. The time had come for the militaries of the free world to face off against the forces of darkness. The time had come… for them to kill Douglas.

A/N:

And now I get to leave you with a cliff hanger. To be fair, though, the next chapter is going to be fairly lengthy for an action scene, so there's a lot of planning to do with that.

Let me know what you think in the review section. Until next time!